Hello all, I am new to this group

[A&B's Mom]

My name is JC and my kids are German Shorthaired Pointers. My girl, Annie (7 y/o in December) was diagnosed with Cushings a couple of months ago but in hindsight, I think it's been coming on for at least a couple of years. We have been trying to pinpoint the correct dosage of Trilostane. Maybe we are there but we are not happy with the way this treatment is going. She will see a specialist/internist next week. I don't see that her symptoms are much improved, if at all. She has all the symptoms that go along with Cushings; however, there does seem to be a unique, maybe secondary response - she shakes. Trembles, sort of like Parkinsons in people. Sometimes her teeth even chatter. It's off and on, but mostly on and pretty heavy at times. I'm wondering if anyone out there has seen this in their dog.

I came across a website this morning - petwellbeing.com - and read about a product available through them: Adrenal Harmony Gold for Dog Cushings. The product has 400+ reviews with a 4.5 star overall rating. Anyone on this forum have experience with Adrenal Harmony Gold?

Lots to read here on this site ... glad to have come across this group!
(p.s. I apologize if everything in this post has been asked already in the past.)

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi JC,

Welcome to you and your girls! I am sorry for the reasons that brought you to us but so glad you found your way here.

If you could get copies of all tests that were done on Annie and post any abnormalities that are listed that would be great. Also the results from any monitoring or diagnostic tests for Cushing's could help us to provide better feedback. What is the dosage of Trilostane that Annie is taking? How much does she weigh? What exactly are her symptoms? Have other non-adrenal issues, such as diabetes or thyroid problem, been ruled out? Does Annie have pituitary or adrenal form of Cushing's?

We have seen other dogs on Trilostane that have trembling and/or tremors. It could just be that Annie is on a too high dose for her right now. It does seem when a dog is started at the low end of the dosage scale that adverse side effects are minimal.

Cushing's is when a dog has elevated cortisol and there really are no natural ways to bring down the excessive cortisol production to the therapeutic ranges that are needed.

I am glad that you are taking Annie to see an specialist/internist, is this an IMS (internal medicine specialist)? IMS' usually have much more knowledge and experience treating Cushing's than a regular GP vet.

If you have the time, please do take a look at our Resource Thread as it has a wealth of information regarding Cushing's, here's a handy link: Helpful Resources for Owners of Cushing's Dogs (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10) If you have any questions, do ask them, ok ;)

Hugs, Lori

[doxiesrock912]

Dogs do best starting low and working up. It seems that their bodies acclimate best this way.

[molly muffin]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately the only two things that actually bring cortisol down with regular cushings, when the cortisol is high is either trilostane or lysodren.
Trilostane should be given if once a day, with food in the mornings, if twice a day then once in morning and once in evening (about 12 hours apart) with food. The testing follow up then should be done 4 - 6 hours after medication is given with food. (food allows trilostane to be absorbed optimally).

You are looking for a post ACTH number to be up to 9.0 if symptoms are controlled and 5.0 under if not controlled. The pre and post number should never go below 1.5

We have a member whose dog does do the teeth chattering and I think that her dog did it prior to vetroyl or cushings. One of the side effects of trilostane can be trembling.

Can you tell us any more about the test results and dosing of Annie so far that Lori asked about?

Again, welcome to the forum
Sharlene and molly muffin

[A&B's Mom]

