I am one of you as of today. Please help

[Sophiasmom]

Hi, Im very new to this site, not quite sure yet where and how to reach out to you all.
As of today my standard Poodle Sophia got diagnosed with Cushings. As test results lead toward pituitary my doctor seems to think its adrenal. Either way...we decided to try Trilostane. Not quite sure yet at what dose she will have but she is about 45lbs. Anyone here has a experience with this drug? My sweet Sophia acts same, seems happy but lost close to 10lbs>

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Sophia! :)

You couldn't have found a better group of folk to become a part of! :D

There are lots of members here using Vetoryl (Trilostane) and I know they will be along soon to share their experiences with you. To help us better understand what is going on, can you tell us more about Sophia? Her medical history, age, weight, what prompted the vet to test for Cushing's in the first place, meds she's already on, anything you can think of - we LOVE details! ;)

If you didn't get them, ask the vet to get you copies of the actual test results done to diagnose the Cushing's then post them here. On the labs that show things like BUN, CHOL, ALP we only need to see those that are too high or too low. We need to see everything on the ACTH, LDDS, and ultrasound, tho.

I know it's scary right now but as you learn more that fear will go away. In no time, you will be an old hand at all of this and telling someone else what to expect and calming their fears. We are here to help in any way we can so never hesitate to ask questions.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Sophiasmom]

Thank you so much !
Sophia is a 9 years old Standard Poodle. Sweet , loyal and super smart dog...Her health history has been absolutely excellent until few months back i noticed she had few wet accidents in the house and over night. She was , is drinking way more then usual and eats less. When she started losing weight i took her to the vet. They did urine culture , blood tests....( i will try to get the copies )....everything seem somewhat normal to the doctor but her protein level was little low. She did an ultrasound and saw something that is about 3cm by her kidney. She just two days back spend all day at the vet to be tested for Cushings....today they called me with the results....Test has her confirmed with Cushing;s...positive for the pituitary but the doctors is leaning more towards Adrenal. Sophia has lost close to 10lbs now , but seems that her appetite is fine . They ( we ) decided to try the Trilostane, not quite sure what dosage she will have. She is now about 44lbs.

Thank you so much for all your help. This all is so new and such a blur to us. I absolute love this website and feel very fortunate to come across it and being a part of..

[Dixie'sMom]

Welcome to you and Sophia! I'm so sorry that you and Sophia are doing thru this but glad that you found us. As Leslie said, the folks here are amazing. The support and love and KNOWLEDGE in this group is second to none. I don't know what I would have done without them.

It is very important that you get copies of the tests and blood work done on Sophia and post the results. The guru's here are very good at interpreting them and can give you a greater understanding of what is going on with Sophia, especially since it seems to be unclear whether Sophia has pituitary or adrenal Cushing's.

The trilostane/Vetoryl dosage should be started at 1 mg/lb so for Sophia that would be approximately 44 mg/day. Unfortunately, Vetoryl only comes in 10 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg and 120 mg. So your vet should start her on 1 30 mg and 1 10mg capsule per day, unless he/she gets the dosage compounded. Dechra, the maker of Vetoryl, hasn't updated their instructions or website so many vets are not aware of the new dosing recommendations. Please do NOT let your vet prescribe her more than the 1 mg/pound to start with. After 10-14 days another ACTH stim test should be done to check the cortisol levels to make sure it is not dropping to low. No medication change should happen at this time. At the 30-40 day mark another ACTH stim test should be performed and the dosage adjusted accordingly. If the dose is increased, it should be done in small increments (5 -10 mg added) with another ACTH stim test in 10-14 days, and another in 30 days. This regimen continues until the cortisol levels are within the preferred range and Sophia's symptoms improve.

It can be rather expensive at first but after you get to her ideal range, the medication can be ordered from a compounding pharmacy at a much lower price.

Check out the resource section on this forum. There is tons of great information there and it's very important tht you educate yourself in order to be the best advocate for Sophia. (Dechra's new dosing recommendations are also posted there. You may want to print a copy to take with you on your next vet visit.)

Ok - thats enough for now. Again, welcome and we are happy to have you as a member of our family. You don't have to do this alone - we are with you all the way. The others will be along soon to welcome you and chime in with their thoughts.

[tryan8]

Hello SophiasMom and welcome to this wonderful website. I am a new member as well (since Dec. 2014). I have a wonderful 8-1/2 year old Lab x Coonhound mix named Ginger. I know how scared you must feel and helpless, as I did at first, but please do not feel alone. You have found your way to a wealth of information and wonderful resources. My Ginger has been on Vetoryl for 3 weeks now and is doing wonderful. She had excess drinking and a ravenous appetite along with constant urination especially at night (due to her Cushings). She is now doing great - she is drinking much less - the normal amount for her weight and her appetite has returned to normal. My husband even chimed in last night and said he has noticed how much happier she seems and stated he is so happy we are taking such good care of our baby girl. She is back to her normal happy self. As you take this journey with your precious baby, please know we are here for you.