Erny Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I have read there can be some really good results with the careful use of Lysodren. Yes, it is a scarey sounding drug, but it sounds to me that you are under good care and instruction from your Vet. All the best - I really hope you find this treatment sees some good improvement in Occy's health. Cushings does seem to be becoming a malady that we are hearing and seeing more and more of. Either it is becoming more endemic, or Vets are becoming cleverer at diagnosing it. Or perhaps a combo of both. Good luck, and happy New Year to you and to Occy. I hope it is filled with good health to you both, and with a long time filled with many joys that you can share together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Fingers and paws crossed that the dosage is accurate and he can get through this initial phase without too much fuss. Have you noticed any of symptoms dropping off yet, or any difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 Not yet. He has already drunk about 600mls of water today (aiming to get down to about 360ml). I just wormed the other dog and the cats and Occy just about took my hand off when I went to pat him, thinking that I had something there for him to eat. I reckon I could have held the worming tablet out for him and he would have vacumned it down. Vet recommended I hold off on his worming till we know how he is going to react to the Lysodren. She didn't expect there would be a noticable difference for at least the first 3 days he is on Lysodren. Thanks for your support guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loraine Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Not yet. He has already drunk about 600mls of water today (aiming to get down to about 360ml).I just wormed the other dog and the cats and Occy just about took my hand off when I went to pat him, thinking that I had something there for him to eat. I reckon I could have held the worming tablet out for him and he would have vacumned it down. Vet recommended I hold off on his worming till we know how he is going to react to the Lysodren. She didn't expect there would be a noticable difference for at least the first 3 days he is on Lysodren. Thanks for your support guys My vet told me to stop all worming tablets and he also stopped the annual shots. His feeling was that too many unecessary drugs just bombard the dog's system. If you have to cut the tablets, then it is wise to be careful when using Lysodren in case you have a cut on your hand (I never wore plastic gloves to administer) and be very careful if you have children around the place. I would think that by Tuesday you will see a drop off in the food and drink and then you need to get him in for a test. Once the next test is done, and if he is 'loaded' then you will drop down to giving the meds less frequently. My Coco (a mini poodle about 9 kgs) was usually on a quarter tablet every other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 I'm using gloves, but the vet has placed a measured amount for his weight into a capsule, so I don't actually need to cut tablets or anything. I was given a warning sheet for the Lysodren, with all the risks involved. I have a spoon that is a dog food only spoon, so I am using that in the laundry to prepare his meals. Have told other family members that if they have to give him tablets at any stage they are to wear the gloves, and have written on the tablet bottle to wear gloves. Hopefully, they won't have to. One of the risks on the sheet (though listed as unknown) is that it may cause sterility. As it is basically a chemo drug, I guess that is quite possible. Not that I'm worried about my fertility (well over that) but I'd hate to risk my kids before they even have a chance. My husband thought he was doing the right thing yesterday and filled up Occys water bowl as it was looking a bit low. Didn't realise that I was measuring his water intake each day and has no idea how much he put in Not too much of an issue, as I put about 300mls in and he says he put about half a bowl in, so he is still way up there with water consumption. Vet will be phoning me tomorrow to check how things are going. So far, he is still hoovering any food he can possibly find. He is spending most of his time in the laundry. If I put him out the back in the pen, he barks By the time they get around to doing his cruciate surgery, he is going to be well and truly over being confined. His leg doesn't seem to bother him at all. The only time he even seems to notice it is when he forgets and trys to stand on that leg when he is cocking his leg and falls over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 i have just found out my bully may have cushings, so came here for info i have only had mason for 3 weeks, he is a rescue, and is 8. when he arrived he seemed to have a skin problem, so i took him to the vets, we had meds, antibiotics, and quartazone, but it got worse. yesterday i took him back, but he is displaying cushings symptoms, pants alot, drinks alot, taught big belly, starving all the time,skin bad, vet did a blood test, she has just rung, enzyme count is over 1000, should be just over 100, so she thinks it is cushings. he is booked for monday for the cushings test. she told me it is a very expensive condition to treat, said meds were around $800, is this right? kelly, which specialist do you use? are the meds really that costly? pm me if you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Hi Juice, The specialist