Thank you all so much for the quick responses! I guess everyone on here knows how hard it is to watch our furry friends suffer like this. I don't have the test results with me but Annie's initial dosage of Trilostane was 40mg. I should note that A&B’s Dad has been her primary caregiver up to this point and he will continue but I want to see what I can learn and do to help as well. Anyway that dose didn't help so it was bumped up to 60mg morning and 40mg evening. I may have missed a step in there but she is at the 60-40 right now.
We took her to the vet initially because she was drinking extraordinary amounts of water and suspected diabetes. That was ruled out and the vet then thought she had pancreatitis. But the next tests pointed to Cushings and an ultrasound ruled out a tumor on the adrenal. The shaking and rattling/chattering teeth did start before the diagnosis but her hair started changing maybe as far back as 2 years ago. She used to have a tummy side that was as soft as velvet. Then it seemed overnight, her pink velvet tummy was covered with white hairs about an inch long. We joked that maybe she was menopausal. Her liver-colored ears have changed color too and are now a light golden brown. I’m so amazed to read the posts here that practically mirror what is happening at our home. Basically, Annie has all the symptoms – excessive drinking and urinating, hair loss, skin color changes, hair color change, appetite is not what it used to be – she would eat anything and was very excited about meal time. Now she eats but is much slower and doesn’t always clean up her bowl. The bone structure on her head has changed – sort of pointy on top of her head and her cheek bones are more prominent. Also her eyes are kind of red-rimmed – best I can think of to describe. Her muscles are clearly weakening – she used to be spring-loaded; now she frequently stops to think about crawling up into a lap. She goes through the panting stages daily and is pretty noisy when she sleeps sometimes. Then there is the shaking – brutal to watch =(
I will try to get a copy of the test results – she has had 3 or 4 blood draws since the diagnosis and I think the vet is probably doing just fine monitoring it; but I was not too happy with what struck me as a lazy answer to the shaking when she said that it was due to pain. And then prescribed Deramaxx. That was just too easy in my view. I am still very curious about the Adrenal Harmony Gold product.
There is so much great information to read here on this site – I will try to get more clear info on Annie’s treatments thus far. Thank you!

[A&B's Mom]

Oops - I missed Lori's questions. Annie weighed 62# at her last trip to the vet - up 2# from the last. So she has lost some weight as 65# comes to mind from a vet visit a few years ago and I'm sure she put on some more weight after that - for awhile anyway. I think taking her to a specialist is the best thing to do. Do you think her Trilostane dosage is too high?

[frijole]

The dose may be too high but we can't really say until we see the ACTH tests. You should have done one when you increased the dose. Do you have the numbers from it? That test tells you where the cortisols is and answers your question re the dosage. Thanks, Kim

[Meg_Elizabeth]

Hello JC and welcome!! The site can be a little overwhelming at first because there is so much information and so many threads, but the moderators and women who run the forum are amazing. They are so kind and compassionate and most importantly, helpful! I found this website a little over six months ago and it really changed my life. We are all here whenever you need us. So glad you're here!

-Meg & Abby

[labblab]

I came across a website this morning - petwellbeing.com - and read about a product available through them: Adrenal Harmony Gold for Dog Cushings. The product has 400+ reviews with a 4.5 star overall rating. Anyone on this forum have experience with Adrenal Harmony Gold?

Adrenal Harmony Gold is a new name for an old product ("Supraglan") that has been marketed for years as a magic cure for dogs suffering from either end of the spectrum: high cortisol or low cortisol. This, in and of itself, is an enormous red flag because it is totally illogical to think that a product that lowers cortisol will also increase it at the same time. Products such as this prey upon people's hope to avoid prescription medication -- buying an over-the-counter preparation sounds safer and more appealing to many worried owners. Problem is, there is absolutely no experimental evidence to support any of the seller's claims. One of our Administrators directly contacted the seller some time ago, and this is what she found out. If I were you, I would save my money.


The manufacturer of Supraglan, Petwellbeing, admitted to me in writing that they have done no clinical trials, or even informal testing, to prove the efficacy or safety of their product. Therefore, other than testimonials, there is no way to know whether it's good or bad for a dog. As for testimonials, we've had at least one member who sent in a rave testimonial for Supraglan but subsequently came here for help because it wasn't the super tonic she thought was going to help her dog. This company claims that it normalizes adrenal function for dogs with Addison's and Cushing's. This is an amazing and most ridiculous claim because these two conditions are polar opposites. The good news is that Supraglan has been around for a while and I haven't found any evidence of lawsuits against them.

Glynda