13 year old Jack Russel

[Declan's mum]

Hi, just had a recent diagnosis of cushings in my 13 year old Jack Russel, Declan.

I'm un decided on treatment, vet is recommending trilostane, but am just doing my research at the moment . I am hoping to post low dose dex test results soon.
His symptoms are excess water consumption, always hungry, thin fur, and some trouble jumping on the couch, bed etc but he still seems like a super happy dog.

Just wanting to hear from anyone who hasn't treated and how their dog has gone, I'm just not sure wether the side effects of the drug out weigh the benefits.
Any way it would just be great to hear both sides.
Cheers from Australia.
Emma

[frijole]

Welcome aboard! Your dog sure has the classic symptoms. Do you have blood panel results as well? YOu might want to have the acth test done as well to confirm the diagnosis and to serve as a benchmark should you decide to treat.

Cushings is a very slowly progressing disease and almost all of us discovered it accidentally - we just thought our dogs were aging. The thing is that left untreated the symptoms get worse - more hair loss, muscle wasting in the hind legs, increased thirst - getting up all night to let them out. But that isn't the worst part - cushing's is excess cortisol created by the body due to a tumor (either pituitary or adrenal) that sends signals to the body to make more even though they don't need it. This causes issues with the organs over time. Untreated it can lead to liver disease, kidney disease, heart issues, diabetes.

Based on your dog's symptoms one could assume it has been progressing slowly over the years (like it did most of us). Sorry to say there are no holistic treatments - we would have all switched.

I would find out which type of cushings your dogs has (the test you had done could actually tell you) and select the drug (either trilostane or lysodren) that works best for that form of cushings. Do not fear the drug - they have been proven to work very well. Almost all of the problems stem from inexperienced vets and/or uninvolved owners that do not follow instructions or comprehend how closely you need to monitor treatment in the beginning.

Obviously you have reached out for help and are doing research so - so long as you have a vet that truly does have experience and follows protocol you have no reason to be fearful. With treatment this is not a death sentence. My dog lived to be 16 1/2 and she passed of old age not cushings.

Kim

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Declan,

Sorry for the reasons that brought you here but so glad you found us.

Trilostane/Vetoryl along with Lysodren/Mitotane are two medicines that are most rx'd for Cushing's. These are strong drugs but are life savers for our dog's with Cushing's disease.

When the proper protocols are followed adverse side effects are minimal. With Trilostane/Vetoryl we have seen that when dogs are started at the lower end of the dosage scale they have less side effects. Here's a link from our Resource Thread with info regarding Trilostane/Vetoryl: Trilostane/Vetoryl Information and Resources (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185)

Could you tell us more about Declan, such as his weight and is he taking any other herbs/supplements/medicines? Also, if you could round up copies of all test/s that were done on Declan and post any abnormalities that are listed that would be great. Does Declan have any other health issue? The more we know about Declan the better our feedback can be, ok?

Other non adrenal illnesses, such as diabetes and thyroid problems, share many of the same symptoms as Cushing's and therefore should be ruled out, has Declan been checked for both of these?

Cushing's is one of the most difficult disease to get a confirmed diagnosis for because not one test is 100% accurate at diagnosing it and any non adrenal illness can create false positive results from the tests for Cushing's.

Please know we will help in any way we can so do not hesitate to ask any and all questions.

Love and hugs, Lori

[Declan's mum]

Hi, yes this came about by having urination issues, and ended up having an ultrasound and discovered that both adrenal glands were enlarged and then we had tests done.
It has since been a week and I'm going to get the vet to send through his results tomorrow so I can post them.

I'm glad to have found this site, I had never heard of this before so it's great to read everyone's stories.

[SoggyDoggy]

Hi Emma, my first question obviously has to be, Where in Aus? I'm in WA! (always open to a pm if you don't want to post)

Just wondering, when you had the ultrasound done, did anything else turn up or was it just the enlarged adrenals? Did you have any blood tests to rule out diabetes or thyroid problems? If everything else was all clear and the LDDS pointed towards cushings, then you would be pretty safe in the diagnosis. As for the treatment and drugs, if you do decide to go ahead, please be sure that your vet starts low and goes slowly. In fact, if at all possible, find an IMS (Internal Medicine Specialist) and just start at the top. It's so much easier, reassuring and long term frequently cheaper than dealing with the regular GP vets.

Having a read of the may links around here will fill you in and give you a great place to start. I found things a lot easier to deal with when I knew what was actually going on and what to look for, but if at any time you have questions, no matter how big or small, post them up. There is always someone hanging around to help out.

Anyway, for now welcome aboard to you and Declan!

[goldengirl88]

Emma:
Welcome to you and Declan. My 11 1/2 year old Jack Russell Tipper also has Cushings. I have been treating her with Vetoryl since August 2012. I wish you both the best whatever you deceide. This is a wonderful place with wonderful people ready to help and support you. God Bless You and Declan
Patti

[Declan's mum]

Hi, I'm in SA

I think the vet recommended 10 mg a day but we would get it compounded into 5mg and give twice a day.
He weighs 5.9 kg.
I think his bladder was fine on ultra sound, I'm not sure about other things, will have to make a note to check that.

Thanks for all the kind words, I feel better already!
Emma

[SoggyDoggy]

SA! In that case, go to bed woman! It's late! But 5mg 2x daily sounds like a reasonable starting dose. When you ask for the blood results, ask for a copy of the U/S report too, that way you will be able to keep a whole file together. That's actually something worth doing. It means that if you ever have an emergency situation for anything (even a bee sting or something) and have to see a different vet, then you have a full and complete medical history that you can take with you. I'm not sure about others, but I am always paranoid that something they want to give my boy will react with trilo or something, it's usually one of the first things I ask. :o

On that note, I'm off to be myself. It's midnight here and you are a good 90 minutes ahead of me! Take care and good luck speaking to the vet.

[Budsters Mom]

Hello and welcome from me too!:)
.
You have come to the right place! There are many K9Cushing's angels standing by to help and stay with you every step of the way. They love details, test results, any information you can get your hands on. The more the better. We will do all we can to help.;)
So again welcome to you and Declan,

Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy:cool:

[molly muffin]

I'll just pop in with a Hello and welcome to the forum. I think the others have covered all the pertinent areas starting out so that is good. :)
There is a wealth of experience here so whatever you decide to do there will be someone around who had done the same thing and can help. (probably many someones! LOL)

welcome again
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Emma,

5 mg twice a day is a very good starting point for a 5.9kg dog. Familiarize yourself with the signs of Addisons which means that the cortisol has gone too low and the dosage is too high.

We began treating when Daisy's coat showed signs of dullness, very dry with fur coming right out. She had a bacterial skin infection which led me to believe that her immune system was starting to be affected. That was the sign to start for me before she developed more issues.

Otherwise, she's a very healthy dog.

[Declan's mum]

Hi all.
Thanks for all the support.
I am definitely leaning towards treatment, you just have to try.
Will keep all posted in the next few days.

BTW love the name Daisy, I had a rat called Daisy, and now a chicken.:):)

[Evey]

Hello to you and Declan!
I'm new to the forum as well and everyone has been so helpful - you've definitely come to the right place. :)