Looking for alternative treatments

[mjsb]

My dog, Maggie, is almost 10 years old. Currently about 90 lbs, labradoodle/giant schnauzer mix so her monthly trilostane meds will be $150 for that size dog. I don't think she is terribly uncomfortable and have switched to a grain free chicken dog food and feed her smaller amounts throughout the day rather than the 1 or 2 meals she used to get. Also trying to get her to like green beans with a little yogurt. I have read on the internet about some holistic non-prescript drops and have ordered some to try. I could afford $150 a month for a little while but not feasible for our retirement budget to do that over the next several years. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

You can also use a compounding pharmacy and have trilostane compounded. Many of our members do that. I do that and the price is much much cheaper than even getting the compounded trilostane from the vet.
In the states, many of our members use Diamondback pharmacy. You can look it up online, call them and ask what their price would be for dose needed. (anything that isn't the exact same as the brand name vetroyl dose) Your vet then calls the prescription in and they ship it to you.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Maggie!

We certainly do understand how daunting the cost is in the treatment for Cushing's. Have you gotten prices for compounded Trilostane from any pharmacies? Having the Trilostane compounded is cheaper than brand-name Vetoryl. Diamondback Drugs (http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/) and Pet Health Pharmacy (https://www.pethealthpharmacy.com/) are two I see that our members use. One member posted a while back that they paid $40.65 for 30 caps x 90 mg at Pet Health Pharmacy.

I've been a member on this forum for over 7 years and unfortunately I have seen no truly effective alternatives to Rx medication if your goal is to lower cortisol levels significantly enough to eliminate/control the internal and external symptoms and damage caused by the disease.

Cushex and Adrenal Harmony Gold have no controlled clinical testing whatsoever to back up their claims (we know this because we have contacted the manufacturers and we have been told that no testing has been done). However, we have had some members who told us that the drops worked very well in controlling symptoms but only for a short time period.

Can you share some of Maggie's medical history with us, the more we know about your sweet girl the better our feedback can be, ok? So I'll start with some questions ;) What symptoms is Maggie displaying that led you or your vet to test for Cushing's in the first place? Could you get copies of all tests that were done on Maggie and post those results here? With respect to the blood chemistry and CBC, you need only post the highs and lows and please include the normal reference ranges. What diagnostic tests for Cushing's are going to be or were performed on Maggie, and could you post those results too? Is Maggie taking any other herbs/supplements/medications? Does she have any other underlying illness?

I am sorry for the reasons you are here but so glad you found us, and we will help in any way we can. Looking forward in hearing more about your dear girl.

Hugs, Lori

[mjsb]

Maggie's initial symptom was drinking lots of water and I was told she had elevated enzymes in Oct. (I did not get a copy of what or how much). Vet said, yes, indicated Cushings but suggested to wait 6 months and retest. I brought her back in Jan. for another blood test -- that time they also tested urine and again enzymes were up as well as a bladder infection. So we did 2 weeks of antibiotics then brought her back in for the series in which I left her there for 4-5 hours and results don't come back til a week later. I did pick up those labs:
Cortisol Serial 2 (ACTH)
Cortisol Sample 1 7.4 (High) reference range: 1.0 - 5.0
Cortisol Sample 2 26.1 (High) reference range: 8-17

She drinks alot of water and is hungry. I feed her smaller amounts more frequently and sometimes give her Benedryl to settle at night, but otherwise she seems "happy" and does her usual follow me around the house. She usually wakes me between 11:30 PM -1:00 AM to go out. I do have to make sure that I put everything edible away or she will try to get it -- loaf of bread on the counter, not sure how she got the peanut butter open but she did -- also will try to get post it notes off my desk. So my main concern is to make sure she can't get anything harmful.

[kaibosmom]

My toy poodle Kaibo ate everything before he was diagnosed and before he was controlled. He is on some Traditional Chinese Herbs now but they are in conjunction with the trilostane. They work to balance some of his other issues such as dry skin, hair loss, and being excessively hot. They have helped his diabetes the most. Since we started them, he his diabetes has finally been controlled. I think it would be good to follow up on the leads for the compounding pharmacies. Good luck.

