Hello all, looking for advice with our baby Minnie

[Minnie's Mom and Dad]

Just picked up the prescriptions.

3 weeks of Enrofloxacin

2 weeks of Vetoryl 10 mg once daily, starting next Friday

She is right at 10lbs

[Squirt's Mom]

The dose is spot on - 1mg/lb/day - but watch for any signs that the cortisol has gone too low. Those signs are:

loss of appetite
loose stools/diarrhea
nausea/vomiting
lethargy

If you see any of these once she starts the Vetoryl, stop the drug and call the vet to let them know what is going on. The enlarged liver and adrenals are indicative of Cushing's however you can't let your guard down just in case. Once treatment starts even with a solid diagnosis and no other health issues in play we cush parent must be diligent at all times for signs the cortisol has gone too low. In time, this will be old hat.

I think it's a good idea to wait til a bit after starting the antibiotic. However, if the antibiotic causes any of the signs listed above I would wait until that course was over and she had settled down again. ie if the antibiotic gives her diarrhea, I would not start the Vetoryl until she was finished with the antibiotic. We never want to cloud the picture.

You're doing a great job! We are here with you all the way!
Hugs,
Leslie

[Minnie's Mom and Dad]

Thank you!!

It's going to be difficult initially because she's been so lethargic lately and hasn't had a huge appetite. Even prior to the Cushing's she's never been a big eater, frequently leaving food in her bowl.

So anxious to get her back feeling well. She's hasn't wanted to even take walks this past week.

Thanks to all of the other forum members that have shared their journeys. The info has been extremely helpful and informative as well as giving us some much needed hope!!

[Minnie's Mom and Dad]

Hello everyone!

Minnie began her Vetoryl 10mg daily morning dose last Friday, so we are 5 days into it. She is still on the antibiotic as well for another week and a half.

I was really surprised to see the quick changes. The panting was greatly diminished the first night and gone by the second day. (Temps here have dropped so that may also be a factor). Her thirst and frequent urination was better with just the antibiotic but seems even better with the Vetoryl. She back to being the finicky eater she's always been. A little chicken broth over her regular kibble has worked wonders. No noticable side effects. She seems to be more relaxed, especially in the evening. Prior to the Vetoryl she'd be all over the place trying to find a comfortable spot. We've always let her dictate the length of our walks and I was very surprised that after the 2nd day of the Vetoryl she's back to doing our regular 20 minute walks. It's been almost 2 months since she's been able to complete the 20 minute walk.
She's still unable to jump up on the couch or bed...but I'm sure it will take longer to get her strength back.

We'll be back at the vet next week for her 1st ACTH test.

[Joan2517]

Sounds good!!

[joalgopa]

To see improvements so fast is very good news!

[Squirt's Mom]

What a great update! Thank you for sharing the good news and I hope the trend continues!

[Minnie's Mom and Dad]

Well she was doing great for about 12 days. Even jumping up on the couch.
In the past 2 days the drinking has increased and she's back to her pre-vetoryl lethargy. Even not wanting to walk much at all. She is still eating. We did notice some panting too, but not to the same extent as pre-vetoryl.

We have our first ACTH test Friday thankfully. It's so hard to see her not feeling well.

Should I discontinue the Vetoryl? Or stick it out 2 more days and see where her levels are at?

[labblab]

Oh dear, I’m really sorry that Minnie is backsliding again. Since the symptoms you’re seeing now seem to be more consistent with her behavior pre-Vetoryl, I’d be more likely to suspect that her cortisol is creeping back up again as opposed to dropping too low. For that reason, if she were mine, I’d be inclined to continue giving the medication until tomorrow so that you can get an accurate test of this dose’s effect.

However, if she continues to worsen — vomiting, diarrhea, or extreme lethargy, for instance — I’d not give the Vetoryl this morning and try to move up the ACTH to today.

Please do keep us updated. Since she responded so well initially, it may simply be the case that she’ll need an increase in her dose of Vetoryl. It isn’t unusual at all for dosing to require some tweaking.

Marianne

[Harley PoMMom]

I'd also have her checked for an UTI especially since the last one she had was difficult to get rid of. Cush dogs are notorious for getting UTI's and because their urine is so dilute that a regular urinalysis may not pick up bacteria it is recommended to have an urine culture and sensitivity test done.

Lori