My dog has diabetes & Cushing's. What's a cheaper food alternative?

Diabetes and Cushing's disease are caused by two different things, and both need to be treated. While you can see an increase in blood sugar when a dog has Cushing's, it's not as high as the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. Gabe will need to be treated for both.

This could be a possibility. If your vet thinks Cushing she could be complicating her diabetes, you could consider testing her for cushings. If she definitely has cushings then you can start treating her for that. In the meantime, y'all will need to work on getting her diabetes under control. Another option would be to see if there is a specialist (internist) near you that could take over her case to help you get the DKA under control while also diagnosing and treating for cushings if needed. The main difference between a specialist and a general practitioner is that the specialist specializes in these complicated metabolic diseases and usually have facilities and specialized equipment that can care for them 24 hours if needed. If there is a cost concern and yall are unable to get the DKA under control and she is continuing to decline then yes, I would consider euthanasia. Unfortunately, even with intensive care and extensive testing, sometimes these guys don't improve and continue to decline no matter what we do. I know this is a difficult time and decision. Just know that you are doing the best thing for her whatever you decide. I hope this helps and know we are thinking of you. Hugs!

Vetoryl (trilostane) is the best medication for managing Cushing's disease, but I'm sorry to hear that Lacy has not been tolerating it well. I have anecdotally heard of some vets using a variety of supplements for managing Cushing's disease signs, but these supplements will not ultimately decrease the cortisol production by the adrenal glands and generally seem ineffective. I don't know how long Lacy was receiving Vetoryl, but some dogs can initially become lethargic, vomit, have diarrhea, or a decreased appetite. Fortunately, these signs typically resolve after a few days to a few weeks on the medication. It may be worth discussing a temporary dose adjustment with Lacy's vet to see if she tolerates a lower dose better before gradually increasing to her 30mg dose. Some dogs also benefit from supportive measures (anti nausea medications, bland diets, etc.) in the first few days to weeks of treatment. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Unfortunately there is not a comparable diet that would be less expensive. You could ask your vet about trying an over the counter weight loss diet if you haven't already, but the prescription diets are by far the lowest in calories and have other nutrients that promote weight loss.

While it is beneficial when a dog eats the diet for diabetic dogs, it is more important that the dog regularly eats his food so she can be given her insulin on time. That said , if you look for feed with low carbohydrate content (go to a petfood store and compare labels, or do it on the internet) you can pick a food that may be suitable, You can also take the ingredients of the wd food down and then compare ingredients with other foods and pick the closest to the wd. If you cannot find anything at all you can also cook your own, however that is a lot of work and not cheap. If you intend to try cooking your own check with this site: https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/ez2/index.php?

An enlarged liver is unfortunately one of the common side effects of Cushing's disease so it is not unusual that Ginger's liver appeared enlarged. Her urine concentration is very low (normal for a dog is 1.040) but again, this can be attributed to her Cushing's disease as well (because she is probably drinking more water and therefore causing her urine to be more dilute). In Ginger's case I would be worried about Diabetes and possibly cancer as well. I know it can be frustrating (and expensive) to keep doing more tests, especially when you aren't getting clear answers as to what is going on. I would recommend talking to your vet about costs/additional testing versus palliative care/keeping her comfortable for the time being. It may also be worth beginning treatment for her Cushing's disease because it could help allieviate some of her symptoms. Good luck. Please let us know if you have more questions/concerns.

Hi there. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if there is any other type of food that would be compatible with Riley's medical needs that might be less expensive. Without knowing what specific type of diet your veterinarian has recommended and what specific medical issues Riley has that have necessitated a special diet, we can't really make any recommendation for a particular type of food.