[mjsb]

Thank you so much. I have contacted Pet Health and can get trilostane for $53 a month rather than $150 a month from the local vet. I am so happy as I was distressed that I thought I would not be able to afford to properly treat my dog. Yes, still expensive, but do-able.

[Harley PoMMom]

I brought her back in Jan. for another blood test -- that time they also tested urine and again enzymes were up as well as a bladder infection. So we did 2 weeks of antibiotics then brought her back in for the series in which I left her there for 4-5 hours and results don't come back til a week later. I did pick up those labs:
Cortisol Serial 2 (ACTH)
Cortisol Sample 1 7.4 (High) reference range: 1.0 - 5.0
Cortisol Sample 2 26.1 (High) reference range: 8-17

Was a culture done on her urine sample to make sure that the infection was indeed gone?

Maggie's ACTH stimulation results are indicative for Cushing's however another test, such as the LDDS test or an abdominal ultrasound, is also recommended to validate the diagnosis. Generally, the ACTH stimulation test takes only a little over an hour to perform: a pre blood draw is taken and then the stimulating agent is injected; after an hour has passed the post blood draw is taken, was this the protocol the vet followed?


She drinks alot of water and is hungry. I feed her smaller amounts more frequently and sometimes give her Benedryl to settle at night, but otherwise she seems "happy" and does her usual follow me around the house. She usually wakes me between 11:30 PM -1:00 AM to go out. I do have to make sure that I put everything edible away or she will try to get it -- loaf of bread on the counter, not sure how she got the peanut butter open but she did -- also will try to get post it notes off my desk. So my main concern is to make sure she can't get anything harmful.

A good majority of cushdogs do get a ravenous appetite, they act like little hoover vacuum cleaners looking for any crumb to eat. :( Some members do give their dog frozen green beans to help with that hunger.

With Trilostane it is critical that it is given with a meal so that it can be properly absorbed. Also the timing of those monitoring ACTH stim tests have to be performed 4-6 hours post pill and they should be done in a consistent time frame. You don't want to start one test at 10 AM, then do the next follow-up ACTH stimulation test at 2 PM and compare the results.

I'm including a link from our Resource forum where you will find information regarding Trilostane/Vetoryl: http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185

Hugs, Lori

[mjsb]

Maggie is a 90 lb labradoodle/giant schnauzer. Gave her first pill with breakfast this morning. (90 mg). I know to watch carefully for any adverse reactions and take her for follow up bloodwork in about 12 days. I had been told that I would probably see some changes in water consumption, appetite in about 5 days. Any other tips on what to look for? I have been feeding her smaller meals 4 x a day (dog food is grain free chicken -Victor brand, green beans or carrots) I am thinking to continue that trend and will gradually back off as she, hopefully, returns to a little normalcy. I am so appreciate of the tip to contact a compounding pharmacy online -- otherwise, I probably would not be able to treat her at this time.

[Harley PoMMom]

You will see that I've merged your new post into your original thread about Maggie. This way, we will be able to keep track of her entire health and treatment history all in one place.

You want to watch for signs that her cortisol has dropped too low, such as diarrhea, lethargy, vomiting, inappetence, or if she just isn't acting quite like her normal self. If you have any doubts about how she is acting, withholding the Trilostane is the correct thing to do.

Yep, it is recommended that an ACTH stimulation test be performed within 10-14 days after treatment has started, you also want that ACTH stimulation test to done 4-6 hours post pill.

You're doing a great job!! And remember we are here for ya ;)

Hugs, Lori

[mjsb]

Maggie has been on trilostane for 5 days and seeing good results! She has not been as anxious to eat, but does eat well. Not drinking as much water. We will go in for blood work next Tuesday. Don't see any adverse side effects at this point.

[molly muffin]

That is really good to hear. Sounds like she is responding well to the trilostane.

Let us know how her test goes.