Need advice !

[Javelas72]

Hi my name is Jane and my dog trip(Boston terrier) was diagnosed with cushings 3 weeks ago. He has been on Vetoryl since then(30mg) . 14 days in test showed that his cortisol levels had gone from 469 to 106. He’s not better he seems worse. He’s very unstable on his legs. He falls down all the time. I’m actually wondering if his dose is to high. He weighs 32.4 lbs. Any help would be appreciated 😢

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Jane,

Welcome to you and Trip! So glad you found your way here but sorry for the circumstances that brought you to us.

Could you share more information about Trip? Such as the tests that were used to diagnose the Cushing's and post those results here? What symptoms did Trip have that led the vet to test for Cushing's in the first place? Did the vet advise you to give the Vetoryl with a meal so it is properly absorbed? And was his latest ACTH stimulation test, which is used to check cortisol levels, performed 4-6 hours after the Vetoryl was given with a meal?

The recommended Vetoryl starting dose it 1mg per pound of the dog's weight so the 30mg does fall within that range. However it could be that Trip is sensitive to Vetoryl and needs a lower dose. His ACTH results, which I am assuming are nmol/l, are pretty good but just maybe Trip needs to have his cortisol to run a bit higher or it could be that he is going through cortisol withdrawal, which can be a common occurrence in dogs during that first 10-14 days of treatment. Is his appetite still good and is he still drinking plenty of water? Any diarrhea or vomiting? Is the vet aware that Trip is having difficulty with standing/walking and did he have these issues before starting the Vetoryl?

Sorry for all those questions but the more we know about your precious boy will enable us to provide better feedback. Hang in there and we will help in any way we can.

Hugs, Lori

[labblab]

Welcome from me, too! Lori has already given you a great greeting and covered all the bases, so I just want to pop in and give you another hello. The only other thing I can think of to add is to mention that it’s possible that Trip’s cortisol level may have fallen even lower since his cortisol was tested a week ago. His level was within the desired range then (3.8 ug/dL for our U.S. readers), but experience has shown that cortisol levels often continue to drift further downward during the first month of treatment, even when the Vetoryl dose has been left unchanged. So as Lori has said, it may be the case that Trip is simply reacting negatively to the rapid sharp drop in his cortisol, or it may be that his cortisol is continuing to drop even more. Either way, a dosage decrease may be in order for the time being, so you’ll want to report his instability to your vet. Please keep us updated as to how he’s doing.

Marianne