cushings getting worse

[pburns1]

Hello, my dog, Shadow, a 13-year old golden retriever, was diagnosed with adrenal-based Cushings about a year and a half ago. He was taking a half-dosage of Vetoryl and was doing great (drank and urinated a normal amount, blood tests were good, adrenal swelling went down, etc.) up until about 4 months ago. My vet had us increase the amount of Vetoryl he was taking - up to the suggested amount he should have been taking for his weight. He showed no improvement, so we recently switched to Selegiline. I just read that this has no affect on adrenal-based Cushings, and Shadow certainly hasn´t shown any improvement, though he hasn´t been on it long. Would we be better off trying Lysodren? Any experience or advice for me? Thank you so much. I'm feeling a little hopeless. Regards, Patrice

[lulusmom]

Hi Patrice and welcome to the forum.

In order for us to provide you with more meaninful feedback it would be great if you could give us as much information as possible about Shadow. You can start by posting the results of the tests that were done by your vet to diagnose Shadow. What symptoms did Shadow have that lead you and your vet to believe he had cushing's? How old is Shadow and what was his starting dose and what was it increased to. Were acth stimulations tests done to monitor treatment. It is recommended that one be done 10 to 14 days after starting treatment, another one at 30 days, etc. Any time an adjustment to dose is made, you go back to the 10 to 14 day acth stimulation test. Can you please gather up copies of these tests and post them here in chronological order? Here in the states our vets are usually very happy to give us copies of our dogs' records so hopefully the vets in Spain will be happy to do the same for you.

I'm sorry to answer your questions by asking a whole lof of questions but it's necessary if we are to help you Shadow back on the right track. I will tell you that if Shadow does have an adrenal tumor, the selegiline will have absolutely no effect whatsoever and you are wasting your hard earned money. Selegiline is also prescribed for canine cognitive dysfunction so perhaps your vet thinks Shadow is also suffering from dimentia? If Shadow is not showing signs of dementia, I must assume that your vet has very little experience with cushing's and is not familiar with its effective treatments.

Please don't feel hopeless because you've only just gotten here. We're sorry that you had to find us in the first place but we're really glad you found us. Please give us a chance to sort things out and get a clear picture of Shadow's medical history.

Glynda

[jrepac]

I guess I am a little confused as to why your vet would prescribe Vetoryl for ADRENAL based Cushings....as I understand it, that would not be a good choice.

Selegiline (anipryl), is absolutely useless for Adrenal based Cushings and MAY help some dogs with Pituitary based Cushings. A few of us (myself included) had some good experiences with selegiline/anipryl, but we are definitely in the minority. As noted, vets are now prescribing it for cognitive disorders.

Jeff & Angel Mandy

[Buffaloe]

I've been all through the adrenal tumor situation with my dog. How was Shadow diagnosed with an adrenal tumor? That is really good that Shadow did so well on the Trilo. for over a year.

There is virtually no chance that Selegiline will have any effect on Shadow's adrenal tumor. Both Trilostane and Lysodren are used to treat canines with primary adrenal tumors. Sometimes Trilostane is more effective, sometimes Lysodren works better. It gets a little complex but if Trilostane has lost its effectiveness in helping Shadow, switching to Lysodren makes alot of sense. With Lysodren, there is a loading period followed by maintenance.

Good luck with Shadow.

Ken

[frijole]

Hi Patrice! Hang in there.. the others are right... time to try lysodren. I just wanted to add that there needs to be a wash out period between trilo and lysodren... I BELIEVE it is at least four weeks. I am now sure about the Selegiline but please make sure your vet checks into this before giving you lysodren.

Also.. not all vets have alot of experience with cushing's, let alone adrenal cushing's so it might be worth seeing a specialist or a different vet with more experience. You are paying good money and I know this is stressful.... so you need to trust your vet. Keep us posted and know you are not alone on this journey. Kim

[labblab]

Hi Patrice,

I just want to echo what the others have already said. If Shadow truly is no longer responding to the triostane, then I definitely agree that Lysodren is the way to go. However, I first want to repeat the questions that Glynda has asked above. Can you give us the specifics regarding Shadow's weight, his trilostane dosage history, and any monitoring ACTH test results? We've found that it is not uncommon for dogs on trilostane to require ongoing dosing adjustments, so it will help to guide our feedback to you if we can find out more about Shadow's specific experience on trilostane.

Thanks so much!
Marianne

[jrepac]

Because Lysodren acts directly on the adrenal glands, it's probably the best option when an adrenal tumor is present. Surgical removal is possible, but many owners don't want to risk that. I was not aware that some folks had good results with trilo in this case, but I suppose it is possible that trilo is blocking the formation of cortisol even in the case of a tumor.

I hope you are able to get things back on track :)

[pburns1]

Hello, thank you all for your prompt replies, and sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I had a few things wrong in my message - next time I will check his files first. However, I am crushed to say the Cushing's appears to be a moot point. Shadow was diagnosed on Saturday with mouth cancer. I will get more information tomorrow, but it doesn't look good. Most likely I will need to put my buddy down. I know this is TMI, but I just lost my husband suddenly at 44 years old and Shadow was all I had left. Shadow, too, lost his best friend and is now suffering the pain of cancer.

[labblab]

Oh Patrice, in no way is this too much information. It is very important to us to know what all you are going through. I am so terribly sorry to learn about Shadow's mouth cancer, and to hear about your husband's death. We are here for you, no matter what. So please stay here with us. This is so much for you to have to go through. You are not alone, OK? Please keep us updated!

Sending many hugs across the miles,
Marianne

[lulusmom]

Patrice, I second everything Marianne has already said. We are here for you whenever you need us.

((((Big Consoling Hugs))))
Glynda

[Squirt's Mom]

Dear Patrice,

I am so sorry for all that you are facing. :( And like Marianne said, that is never too much information here. We are family, and family shares burdens as well as joys. Please don't sit there feeling you are all alone with your heart and soul so full of pain. We are here any time you need to talk.

Do let us know how Shadow is doing.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[pburns1]

You people are beautiful! Thank you very much Glynda, Leslie and Marianne. Shadow and I truly appreciate you. Warm regards, Patrice

[jrepac]

So sorry to hear this; I wish you and Shadow the best...