Questions

[Tater's Mom]

Hello everyone! I'm very new to this forum. Two days ago I was told my dog of 6 soon to be 7 in Jan. has the pituitary form of cushings and the vet wants to start a treatment of Trilostane. I was told not by the vet but of someone who thinks that they know it all that even if I do treat my dog this way still will give him only 2 years to live. We are heart broken over this news ( if it's true) I was wondering if that is a true statement We are now living on a fixed income and this treatment is quite expensive but we are willing to do all that we can for our dog Tater. Thanks for listening

[labblab]

Welcome to you and Tater! We're so glad you've found us. :)

That two-year lifespan prediction has been floating around for years, I believe fueled by the fact that Cushing's has traditionally been a disease diagnosed in dogs later in life. For that reason, it is hard to untangle the prognosis from a dog's natural lifespan. In recent years, more vets are becoming familiar with the disease and we are seeing more and more younger dogs here on the forum. For those dogs, once the Cushing's is well-controlled and associated risks minimized, there is no reason to expect that they should not go on to live long and happy lives. We have witnessed many success stories here that attest to that. :)

We would love to learn more about your dog. Can you tell us about her previous health history, and also the symptoms and testing that led to her Cushing's diagnosis? Also, how much does she weigh and what dose of trilostane is being prescribed? From the experiences of dogs here on the forum, we urge owners to discuss with their vets an initial dosing formula no greater than 1 mg. per pound.

Once again, welcome to you both.
Marianne

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome to you and Tater.

Hog wash, as they say. With a good vet, knowlegable owners, and good treatment plan, we have dogs on here who have been on treatment for many years. They can live out their normal life span, so don't let anyone get you down. This is doable if it is cushings.

Marianne asked some questions that will help us to better answer any questions you might have.
Can you tell us what symptoms are being exhibited? Typically we see massive water drinking and urinating, accidents in the house where previously there were none, ravenous hunger, hair could thin, muscle weakness, pot belly.

Welcome
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[goldengirl88]

Hello and welcome to you and Tater. The 2 year thing is not etched in stone and you dog could very well live out its natural life. My only suggestion if you are beginning treatment is to post all the abnormal results of all the testing you have had done so we can make sure of the Cushings Diagnosis, and tell you what is going on with your dog. Not all vets are familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, you must proceed with caution and get educated about this disease. Do not put blind faith in anyone even a vet. If your dog has Cushings, I am going to caution you to start at a low dose, many vets give too much and there are problems. Make sure you have prednisone on hand in case your dogs cortisol drops too low. This could be a life threatening event so you need to be prepared. I carry mine with me where ever my dog is. Please give us your dogs age, symptoms, testing etc. so that we can better help you. This is not a death sentence for you dog. I know you are worried and scared as we all are, that find this forum in the midst of desperation to help our dog. You can also purchase drugs cheaper online than off of your vet. You can also apply for something called Care Credit that will allow you to pay over time if you need things for your dog a lot of vets accept them which helps so apply now if you may need help. Please come on here and ask questions to get yourself up to speed on this disease as you are the only advocate for your dog. You need to ask questions about if how much experience you vet has with this. It will save you time, money and heartache. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

You tell that know-it-all that they are ABSOLUTELY WRONG this time! ;):D The pups on this forum alone blow that myth completely out of the water. :)

And welcome to you and your baby, Tater! :)

[Tater's Mom]

I just called the vet to get the results that they took last year and just a week ago so I will get back to you all on the results. Thanks

[addy]

My Zoe was diagnosed 3.5 years ago. She has been on Trilostane for 2.5 years. So dont let people scare you. Every dog is different and a lot depends on how knowledgable you and your vet are and how good of a team you make.;)

Dry your eyes, wipe away the tears you and Tater are not alone anymore. I love that name!!!!:D:D:D:D

[Tater's Mom]

I got the blood results and the
Alk. Phosphatase
from 2012 it was 189
from Feb. 2013 it was 359
from 10/22/2013 it was 448

He was tested for the low does Dexamethasone Suppresion Test
Post 4 hours DEX 1.2
Post 8 hour DEX 9.8


I am not sure what other numbers you might be asking for?

[Squirt's Mom]

There should be a pre number on the LDDS, low dex suppression test. There should be 3 numbers from this test.

[Tater's Mom]

The Pre Dexamethasone is 5.5
the post 4 hr dex is 1.2
the post 8 hr dex is 9.8

[labblab]

Thanks so much for this added info (and Tater is surely a cutie-pie!).

The LDDS results are definitely consistent with pituitary Cushing's, as are the steadily rising Alk Phos values. Can you tell us more about Tater's outward symptoms and overall health history? That will also help us give you more meaningful feedback.

Marianne

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from as well.

I too would be interested in knowing more of the clinical symptoms your little Tater has been showing. Here is a great link that offers so much information, in layman's terms, about Cushing's, the testing and treatment. http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180. I encourage you to read through these.

Also, are there any other conditions your Tater currently has? Or is taking any medication for?

With what dosage does your vet want to start?

