Hi,

I’m new to the Forum as far as positing goes, but I’ve read a bit of it in the past.

My dog, Lucky, who is a 13-year-old Chihuahua mix, was diagnosed with Cushing’s last November. Always a thirsty dog, she became so thirsty she was drinking from puddles while outside. That was the only symptom at the time except for some minor weight gain — she went from 12 to 13 pounds. The doctor dismissed Cushing’s based on her CBC results, but I pushed for the ACTH test. She tested at 17.6, and was put on Vetoryl at 10 mg. It’s pituitary dependent Cushing’s as she had an ultrasound of her abdomen and no adrenal tumors were detected.

She has been tested 3 times since going on the Vetoryl (results below). Since the Cushing’s diagnosis, she was also diagnosed in April with a leaky heart valve after a heart murmur was detected. She is on 2.5 mg of Enalapril. She was also diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in May through blood work after intermittent bouts with diarrhea since the beginning of this year. Lucky was put on a low-diet prescription diet and a pre- and probiotic after the CP diagnosis. Her stools have mostly been good since then.

Since being on the Vetoryl she has also had a few CBC panels. There were some increases in levels which are consistent with Cushing’s but nothing crazy and nothing that alarmed the vet.

Her latest ACTH test (her third) had her cortisol levels at their lowest levels since she started treatment last November. The vet has switched her to 5 mg of Vetoryl, which I will start tomorrow. She said you never want to get too low in the test results and that a dog’s reaction to the medication can change over time.

Here are the results of the three ACTH tests she has had since going on Vetoryl — starting with oldest to newest.

November Results (after two weeks on Vetoryl)
CORTISOL
SAMPLE 1:
2.2 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1 for Vetoryl)

CORTISOL
SAMPLE 2
4.2 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1 for Vetoryl)

March Results
Cortisol Sample 1
3.7 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1 for Vetoryl)

Cortisol Sample 2
6.0 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1 for Vetoryl)

June Results
CORTISOL 1 —1.1 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1)
indicate optimal control.

CORTISOL 2 — 3.4 ug/dL (Optimal Pre & post cortisol levels between 1.5-9.1)
indicate optimal control.

Clinically, she is doing generally okay. She is always wagging her tail and all my neighbors are astonished when I tell them how old she is.

But she did gain two pounds since the beginning of the year and is now at 15 pounds. She still likes to drink a lot of water, but she doesn’t drink from puddles anymore. Since I adopted her 10 years ago, she has always had a healthy appetite and that has not changed. (I only feed her kibble, no treats).

Among the changes I do notice since the Cushing’s diagnosis — besides weight gain and the begging for water— is occasional restlessness at different times of the day/night. She also seems to be hotter, particularly now that it’s summer. Se prefers to be on the floor near the fan rather than the couch. She also is reluctant to climb stairs, although some days she does not resist and happily goes up them. She is also a bit more clingy. Her demeanor changes a lot, day to day— although she never seems unwell or unhappy, just a bit different than before the diagnosis.

I’m very nervous about lowering the dose of the Vetoryl, considering her Cushing’s symptoms are still there and are probably responsible for the chronic pancreatitis. Curious as to what Forum members think about the lower dose? Also, any insight into the changes I’ve noted in her since the Cushing’s diagnosis, would be appreciated. Are these normal with Cushing’s dogs even though they are on medication?

Thank you in advance for your responses.