Re: Help!
Hi Melissa,
Unlike Marianne, I do not in the least feel badly about being critical of your vet. Simply because I have been a cyber witness to more dogs than I care to remember who died from arrogant vets who refuse to listen to facts over the years that I have been working in forums and groups like this one. Arrogant vets who will not listen are the biggest risk factor in this disease...not the disease itself nor the treatments but vets who refuse to listen to facts pose the greatest risk to our cush babies. We here are NOT professionals in the veterinary field yet we know more than this vet, and many others for that matter, do about this disease and the treatments for it. What we know is readily available to vets everywhere so the things we present to parents of cush pups are not secrets at all. But we have taken the time to stay up on developments in this area...and some vets just don't take the time to do that. Granted they do have a lot more to deal with than we do...all we do is Cushings and related illnesses/conditions. Yet for a vet to turn a blind eye to new-to-them information is inexcusable. You unfortunately have one of those arrogant, dangerous vets and in your shoes I would get Fluppy's records from this office and run, not walk, RUN from them and never return.
You are not a bad mom at all...you have taken the time to learn what is recommended and what SHOULD be done with your baby and you are speaking up for Fluppy. Our babies cannot speak for themselves so it is up to us to speak for them and you are doing an excellent job of this! The ability and willingness to speak to vets as you have is the greatest advantage in this disease any dog could ask for. Fluppy is a very lucky guy.
This medication needs to be stopped until you find a vet who will work with you and listen to you. It is infinitely better to flat not treat Cushing's than to give a dose that is life-threatenting...and an overdose on these meds always presents possibilities we do not want to contemplate. High cortisol causes some problems but, barring one of the rare complications of Cushing's, the dog can live a long time untreated. But they will have a very short life if an overdose of medication continues. In the literature these dangerous vets often claim to refer to it PLAINLY states to start at the lowest dose possible. What you have described fits an overdose without question. Unfortunately, Vetoryl is not stable nor does every dog react the same to it. Some dogs are extremely sensitive to this drug and it may be that Fluppy is one of them and will need a very low dose to start so he has a chance to adapt if he can. Some dogs simply cannot take Vetoryl and have to switch to Lysodren IF available (it is not available in all countries). But those are considerations on down the road. Right now it is imperative that you stop the med and let Fluppy's adrenal glands recuperate before they are permanently impacted.
While name brand Vetoryl may be limited at the moment compounded meds should be available. This is a process where the active ingredient in Vetoryl, called Trilostane, is used to make medication doses and forms that Vetoryl doesn't come in. This means that a dog can get just about ANY dose needed and in any form needed. So Fluppy could have Trilostane in an 8mg chewable tablet or in a liquid form that is very easy to work with when it comes to dose changes (often saving the need for a new prescription) and easy to give. So there ARE other options your vet is also ignoring.
I completely empathize with your situation...I am in a similar place myself and just had a dog diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus, a rare form of diabetes that has to do with how the body processes water and nothing to do with blood sugars. It took every penny in my saving account for this diagnosis and his first round of meds. From here, it is going to get very tough for us. So I DO understand where you are coming from with the cost. But I again say, find another vet that will work with you and simply don't treat in the meantime. YOU will be the one who is more than likely most impacted by not treating for a bit unless you have trained Fluppy to clean up after himself and let himself out when needed...that has not worked in my home. Meanwhile I want to share some links with you that may be able to help financially.
A fund devoted solely to Canine Cushing's:
http://www.tipper-squirtcushingfund.org/
A list of other sources that may be be able to help:
http://www.tipper-squirtcushingfund....es-of-aid.html
Croudsourcing sites like GoFundMe may be able to provide an avenue for assistance as well from friends, family, and complete strangers who donate to help Fluppy. You might be surprised at how many people want to help others when possible.
I am so glad you and Fluppy have joined our little family here and I want you to know you will never be alone on this journey. All you need to do is reach out and we will be here. We DO understand where you are coming from because we have walked in your shoes, some of us more than once. And we DO care about you and your precious Fluppy.
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.