Keep us posted.
Terry

PS - here is some additional reading on Trilostane - http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185

[Tater's Mom]

Thanks so much for this added info (and Tater is surely a cutie-pie!).

The LDDS results are definitely consistent with pituitary Cushing's, as are the steadily rising Alk Phos values. Can you tell us more about Tater's outward symptoms and overall health history? That will also help us give you more meaningful feedback.

Marianne

Tater only shows the thirst and urination and a very quick weight gain. I've noticed the water consumption for about a year and had him checked for diabetes but the test came back normal. So that is when the vet said just to watch him but the thirst of his water just never stopped and the urination is getting worse. So we had him tested for Cushings. We just found out he has it 10-31-2013.

[goldengirl88]

Hi:
I am curious as to the dosage you vet is recommending and your Tater's weight, I can't remember if you gave it to us. You really want to think about starting Tater on a low dose to get used to it. You do not want problems right off the bat. I hope Tater is well, and that you are not worrying about him so much now that you have a plan of action from your vet. Blessings
Patti

[Tater's Mom]

Hi:
I am curious as to the dosage you vet is recommending and your Tater's weight, I can't remember if you gave it to us. You really want to think about starting Tater on a low dose to get used to it. You do not want problems right off the bat. I hope Tater is well, and that you are not worrying about him so much now that you have a plan of action from your vet. Blessings
Patti

I went to the vet today and got the trilostane of 30 mg in two weeks I will take him back to the vet to run the blood work on him. He weighs 20 lbs. The vet said that he can get a skin infection as a side effect to just keep an eye on him if he quits eating or gets in a depression. To tell you the truth I'm really worried about him. He just drinks tons of water and urinates so much. The vet said this med should help those problems he is having now. Thanks for listening I go to the vet and just cry they look at me but say nothing except this should help him.

[Harley PoMMom]

Thanks for listening I go to the vet and just cry they look at me but say nothing except this should help him.

Your vet is right, the Trilostane treatment should help Tater's increased drinking/urination but this will not happen overnight, it may take a couple weeks before you see an improvement...have patience (I know how hard that is) ;) and remember we are here for you both. :)

Hugs, Lori

[goldengirl88]

I am just saying I feel you are asking for trouble starting a 20lb dog off on 30 mg. It is too high, and the cortisol could drop too fast. I would start at no more than 20mg if it were me, as this is how a lot of these god get in trouble. These are powerful drugs and I don't want you baby to get sick. Blessings
patti

[jasonhbaum]

My boxer - Sophia - was diagnosed with Cushings in December of 2010. She has been on Trilostane since then and up until a few weeks ago has been doing great. She is starting to urinate in house so we had another ACTH test ran and her cortisol levels are low (opposite of Cushings). I wouldnt worry about what others say. Just love your dog.

[labblab]

It is true that we feel more comfortable here when vets start dogs off on initial trilostane doses that are no greater than a formula of 1 mg. per pound. Starting out with smaller doses seems to minimize the likelihood that side effects will result from rapidly lowering cortisol levels. But the flip side of lower dosing is that it can take longer to see improvement in symptoms relief.

30 mg. is not a huge dose for a dog of Tater's size, but it does exceed that 1 mg. per pound formula. So as your vet has already advised, we'll also encourage you to keep a close eye on Tater. If you see evidence of vomiting, diarrhea, unusual lethargy, or other unusual behavior, you'll want to "hold" any further doses of the drug until you've had the chance to talk with your vet. In that situation, it's always better to be safer than sorry and not risk an overdose if a dog is acting ill.

I hope your vet has also told you to always give Tater the trilostane along with breakfast (the drug is metabolized best when given with food). Also, on the day of the monitoring testing, you will want to give the trilostane with breakfast just like always, and then make sure the test is performed 4-6 hours later on. But we have several more days to talk about all that before it is time for the first test.

In the meantime, please keep us updated, OK?
Marianne

[goldengirl88]

Hi I just wanted to check in and see how your baby was doing, hope all is well. Blessings
Patti

[Tater's Mom]

Thanks everyone for all the info I've received! I will keep all of you posted as time goes by. Thanks again.

[Trixie]

Your Tater is really cute...hope he's doing okay. My dog is now on Trilostane/Vetoryl for 8 months. We started low and slow and I suggest you do the same. 30mg is probably too much for your 20 pound dog. My dog was 16lbs when we began and we started at 12mg a day...(6mg in the a.m. and 6 in the p.m.). We gradually increased after testing...very gradually...and finally after a few months the crazy drinking/peeing/eating/panting began to decrease.
Starting too high and cause problems and side effects and then put you back to square one if you have to wait and start again...you will also be afraid to use this drug if you see a bad reaction on the 1st go around. The 30mg protocol is a bit dated and the manufacturer-Dechra- will tell you this if you call them. You can have doses compounded from online places like Diamondback. We have had many different doses along the way...it's a tweaking game, but better to be conservative. Good luck with Tater, he can do really well so don't listen to the 2 year life span. My dog is acting like her normal self...plenty of energy and playfulness and she's 9. :)

Barbara