My dog is sick on Vetoryl for Cushing's. Are there alternatives?

I would not expect the signs you are describing to be secondary to the Vetoryl and I would not recommend stopping the medication without talking to your veterinarian first. Unfortunately there are not many safe alternative treatments for Cushing’s disease. I would be concerned that Boots might be showing signs of pain or potentially neurologic disease. It would be a good idea to have your vet examine him and to discuss these concerns.

Hello. For the most part, Vetoryl is used to control the symptoms of Cushing's by controlling the production of glucocorticoids. Overproduction of glucocorticoids is responsible for the symptoms of excessive drinking & urination but does nothing for the actual tumor growing on his pituitary gland. If Izzy's symptoms are manageable & tolerable then medication is not necessary. This would be your choice. But if his symptoms do get worse, at least consider once a day dosing. Most dogs do very well on twice daily dosing, but once a day can help in many pets. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Yes, as long as the clinical signs of Cushing's are not hindering you or your pets' life. Vetoryl will control most of the symptoms associated with Cushing's by decreasing the influence of cortisol on the body, so as long as your pet seems happy & comfortable, the choice to use this medication is yours. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Lethargy can be a side effect in the first few days of Trilostane therapy, but typically resolves after a week or so of treatment. In some cases, giving the medication every other day for the first week or two can be beneficial to decrease the incidence of side effects, but you should call Josie's vet to discuss any possible dose changes. Otherwise, there isn't anything else that can be given to put a bit more pep in her step. Give her vet a call to discuss the medication and hopefully she will be more energetic soon!

The most common adverse reactions of Vetoryl reported are poor/reduced appetite, vomiting, lethargy/dullness, diarrhea, and weakness. Occasionally, more serious reactions, including severe depression, hemorrhagic diarrhea, collapse, hypoadrenocortical crisis or adrenal necrosis/rupture may occur, and may result in death. Weakness of the hind limbs, yes but paralysis I would say, no. If he has paralysis he needs to see the vet right away. There is no treatment for those side effects other than adjusting the Vetoryl dosage but I cannot advise you on that. You need to work with your vet regarding this issue. He may need to be switched to a different medication all together (like Lysodren). There is no natural treatment to treat Cushing's disease in dogs but there are a couple products to help support dogs with Cushing's disease. This does not take the place of the actual treatment: Cushex drops: http://petalive.nativeremedies.com/search?w=cushex Energy Tonic: http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/energy-tonic-supports-vitality-dogs-cats.html Hope this helps. Best wishes!

If Holly is not improving clinically, she might need to be tested again (ACTH stimulation test) to make sure the dose of Vetoryl is the correct one for her. Usually the blood test has to be done 10-14 days after the treatment has started, 4 to 6 hrs after Vetoryl administration. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

It's never a good idea to stop or make any dosing changes in a prescription medication without your vet's input, so I would definitely recommend giving him/her a call to discuss your concerns before you change anything. In general, I can tell you that if your dog has symptoms like lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea, or not wanting to eat, this may be a sign that the trilostane dose needs to be reduced. So this is definitely cause for concern - I would call your vet today to let them know. They may recommend having Max come in for blood work to check his cortisol levels - this will help determine what needs to be done regarding his medication.