Given the low dose of Vetoryl that Yohnny is starting out on, I personally do feel comfortable with this plan. As I wrote earlier, the formal recommendation is to go ahead and test the cortisol at that two-week mark, but I have indeed seen clinicians hold off until the 30-day mark for the first testing as long as the dog is looking and behaving well. Your vet is correct that the cortisol level can continue to drift downward during the first month of treatment even while a dog remains on the same dose. For this reason, no dosing increases are recommended until after the first 30 days, regardless of the interim results. The earlier test is really one for safety’s sake — to make sure the dose doesn’t need to be lowered. But as I say, since Yohnny is starting off on a very low dose, anyway, I would feel OK with your vet’s plan, especially since she will still be physically examining him earlier. If either you or she think that something looks amiss, you can and should go ahead and test at that time.

Marianne