I use is at the Animal Referral Hospital at Strathfield (there is also one at Baulkham Hills too). They are fantastic, can't recommend them highly enough. Personally, with diseases such as these I feel it is necessary to treat by a specialist who knows the disease inside out, the latest treatments and requirements to keep it in check. Chloe is now on 15mg of Trilostane twice a day, the meds we buy usually lasts about 1.5 months and costs about $160. So over a year, yes the medications alone can cost $800 plus. Also take into consideration the regular monitoring tests which cost about $300 each. Usually these are every 3 - 4 months unless there are problems with the dosage level or there are complications. It is also a good idea to find out what the cause of the Cushings disease is, and this can usually be done fairly accurately by an ultrasound that will rule out if there are any Adrenal tumours (if this is ruled out, then the likely cause is a Pituitary tumour). Knowing the cause can be important as treatment may differ, or there may be further options (such as surgery if it is an Adrenal tumour). Juice, it probably sounds really scary - but it isn't as bad as what you might read. Once you understand the disease it kind of just becomes a normal part of life But yes, it can be an expensive disease to treat - but can be very successful in controlling all Cushings symptoms and allowing the dog to live as normal a life as you would expect. If you have any other specific questions - please ask. Knowledge is the key with conquering this disease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loraine Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Hi Juice,The specialist I use is at the Animal Referral Hospital at Strathfield (there is also one at Baulkham Hills too). They are fantastic, can't recommend them highly enough. Personally, with diseases such as these I feel it is necessary to treat by a specialist who knows the disease inside out, the latest treatments and requirements to keep it in check. Chloe is now on 15mg of Trilostane twice a day, the meds we buy usually lasts about 1.5 months and costs about $160. So over a year, yes the medications alone can cost $800 plus. Also take into consideration the regular monitoring tests which cost about $300 each. Usually these are every 3 - 4 months unless there are problems with the dosage level or there are complications. It is also a good idea to find out what the cause of the Cushings disease is, and this can usually be done fairly accurately by an ultrasound that will rule out if there are any Adrenal tumours (if this is ruled out, then the likely cause is a Pituitary tumour). Knowing the cause can be important as treatment may differ, or there may be further options (such as surgery if it is an Adrenal tumour). Juice, it probably sounds really scary - but it isn't as bad as what you might read. Once you understand the disease it kind of just becomes a normal part of life But yes, it can be an expensive disease to treat - but can be very successful in controlling all Cushings symptoms and allowing the dog to live as normal a life as you would expect. If you have any other specific questions - please ask. Knowledge is the key with conquering this disease Juice I agree with everything Kelly has said. It can be expensive, but once you get a feel for the disease it becomes almost second nature to handle the treatment and the drugs. As my vet used to say to me "you are closest to your dog, and therefore you know him better than I do". What he was telling me is that I coud see changes on a daily basis and he could not - therefore you need a vet you can trust and who trusts you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 (edited) J, how are things going with the Lysodren and treatment? Oh and Loraine! Edited January 8, 2010 by Kelly_Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loraine Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 J, how are things going with the Lysodren and treatment? Oh and Loraine! right back at ya Kelly ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 thankyou for all the info which vet at b'hills is it? when i take him monday, will they know by the end of the day? or is it sent away? should i then request an ultrasound aswell if positive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooper Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 j, how is Occy going now? I'm just catching up on this thread. Jack is at the other end of the spectrum, with Addison's disease, and regular checkups to make sure the medication is still doing its job at the current dosage rate. Hubby calls him Foxtel because his twice-daily drugs cost us as much per month as a Foxtel subscription would Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 (edited) The vet at Baulkham Hills is also called the Animal Referral Hospital. You will need your current normal vet to give you a referral (don't feel embarassed to ask - just tell them you've heard good things about their care of similar diseases and would like to be referred to them), otherwise you can call the ARH and see if they will take your case without a referral (for example if the test results have confirmed Cushings). The website is www.arhvets.com They took on Chloe's case of Cushings without a referral, but then she was already a patient there (with original referral) for her leg operations. You may not know the results same day... usually the first test done (called a suppression test) goes for about 8 hours