Re: New Member
Hi Vanessa and welcome to you and Cheyenne!
Thank you for sharing that information on the LDDS, ACTH, and labs for the liver values. Were there any other abnormal results, too high or too low, from the test that shows those liver values? I think once the correct way to dose and monitor is going on you will see that post, or second, number come down which is what we want. We would like to see that post number somewhere around 3.5ug/dl. At that level you should start to see this skin issue changing IF it is CC.
I want to add something to what Marianne has shared. Recent studies have shown that most larger dogs need to start with a much lower dose than what is stated in the literature about Vetoryl. They need to start at a 0.5 mg/lb. So a 60 lb dogs needs a 30mg starting dose according to the most recent research. Dechra, the manufacturer, is aware of this but refuses to change their literature at the moment so vets continue to give starting doses that are often much too high. In light of this, please keep a very close eye on Cheyenne for the following signs -
loss of appetite
loose stool/diarrhea
nausea/vomiting
lethargy
If you see any of these signs, stop the med and call the vet for an ACTH immediately. Some dogs do ok on the old dosing of 1mg per lb but some do not so I just wanted you to know what to look for in case Cheyenne is one of the ones who needs the lower dose. In light of this, I would not pay for 6 months worth of medication if they ask you to do so. Not only is that not the correct way to monitor, she may need a lower dose and you would be stuck with meds she couldn't use and out money you didn't need to spend. Here are some links to those studies you can share with her vet -
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22708554
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...6.2012.00956.x
Most vets don't have the time or take the time to try to stay on top of all the research going on with Canine Cushing's...but some of our members are just the opposite and spend a great deal of their time learning all they can about things going on in the cush world that impact our babies in diagnosing the disease, treating the disease, monitoring treatment for the disease, and living with this disease. It is all they focus on VS the myriad things a vet has to focus on. So often we are ahead of vets in knowing the newest info concerning Cushing's. It's not a judgement call on the vets at all...it's just what we do because this is our sole focus.
I am glad you found us and look forward to learning more as time passes. We are here to help any way we can so never hesitate to ask questions....we will do our best to help you understand.
Hugs,
Leslie
"May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"
Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.