side effects of Vetoryl

[James Barker]

hi im janice james wife. james is unwell today so i have taken his place today. we have a jack rusell bitch called Lucky she has a ongoing problem with her heart for which she is on medication also has fluid on lungs which she also has medication . she was drinking large amounts and hungry all the time has developed a pot belly . took her to vets who suspected that she could have Cushings disease. Carried out urine and a ACCTH test which confirmed the unfortuneately lucky did have cushings . Vet started Lucky on Veroryl 60mg for ten days. To start with did not appear to have any side effects from this . After 10days went for the ACCTH test again, the day after this test she started to become unwell , panting, larthargic, loss of appetite, drinking excessively. Today i have stopped the vetoryl and has an appointment this afternoon with vet. Has anybody else experienced this with their pet. i would be much obliged for any comments as really worried about Lucky and feel that this drug could be doing more harm than good. Thanks

[SoggyDoggy]

Hi Janice and welcome to you and James (sorry he's under the weather, hope he feels better soon).

The symptoms you have described for Lucky after the ACTH test are all classic symptoms of Lucky's cortisol having dropped too low, so I am very glad that you have stopped the vetoryl and have an appointment with you vet this afternoon. Please keep an eye on her closely in the meantime to make sure she is not going further downhill as a drop in cortisol has the potential to be very dangerous. Did your vet give you any prednisolone when you first started the vetoryl? This is used as a cortisol boost when levels drop dangerously low and can be a life saver. If you weren't given any, please demand some.

Now for the mass of questions. Do you have copies of the blood tests that were performed for both the diagnosis of Lucky and the monitoring ACTH? If not, it is a great idea to ask your vet for a copy of this when you go in this afternoon. Then if you feel comfortable doing so, please post the results here with reference ranges in brackets next to them. This will give folks a much better idea of what you are dealing with and how best to help you out. If you could also list any other blood results, i.e. CBC tests etc, they too help considerably, especially as Lucky has other issues to consider. In addition, perhaps you could list down the other medications Lucky is on for heart and fluid? Unfortunately, some drugs do interact with each other and can affect the way that others work.

How much does Lucky weigh? From my experience, Jack Russell's aren't large dogs, and yet a 60mg dose is quite high. Usually the starting dose is 1mg/lb, so unless she is pretty huge, she has potentially been started at the wrong end of the scale and this could have caused the issues, which brings me to my next question.

How confident are you in your vet and their knowledge of cushing's? Two things are flagging concern for me at the moment. Firstly the high dose I've already mentioned, and secondly that the usual diagnostic test is actually a Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression test. The ACTH is normally used for monitoring more so than diagnosis (as far as I know, someone please correct me if wrong). As the drugs to treat cushing's are so potent, it is very important that your vet know exactly what they are doing and what protocols to follow, especially that you are also dealing with other issues as well. Please don't be afraid to question your vet intensely, you are the only voice Lucky has, and you and James know her better than anyone else.

Hopefully this will give you a bit of hep for a starting point. There are a lot of people here that are very knowledgable with regards to cushing's, so please, if you have any questions, post away. We are here to help and will gladly do so in any way we can. Keep us posted and let us know what your vet says.

Good luck this afternoon, and once again, welcome to You, James and Lucky!

PS: What I should also say, is that when dosed correctly and monitored properly, Lucky will be unlikely to experience any of the symptoms listed above and her original symptoms will also resolve. There is no reason she won't return to her original self with a correct dose of vetoryl. The problems you are seeing are more than likely due to a too high dose as said.

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from me as well. I am sorry Lucky is having these troubles.

Naomi has started off with questions and some good advice.

I would like to mention this regarding her heart medication and Vetoryl.

(from the product insert - http://www.dechra-us.com/files//dechraUSA/downloads/Client%20Literature/38965_Technical_Brochure.pdf (page 8)


Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors should be used with caution with VETORYL Capsules, as both drugs have aldosterone-lowering effects which may be additive, impairing the patient’s ability to maintain normal electrolytes, blood volume and renal perfusion. Potassium sparing diuretics (e.g. spironolactone) should not be used with VETORYL Capsules, as both drugs have the potential to inhibit aldosterone, increasing the likelihood of hyperkalemia

I am glad you stopped the Vetoryl and have an appointment with the vets. Please keep us posted.
Terry

[goldengirl88]

Janice:
Welcome to the forum. I have a Jack Russell Tipper that has Cushings. One of the things I was specifically told by the Vet at Dechra that Vetoryl cannot be given with heart medications. Please call Dechra and tell them your situation so your baby is not in any medical danger. The number is 866-933-2472, please tell them the heart meds your dog is on and the Vetoryl your vet said to give. Wishing you and your Lucky the best. Blessings
Patti

[James Barker]

Thanks everyone for your replies,the information you have given was really helpful.We had lucky back at the vets this afternoon,and he checked luckys temperature,which was ok,and has told us not to give her the vetoryl for a couple of days and the spironalactone.She is still unwell,not eating,drinking loads of water and still very lathargic,but does seem a little better,we are seeing the vet again on Wednesday,to see how she is doing,and he may start her on a lower dosage of vetoryl on Friday,but, after what she has just gone through,I am very sceptical. Thanks again for your most welcome replies, Jimmy,Janice and Lucky

[mytil]

Hey again you three,

I have just a sec, but while at the vets were Lucky's electrolytes checked? Was an ACTH performed?

IMO I would not give any more Vetoryl until a check on the cortisol levels are checked with an ACTH. Who knows where her numbers are and she is still unwell.

Was the spironalactone prescribed as a diuretic? I would find out any interactions this may have with Vetoryl for sure.

Was not familiar with this so looked it up ...

