New here - 10 y/o Wire Fox Terrier on Vetoryl

[Lacey]

Lacey was dx with Cushings and is on 30 mg Vetoryl once a day since the start of summer. Her tests have come back that the Vetoryl is controlling the cortisol production.

Lacey seems more energetic although she pants a lot. I've also noticed that around her mouth her white hair has turned a rusty brown in the area where she drools. The rusty brown only appeared after she went on the Vetoryl...any idea if there's a connection?

Thanks,
Virginia & Lacey

Lacey -- 10 yr old Wire Fox Terrier.

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi Virginia,

I would like to welcome both you & Lacey. :) to K9cushings. You may have noticed their is a delay from when you post until when you can see it on this board. Please check your e-mail for a confirming membership notice. You may have to check your spam folder. Until that is done, you may notice a delay when you post, as one of the administrative team has to manually approve your posts.

We tend to play 20 questions here so if you wouldn't mind, can you post the test that were performed that lead to the cushings diagnosis. Please also post any abnormal test results including the normal ranges. How much does Lacey weigh and what symptoms did Lacey show that lead to the cushing's testing.

Please hang in there, we are here to help you and Lacey get through this. :)

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from me too.

I am glad the Vetoryl is keeping the cortisol levels in check, post the results of this last test (ACTH) when you get the chance. As John mentioned we do like to know more about the tests performed and weight.

Is Lacey on any other medication?

Regarding the staining I am not sure if there is a connection at all but those who have and are using Vetoryl will chime in shortly. What has your vet mentioned about her panting?

Terry

[Lacey]

Lacey is not on any other medication. I do not have copies of her tests; at each vet visit I've just been told the results and so far so good.

Lacey weighs 23 - 24 lbs. And the panting is usually when it's a hot day or after a walk.

Thanks for the welcome.

[littleone1]

Hi Virginia,

Corky and I also want to welcome you and Lacey.

Corky has been taking Trilostane for almost a year now. In July, his white fur turned colors. I have a picture of it in his album. This is when it was just around his neck and under his chin. The discoloration did spread to to his chest and belly. He had a yeast infection, which was believed to be the cause of it. Once the infection cleared up, his fur didn't change back.

There were a few people that said it could be due to the Trilo. I called Dechra and spoke with an IMS that works for them. He checked their data base and didn't find any other reports about it. It's a mystery. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

Terri

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi Virginia,

Regarding the staining, I have found that many times it is caused by the food. Has Lacey's food been changed recently. When I would feed Roxee or Rozee food that had a higher amount of grains, their white hair around their muzzle would get stained and anywhere they licked like their paws. I changed to a grain-less (or grain free) diet and the staining went away.

This is not always the case but many of the dogs I have groomed had this problem and when changed to a higher quality food, the staining disappeared.

Just a thought I wanted to throw out there. :)

[addy]

Hi Virginia and a belated welcome!

Regarding the staining, I have read so much about staining, it gets blamed on so many things, beet pulp in their food, beef, poultry, someone once told me if their water and/or food is high in minerals, oh, gosh the list goes on. There is also a thought that grain feeds yeast and yeast develops on wet hairs and stains the hair red.

I switched my Zoe to a raw diet and was giving her Armor natural thryoid supplement and Shen Calmer and she started the staining, never had it before. She is still on the raw diet but I stopped the Shen Calmer and Armor and the staining went away. Only problem is, she was also on metronidazol for a month, so not sure if that had something to do with it:confused:

Some people think a 10 day course of tylan or tetracycline ( not sure if I spelled that right) could kill the red yeast and thus stop the staining. It would be the new hairs growing in that would not be stained then, as you clip away the old stained hairs.

In summary, WHO KNOWS:eek:

My Koko (none Cushing dog) has the staining and I have never been able to get rid of it.

Hope everything esle is ok,

Addy

[apollo6]

Welcome Virginia and Lacy.
Apollo is on Vetoryl since June 2010. Apollo is on 12.5 mg and weighs 10lbs. Being a mini dachshund, his hair has come back in different colors, haven't noticed much around the mouth will look to see. Any changes you are seeing is more than likely the effect of the drug. Each case is different.
How much does Lacy weigh?
Please make sure you copies of all test done by vets. It is important for future references and to see how tests have improved or changed.
Cushings is a challenge and we need to be on top of the readings.
Glad you found us.
We are hear to help and give support.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo

[Marlene]

Hi, Virginia, and welcome.
I have a Lacey also. She is a white poodle. Her face is now almost completely dark brown. She is not yet on Trilostane. She has been diagnosed but other problems have delayed the start of Trilostane. I really hate the brown staining. She was always so snowy white. She now has some around her neck and shoulders. I asked the vets, but they didn't give me any definitive answers as to what is causing it. I hope your Lacey does well on her medications and if I get any answers about the staining I will certainly pass them on.

[Franklin'sMum]

Hi Virginia and Lacey, a belated welcome from me and my little guy, Franklin :)

I have no suggestions about the staining. Had Lacey been to any new walkie places before it began? Maybe neighbourhood kids giving her treats?

You will probably want to get hardcopies of all of Lacey's testing and results, it also helps to keep a diary of her behaviours and energy levels and such, so if anything does change you can pinpoint what (if anything) is different. It's also very handy for if you should ever need to see an after hours vet or travelling. They can see at a glance Lacey's history.

You mentioned that she is panting after a walk and also when the weather is hot- I think that's pretty normal for any pup. If you've had an abdominal ultrasound done, the report would state the condition of Lacey's internal organs that were seen. A common cush pup U/S finding is an enlarged liver (due to the constant filtering of cortisol, the liver gets bigger, and can compress the lung space which leads to panting.)

Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

[Lacey]

Thank you for all your responses!

I did some Google searches and found that food can be a cause (something about additives, ingredients, color and the protein in saliva) and I did recently change her food so maybe that is it.

I've been reading about feeding raw and am thinking about it seriously since, from what I've read, raw seems to be the most natural method. Now I'm wondering if kibble is behind the health problems!!

Lacey loves her daily walks and seems to pant afterwards but not for long. I will watch that.

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your help!
V:D