Newbie

[Flakes49]

Hi;

My 9 yr old yorkie has just been diagnosed with Cushings. On Monday we will receive the results of the LLDS tests and start treatment. I've been reading/researching for two weeks but I am still left with questions. Does anyone know if dogs suffer pain with this disease? Does the medication Vetoryl (trilostane) stop the uncontrolable drinking and peeing? My gal wants out every twenty minutes during the day and every two hours at night. Further everything I have read says lifespan is 2 to three years but my vet says that's not necessarily true. I don't want to put my little girl through hell if her quality of life is deminishes. How expensive is the medication here in canada if anyone knows and what are the side effects. My vet says there are no side effects but I find that hard to believe. I also have a tiny 2 yr old with a liver shunt so my plate is overflowing to say the least. Many thanks for your help.

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi and welcome to you and your Yorkie,

Throw that 2 year prognosis out the window. If treated properly and per protocol, your Yorkie has a very good chance of living out a pretty normal lifespan.

When the medication gets the cortisol levels under control, you will see a return to normal eating and drinking cycles... and oh yeah, the frequent urination will subside too :)

As far as side effects.... YES !!! every medication has side effects including the Trilostane. The key here is to learn as much as you can about treatment, work as a team with a very experienced vet and know what signs to watch for in case the cortisol does go too low, which can and is life threatening. Also insist your vet gives you a rescue dose of predisone.

Many more will stop by to welcome you and share their knowledge and experiences. :)

[Roxee's Dad]

A couple of good links in our Resources Section:


Links to Cushings Websites (especially helpful for new members!)
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

Dechra (Vetoryl / Trilostane) Learning Center
http://www.dechrace.com/vetoryl-brochures.shtml

Great info for beginners to understand Canine Cushings
http://www.2ndchance.info/cushings.htm

[Flakes49]

Thanks John. It is good to hear some encouraging news. I've had yorkies for over thirty years and I run a yorkie rescue from home but I've never had one with Cushings. I'm off to study the medication in preparation for meeting with the vet tomorrow.

[labblab]

Welcome from me, too! One thing that is confusing to me is that you are still awaiting the results of the LDDS although you say you are already slated to begin treatment. The LDDS is one of the primary diagnostic blood tests for Cushing's. If you don't yet know those results, I am wondering what tests form the basis for the diagnosis and beginning treatment?

Marianne

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome from me too.

When you Do start treatment, you'll want to start at around 1mg per lb at the most to be on the safe side. It is better to start slow and go up if needed, rather than too high and risk side affects of the cortisol going too low.
Was an ACTH test done?
One treatment is started, then you'll be looking at follow up testing to monitor cortisol until the correct dosage is reached. To begin with treatment can be expensive and then get less expensive as tests aren't needed as often.

Welcome to the forum. I too am in Canada.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Flakes,

my dachshund Daisy Mae was diagnosed at 9 years old in May. She had a ravenous appetite and was even stealing food out of our hands if she could, her fur was dull and falling out, drinking water like mad, and started having accidents in the house if we didn't get her out in time. She couldn't hold it all night while we slept either.

She started on Trilostane after an LDDS test, ultrasound to assess how her organs were doing, and an ACTH test confirmed Pituitary Cushings. Her dosage was the recommended amount but it ended up being a bit too high for her. Once you start treatment, please familiarize yourself with the signs of Cortisol going too low (Addisions). This can be deadly if not recognized quickly and it's the most important thing to watch for until your vet finds the right dosage of Trilostane.

Please read through the links under the helpful resources portion of this forum. You''ll gain great knowledge from there and it will help you to be sure that your vet is on the right tract with treatment.

Since we began treatment, Daisy's fur has grown back and looks healthier, we changed dosage strength twice which is not abnormal by any means, she eats normally and sometimes leaves food in the bowl and the same thing with water, and no more accidents in the house and has to go out MUCH less often and sleeps completely through the night.

As you can see, Cushings is highly treatable as long as you're vigilant and also remember that each dog's situation and response to treatment is totally unique. This is what makes treatment a bit hairy and you have to educate yourself so that you know that your vet is handling things correctly.

The best advice that I can give you is to educate yourself and you can make a diary of the changes that your dog experiences so that you have detailed information that can help you and your vet form an effective treatment plan. Dogs with Cushings are prone to urinary tract infections and skin infections, so these are also things to watch for.

When you have the test results, please post them here so that the more experienced members can interpret them for you. You'll learn invaluable information on this forum. I truly believe that Daisy wouldn't be doing as well as she had it not been for what I learned here.