Cushing Desease

[Nzgojo]

Has anyone used cushex drops and if so, did they really work or is it a false hope for cushings desease.

[Red Dog NZ]

I have never used Cushex Drops but unfortunately they do not work. They have done no research as to their claims (this information came direct from the company). The two most accepted ways of treating cushings syndrome is with Lysodren or Trilostane (Vetoryl). If you want some info and some guidance with testing/treating cushings pop over to this cushings forum K9 Cushings. All the best ... my cushings dog has now passed but he was successfully treated with Lysodren.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I had my old girl on Lysodren, it was an awful treatment but she actually lived 4 yrs on that, normally 3 yrs is max. At the time that was the only medication available and she died in 2008. I remember her diagnosis tests were long and drawn out and it cost me #4000 in 2004 .... I eventually changed vets.

Currently I have a Cushings dog and he's been very well on a medication called "Trilostane". There were a lot of tests to confirm it was Cushings but nowhere near as bad as my last dog. Merlin has a tablet every day, it's not like Lysodren where you had to wear gloves, it was hard to cut tablets and so on. Trilostane is a simple capsule that goes into a bit of food and everyone is happy ...

Both of my dogs have had the pituitary tumour which is less common but has caused Merlin to have cruciate ligament problems so he now can't walk far but as long as he leads a quietish life he's OK - he is around 12 yrs old and was diagnosed last year.

One of my beloved dogs wasn't diagnosed with Cushings but it was suspected when both his cruciate ligaments went at once and he didn't respond to treatment and I lost him in 2009. Unless they are very old I'd def. want diagnosis and meds but it can also be hard to actually detect in some dogs.

Edited January 16, 2012 by dogmad

[Nzgojo]

Thanks for your replies. Sasha is 12 yrs old and I would say she has had cushings desease maybe a year. My original vet said that she was just getting old and to diet her for her pot belly. Her coat stopped growing a year ago too. We have since moved suburb and hence moved vets. The new vet took tests and found Sasha had cushings.

I can't afford the medication for her but don't want to see her suffer either. Sometimes she is so sad and old looking and then other times she looks bright and still playful. How do I know if I should leave her as she is or find an alternative. I am so confused about it. Nzgojo.

[Red Dog NZ]

Nzgojo ... I remember when our dear Sabre was diagnosed with cushings syndrome ..... we had to scrap for funds to do his tests and afford his medication but we managed..... just. I am not sure on the price of meds in Australia but generally Lysodren is the cheaper of the two to treat .... but there are still the ACTH stim tests to ensure that the meds are working as they should. But with Lysodren there is a loading dose where they take the meds twice a day for a period of time - then an ACTH test and if they a re "loaded" they then move to a maintenance dose - which is about what you would give as a daily dose when loading .... I am being simplistic and am generalising to give you an idea. Once on a maintenance dose you generally test every three months. I am unsure of the costs of trilostane in Australia but do know that in the US - Lysodren treatment is cheaper than trilostane. The lower the weight of the dog ... the cheaper the treatment as the dosage is based on a weight per kg basis. Sabre was a Hungarian Vizsla and weighed 30kg when we began treatment but he lost weight and eventually became a 23 - 25 kg dog!

Just to correct Dogmad ... the pitutary tumor is the more common form of cushings - about 85% of dogs with cushings syndrome have this from whilst the remainder are adrenal.

Unfortunately the only real way to treat cushings is through the treatment - and without treatment cushings will progress.

I fully understand where you are at ... this is the position we were about three years ago and it was a very tearful time!!! My advice would be to try and see if the cheapest option of treatment was possible.