Deciding on not giving the medication

[sheltertails]

Our dog is a mixed breed about 14 years old and about 55 pounds. He was diagnosed with Cushings about 2 months ago. The thing about Buddy is that his real illness is that he is senile or as they call it Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. He was on 120 mg of vetoryl and his tests showed it was too high so now he is on 90 and has yet to be re-tested. His dosage was so high that he showed signs of back leg weakness (he could barely get up) and he started vomiting.
I decided not to give the meds for a few days because Buddy has not been improving - honestly he seemed worse. And he seems more at peace now. He is not as anxious and sleeps through the night - looks for affection, etc.
We are at a loss. He is 14 years old and can no longer hear and everything about him is failing. Is there any reason to give him the medication? What happens if we don't. We don't want to prolong his suffering.

Help.

[lulusmom]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

We usually put the bright lights on new members and grill them for information on testing, symptoms, etc. but given the information you have provided, I think we can give you a break. :D:D:D Cushing's is a very slow progressing disease, taking years to do serious harm to the internal organs. Based on the facts you have presented, if Buddy were my dog and his symptoms weren't a problem for me, I wouldn't treat him with Vetoryl or Lysodren but I would give Anipryl a try. Anipryl is frequently prescribed and is fairly effective in improving cognitive function in dogs and it is also effective in improving symptoms in a very small number of dogs with cushing's. It's definitely worth discussing with your vet.

I'm sure others will be by to welcome you both so stay tuned and in the meantime, please ask any questions you may have.

Glynda

[addy]

Hi and welcome from me as well.

Glynda has a wonderful suggestion for you about discussing Anipryl with your vet. I was going to suggest the same thing but she beat me to it:D:D:D:D:D

I am sorry to hear about your pup but I am very glad you found us.
You will find a wealth of support and information, tons of experience.
The forum is a good thing.

[Maya]

Hello and welcome!:) I agree with Glynda. Buddy is an old man and at this point in his life, I think it's more important to keep him happy and comfortable . I too would not treat him for Cushings if he were my dog. I stopped treating my Maya over a month ago because she was not responding well to the drugs anymore. It's a hard call, but you must go with your gut feeling. Only you know what's best for Buddy:)

[Bo's Mom]

Hello and welcome to you. I am so glad you found us and you will think that you and your dog will think you have struck gold because the people here are wonderful and so very knowledgeable. Ask any question and someone here will have an answer for you. Good luck on making the decision as to whether to treat or not. I know it is a hard one.

[sheltertails]

Oh my gosh... I have tears in my eyes... THANK YOU so much for welcoming me and reassuring me. It has been such an emotional rollercoaster. My gut just tells me that he is better without the meds. Hearing all of you understand just makes me feel so much better.

I will talk to the vet about Anipryl. The funny thing is Buddy was on a trial of that a year or so ago when he started to decline mentally. We didn't see much improvement at the time so we stopped it. Maybe it is worth a try again!

I cannot thank you all enough. I will keep in touch and let you know how it goes.:o

[Steph n' Ella]

Good luck to you and Buddy!

[marie adams]

Welcome to you and Buddy!!!

It is a roller coaster ride this Cushing's. Glynda gave you good advice--maybe it is that you have to give it more time to take effect this time. Some medicine takes a good 4 to 6 weeks to get into the system--I am not an expert.

You are in the most wonderful hands now and family.:)

Take care!!!:)

[MBK]

Welcome to you, as well. Every dog is different and there is no one size fits all treatment with this. Sometimes the best treatment is no treatment or the one that is easiest on YOUR dog. My Alivia is 14 1/2 years old and was diagnosed 1 1/2 years ago. She is not on any Cushing's specific medication, yet. That is not to say that there won't be a time when I opt to go that route. A lot of this is trial and error and trusting that you know your dog better than anyone and obviously want the best quality of life for his golden years.