Stopping Vetoryl

[mollysmum]

Hi Molly my 13 year old cocker spaniel has been on vetoryl for the past 2 years - I took her in for her test and they said she was being overdosed - they also said her liver results were not good, I have decided to stop giving her vetoryl.
She has been good for the past week - in fact she seems better so I am thinking of not giving her it anymore as I am worried about her liver.
what do others think? also its getting way to expensive to keep treating
Thanks

[judymaggie]

Hi and welcome to you and Molly! Kudos to you for dealing with Cushing's for a couple of years -- it can be a lot of work and, as you mentioned, can really hit our finances hard. I am glad that you are seeing positive changes since stopping the Vetory but, in order for us to offer the best guidance, it will be important for you to provide us with test results and some background info.

If you would, please provide us with the test results for Molly's most recent test -- I am assuming it was an ACTH so there would be a "pre" and a "post" number. Also, let us know how much Molly weighs and what dose of Vetoryl she was getting. It will also help if you can tell us about Molly's history with regard to Cushing's, in particular what led to her diagnosis as well as whether there have been Vetoryl dosage changes over the past two years. Please also provide us with any highs or low from her recent blood (and urine, if applicable) tests -- we would want the name of the test, the number as well as the range. For example, ALT 56 (range, 10-30). What were your vet's recommendations with regard to the Vetoryl and high liver numbers?

There are several supplements that can be given to improve liver health -- are you currently giving any supplements to her? Does she have any other health conditions?

I'm sure others will be along with additional questions/concerns. We are looking forward to learning more about Molly!

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome from me as well!

Judy has done an excellent job in getting you started, and like she mentioned, once we see those ACTH stimulation results this will enable us to provide you with better feedback.

Two questions that I have are: is Molly getting her Vetoryl with a meal and have those monitoring ACTH stimulation tests been performed 4-6 hours post pill?

Brand-name Vetoryl is expensive so many of our members get their dog's Trilostane compounded through a reputable veterinary pharmacy, such as Diamondback: Diamondback Drugs - Veterinary Pharmacy and Pet Medications (http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/)

Even with treatment some cushdog's liver enzymes never return to normal levels, especially the ALP. A chemistry blood panel is performed and this is where you can find the results for the liver enzymes along with kidney, electrolytes..etc. Was a chemistry blood panel performed, and if so, could you post all abnormalities that are listed with the references ranges.

Please know we are here to help in any way we can and do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want.

Hugs, Lori

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome.

If she was being given too much vetroyl, the the protocol is to stop the dosage and wait for symptoms to return, then restart at a lower dose.

It's not unheard of for a dosage to need to be lowered after a dog has been on vetroyl for awhile.

My own Molly bounced up and down in dosage quite a bit, as we adjusted based on the ACTH monitoring test.