Canine Cushings Treatment Side Effects

by Nelson
(Hong Kong)

My dog is 10 years old and weighed 6.5kg (14 pounds) when I discovered 1 year ago that he has canine cushing's disease. For treatment, he was taking 'Vetoryl' 60mg daily for 10 months, until the symptoms improved and blood test results became normal at the 10 month mark.

However, he lost his appetite (not interested in eating anything lately) and is so sensitive to not eating, that his weight dropped quickly to around 5.5kg in a month.

Because of these side effects, we stopped the treatment and soon after found that his appetite improved and his weight stopped dropping, although it did not return to normal levels.

About 2.5 months later, we resumed the treatment with 30mg daily as our vet recommend, however we found his appetite dropped again. To build up his weight and dog energy levels, we started to feed him 2x cans of hills a/d daily plus lamb as recommend by vet, but strangely the weight still dropped to 4.2kg as of today.

Is this a common side effect of Vetoryl? Is Vetoryl equal to Lysodren? Should we stop the treatment again and try the other treatment? In fact, we consulted the vet who indicated that Vetoryl should have no side effects, however we doubted that was the case.

Your comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

Editor Comment - Canine Cushings Treatment Side Effects

Dear Nelson,

Thank you for your question and sorry to hear about the side effects of canine cushings treatment your dog is suffering from.

Canine Cushings disease or Hyperadrenocorticism refers to the excessive secretion of cortisol. The disease has two forms:

1. “Canine Pituitary Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism” (PDH), which is the most common form of cushings in dogs.
2. 'Canine Adrenal Tumor' is a second, less common form of cushings disease in dogs.

It is important to differentiate between the two forms before initiating treatment. This is accomplished with a series of laboratory tests and x-rays.

As far as specific treatment is concerned, it is essential that the canine cushings treatment approach take into consideration the condition's severity, the form of the disease and the regular monitoring of changes during treatment.

The canine cushings medication “Vetoryl” contains Trilostane, which is an anti-corticosteroidal, adrenal-suppressant drug. Vetoryl is used for treatment of the clinical signs caused by Cushing's disease. Although it is considered to be a cushings disease dog treatment, it is not a true cure for Cushing's disease in dogs. It reduces clinical symptoms and is administered over the short or long term, depending upon the results of monitoring tests for ACTH or hormonal activity.

There are various side effects related with this product, which can be anorexia (appetite loss), lethargy, weight loss, depression and disturbed gastrointestinal activity (vomiting & diarrhea). Some or all of these side effects may be exhibited. It is always recommended that therapy should be discontinued and corticosteroids should be administered to enhance hormonal activity in the short term. But, this approach varies from dog to dog and depends upon the status of the disease.

As far as differences between “Vetoryl” and “Lysodern” are concerned, these are completely different products. Vetoryl contains Trilostane, while “Lysodern” contains “Mitotane” as the active therapeutic agent. Both have different mode of action. In simple terms, Trilostane/Vetoryl reduces the secretion of the adrenal and pituitary glands, while Mitotane/Lysodern reduces dog adrenal gland functionality by reducing activity in the upper layers/tissues of the adrenal gland, which produces corticosteroids. Vetoryl is preferred in the Pituitary Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) form of Cushing's disease, while Lysodern is administered in cases of the purely adrenal gland related form of Cushing's disease, which usually is a tumor over the adrenal gland.

Both of these products have side effects, like anorexia, ataxia (muscle coordination problems), lethargy, weakness, weight loss and gastrointestinal disturbance, which should be monitored through regular check ups and ACTH tests, and then according to the dog's status, therapies should changed as needed.

Though these products have side effects, remember that these are the only products available that are effective specific products for the treatment of canine Cushing's disease. Alternates, such as Ketaconazole can be used, but, it is administered in combination with Trilostane or Mitotane, depending upon the form of the disease.

You should discuss these developments and side effects with your veterinarian, and if required change the mode of treatment, since weight loss and anorexia are major complications, which in their latter stages will surely disturb the physiology (general health) or systemic function of your dog.

For support, you can try natural remedies as well, which can help to control the adrenal and pituitary gland's excessive activity and you can also try some natural tonics for supporting your dogs body condition, which can help with weight gain and improve energy levels. The two products we suggest in these cases are Cushex Drops for controlling gland activity and Energy Tonic to improve dog energy levels.

Please keep us up to date on the canine cushings treatment and we hope your dog's condition improves soon.