Spironolactone is used to treat certain patients with hyperaldosteronism (the body produces too much aldosterone, a naturally occurring hormone); low potassium levels; and in patients with edema (fluid retention) caused by various conditions, including heart, liver, or kidney disease. Spironolactone is also used alone or with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Spironolactone is in a class of medications called aldosterone receptor antagonists. It causes the kidneys to eliminate unneeded water and sodium from the body into the urine, but reduces the loss of potassium from the body.

I'll be back later tonight
Terry

[Budsters Mom]

Hello and welcome from me too.:)
I am sorry for the reason that brought you here, but so glad you found us.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, James and Lucky,:)

Hugs,
Kathy

[James Barker]

Thanks Terry,all the vet did today was check her temperature,he said that was ok,and agreed with us that he thought she was on too much vetoryl,we asked about the spironalactone,and he told us to stop giving her that also.We have another appointment to see him on Wednesday afternoon.The spironalactone was prescribed about 18 months ago along with frusemide (diuretics) ,benefortin and vetmedin for a heart problem.at present,she has no energy,she wont eat,I managed to give her a little honey from my finger,she shakes now and then,we are so worried,and think our worst fears may happen, All we want back is our happy Lucky,who cares if she has a pot belly or eats everything in sight,We would rather have her like that than the unhappy sad soul she is now.

[James Barker]

Hello and welcome from me too.:)
I am sorry for the reason that brought you here, but so glad you found us.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, James and Lucky,:)

Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks Kathy,We are so glad we joined this site,The people have been so kind,We want to thank everyone for their most welcome information,Thanks from us all : Jimmy,Janice,Lucky and Luckys daughter,Rosie (another jack russell)

[Budsters Mom]

Oops! I didn't know about Rosie. Welcome Rosie! :) We don't want her to feel left out!:D

Hugs,
Kathy

[Concernedmom]

Hi James and family
I think you did the right thing in stopping the vetoryl for Lucky and if it were me I wouldn't restart it either. (just my opinion). IF Lucky does have Cushings there are other ways you may be able to help her but with all these heart medications I would be checking with a cardiologist before starting cushing drugs. I had a dog that passed away from heart failure and was on many of the same medications. I didn't give him anything without checking with the cardiologist. The cardiologist was his main doctor who oversaw all of his care. I realize everyone probably doesn't have a cardiologist but I didn't think general vets prescribe this kind of heart medication. Most general vets wouldn't take away heart medication either would they? (maybe I'm wrong) Maybe today general vets prescribe everything. Like you said who cares if she has a pot belly or eats everything. If she isn't healthy or happy what quality of life is there for her anyways. The main thing is to get her eating and feeling better right now. I sure hope she is feeling better. I know how you feel and it's horrible to watch them like this.

[mytil]

How is Lucky today?

Is she eating? If you are seeing more of a decline in her, are you able to get her to an emergency vet? If so, please mention ACTH test (to check the cortisol numbers), and her electrolytes need to be checked as well (an imbalance can produce these symptoms).

I will say this, to just check a temperature only when a dog is on Cushing's meds, combined with heart meds, and is clearly internally and externally in distress and unwell is not the proper way to treat and is very dangerous for your dog.

Does your vet have any experience in treating Cushing's successfully?


.....at present,she has no energy,she wont eat,I managed to give her a little honey from my finger,she shakes now and then

Has Lucky been tested for diabetes?

I am so sorry for all the questions, especially in such a terrible time for you. I am worried too.

Terry

[mypuppy]

Welcome Janice, James and Lucky,

I do not know too much about the effects of heart medications given along with Vetoryl, but I can tell you that my girl, Princess, has been in remission of her cushings symptoms for over one year now. Yes, thats right, she has NOT taken Vetoryl for over one year since her last treatment, and is doing well. What dose was Lucky started on? When my girl started her initial treatment on Vetoryl, almost 4 years ago, her cortisol dropped in a matter of days. In merely 3 to 4 days time her symptoms subsided and I was thanking my lucky stars, however, little did I know at that point she may have been heading for a crash. Fortunately the acth test determined her cortisol was low. My IMS recommended we stop for one week and continue at a lower dose, however, thank God for these wonderful friends on the forum I decided to keep her off the Vetoryl until her symptoms returned. And so she was off the Vetoryl for 5 months. All I can say is that yes, this is definitely a serious drug with serious side effects, but it has also given me my old dog back and given her almost 4 years of a dog worthy life. I do not know what path you will take with your Lucky taking the heart condition into consideration, but hopefully once she has rebounded from her low cortisol, she may be given a second chance with her cushings treatment, but at a much lower dose. And what I have learned here is I will always start at the lowest dose possible and work up from there.

I do so hope you are as blessed as I was to get your Lucky back to some quality of life soonest. I wish you all the best on this difficult road.

Warm regards and tight hugs.

xo Jeanette and Princess

[Helaine]

Our dog Marley was diagnosed with cushings and has been on 50mg Vetoryl for about 3 weeks now, I noticed that she started scratching and nibbling at herself over the last few days, then we keept finding lumps of fur all over the place, shes a hungarian Puli so doesnt normaly mault, I looked at her belly and in the folds of her skin she has deveoled red itchy marks they are not open sores yet but I'm guessing if she keeps scratching they will be. I have searched every where and this is not listed as a side effect :( of the drugs we are taking her to the vets this evening to see what it is and to get another bloodt test to make sure she is on the correct does for her weigh, which is about 13.5 kg, the only sympton of the cushings that seems to have stopped is the going mad for food, she used to wold her diinner down but has stopped this and now leaves almost half of it, shes still drinks loads, she still pants loads and she sleeps most of the time, I am very worried about her. any advice would be great.