Originally Posted by
labblab
I don’t understand why the vet would tell you to give Daisy *both* Vetoryl and a supplemental steroid. If she is suffering from low cortisol requiring steroid supplementation, this would mean that her Vetoryl dose is now too high. If so, the Vetoryl needs to be discontinued altogether for a time, and then restarted at a lower dose once her natural cortisol production has rebounded. In other words, the supplemental steroid is usually meant to be a bridge during the time period when she is off the Vetoryl and her natural cortisol production needs to rebuild. Once that has happened, the steroid can be stopped and the Vetoryl restarted at a lower dose. The time it takes for a dog to rebound from Vetoryl overdosing can vary greatly, though, from a few days to weeks.
But this all depends upon whether her Vetoryl dose is truly too high and low cortisol is really the culprit. This can only be known for sure by testing. However, for safety’s sake, whenever low cortisol is suspected, the Vetoryl should be halted until the testing can be performed. The temporary reemergence of Cushing’s symptoms in the absence of Vetoryl can be frustrating. But the dangers of low cortisol caused by Vetoryl overdosing can be life threatening. So of the two choices, temporarily halting the Vetoryl is far safer. Again, I am not a vet myself. But I am puzzled by your vet’s recommendation here.
Marianne