Life with Cushing's

[Peanuts Mommy]

Hi my name is Michelle, and I live in Little Rock, AR, I am a foster failure for a little guy named Peanut , in Aug 2014 I was approached by a rescue group to see if I could care for a little guy approx. 5yrs old and 13lbs , that had been dumped . I took this little fella in and knew something was horribly wrong with him, he was drinking TONS of water, panting , huge belly, hair loss , and always wanted to lay on the ceramic tile, no energy etc. After many trips to the vet he was finally diagnosed with Cushing's and is being treated with Vetoryl . It really seemed to help in the beginning , but now is drinking a lot again and he is actually peeing inside the house ( which is completely new for him ) also he has what I call tremors , were he just sits and shakes like he is freezing , ( due to not having any hair and with weather elements he has a pair of pjs that he wears all the time ) has/ or anyone eles experiencing this ?

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Michelle,

I have manually approved your membership so now all your posts will be seen right away. Also, please just disregard the validation email that was sent to you.

Welcome to you and Peanut! AWW, bless you for giving Peanut a forever home.

I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here but glad you found us. It would help a lot if you could get copies of the tests that were done on Peanut and post all abnormal values here along with the reference ranges and units of measurement...e.g..ALT 150 U/L (5-50)...Thanks! We are especially interested in the results from all tests that were performed to diagnose and monitor Peanut's Cushing's.

Also could you tell us what dose of Vetoryl Peanut is on? Dechra's, the makers of Vetoryl, most recent published literature recommends a starting dose of 1mg per pound of a dog's weight so for Peanut's weight of 13 lbs that would be around 10 mg. How long has Peanut been taking the Vetoryl?

Cushing's is one the most difficult diseases to get a confirmed diagnosis for, and unfortunately it is often misdiagnosed. Other non-adrenal illnesses, such as diabetes and thyroid problems, do share some of the same symptoms as Cushing's and should be ruled out.

Tremors are listed as a side effect of Vetoryl and we have seen it mentioned many times on the forum. How is Peanut doing? Is he showing any adverse side effects, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and/or inappetence?

Please know we will help in any way we can, so do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want, ok? ;)

Hugs, Lori

[mytil]

Hi Michelle and welcome to our site.

I have just a sec but can you round the results of the tests performed to come to the Cushing's diagnosis (add your results here in your thread). This will give us more information.

How much Vetoryl are you giving this little guy? And when was the last ACTH test performed to monitor the cortisol levels after Vetoryl is given. This usually runs about 14 days after the first dose.

I will also ask about whether he was tested for a UTI that can be causing this urination. At times the dosage needs to be adjusted if symptoms have not decreased, but shaking is also a sign of the cortisol levels falling too low.

How is his appetite? And is he acting lethargic?

Here is a link with additional information about Vetoryl --- http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185.

Keep us posted
Terry

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Michelle, welcome to you and Peanut! :)

Don't have anything to add but wanted to say that we are neighbors - I live a bit south of you in Benton. ;) And I also do rescue for a NLR based Chihuahua group...currently there are two "failures" here. :p

[Spencersmom]

Michele, you are in excellent hands here! When was the last time you had your baby tested?