over the day (it's more accurate at 'diagnosis' than the shorter ACTH Stim test), so by the time they collect all the samples it's probably too late to get answers. Sometimes next day or the day after you should have some kind of indication. Wait to see what the results say before you ask for an ultrasound. Usually, that is the next step though and if the test is positive you will most likely be directed to have the ultrasound next. If you are going to go to a specialist, I would ask for a referral after you get the first test results (if they are positive). It's up to you of course, it's just my opinion from our experience. I'm sure there are normal vets that are capable of doing a good job also. It is imperative to go with someone you trust fully, and feel comfortable and confident with - as the disease can be confusing and frustrating sometimes and you will depend on their support and expertise to guide you. Also I should add, with the disease being expensive to treat, someone with a greater understanding and knowledge of the disease and the treatments can help keep costs *somewhat* down as they are more likely to get assumptions more accurate (and there are many assumptions with this disease ). Again, just my opinion. Best of luck and we are here should you have more questions. Let us know how you go. Edited January 8, 2010 by Kelly_Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 j, how is Occy going now? I'm just catching up on this thread.Jack is at the other end of the spectrum, with Addison's disease, and regular checkups to make sure the medication is still doing its job at the current dosage rate. Hubby calls him Foxtel because his twice-daily drugs cost us as much per month as a Foxtel subscription would Addison's is much more scary (to me)... don't envy you at all. But I guess, it becomes second nature to you guys too after a while Hope lovely Mooper is going well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j Posted January 9, 2010 Author Share Posted January 9, 2010 Hi Everyone Thanks for asking after Occy. He went for his first ACTH test today, so I should have results on Monday I guess. His water intake was down from anywhere between 600-1200ml per day to about 300ml. He still ate all his food, but he wasn't frantic about it. The vet says some dogs just become conditioned to eating everything available. Ordinarily he would be jumping, begging and barking while I was preparing his food (yes, even with his blown cruciate) but the last couple of days he was happy to just sit and wait for it to be put in front of him. Hopefully the levels are right and we will be able to get onto his maintenance doses soon. Fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 They are all very good signs. Water drinking is down (as should urination frequency? - although with Chloe it was very obvious as before her meds she would also frantically drink then rush out to pee, then in to drink again - poor baby). Yes he will still be hungry - but as you say, the 'OMG IM STARVING' ravenous, frantic eating should subside on meds. So that's a good sign too. The dosage may not be perfect (but all fingers and paws crossed it is) - however all the signs are there that they are starting to work, and Occy must feel SO much more happy and comfortable, which will also be a relief for you! Be aware, that too much cortisol can 'mask' a dogs pain... so you may find with his more controlled cortisol production he will feel his cruciate injury more so (and also any joint deterioration/arthritis he may have due to the injury). Just something else to keep an eye on - like the hundred other things wasn't enough! So far, so good! Sounds like you are doing a great job with your boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooper Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Sounding good, j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Just had a call from my vet. Occys blood results were good and he is at the required levels, so I can start him on his maintenance dosage They will retest in a month to ensure that it is all still right. Woohoo! Now to wait for the leg surgery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 brilliant news, how have you found it so far? scary? mase gone in today for the cushings test, but being as how he has all the symtoms expecting he worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Fantastic news J! Now it's just a matter of monitoring, so should his needs change - you know what to look for and can move on it quickly. Don't be afraid to ring your vet at any time if you see something you feel isn't right or normal. Sometimes the most obscure of symptoms can be related to Cushings somehow... Juice, a diagnosis of Cushings isn't the worst ... it's not ideal, but at least it will give you an idea of what you are dealing with and allow you to know your plan of attack. There are many more things worse than Cushings (scary as it sounds) - and once you learn to deal with Cushings, it kind of just becomes second nature. You forget what your life was like before you had a Cushinoid I certainly have. Of course, here's hoping that it's something that is cureable though... J - here's hoping things remain stable for Occy and that things continue to improve. Chloe remained stable on her original dose for a good year before she needed to change dosage. Let's see if Occy can see that, and raise her another year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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