I have a 4-year-old Pomeranian who was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease a month ago, after we noticed some hair loss, skin pigmentation and scaling. My vet explained that it isn't something that can be cured and that he'll need to be put on Vetoryl. I’m really worried about it because the treatment seems quite intense.
I'm hesitant to start it just yet because, other than the skin issues, my dog seems perfectly fine—and especially since he's only 4...
Has anyone else been in a similar situation? I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences you could share.
Thanks
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
Hi everyone, I have a 4-year-old Pomeranian who has been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease following some hair loss, skin pigmentation, and flaking. It was picked up a month ago. My vet explained that it can’t be cured and that I’ll have to start him on Vetoryl. It really scares me because the treatment seems quite heavy-duty. I’m hesitant to start it for now because my dog is doing really well aside from the skin issues, and especially since he’s only 4... Has anyone else been in a similar boat and can share their advice or experience? Thanks.
Hi Emma, my Schipperke passed away last week; he was 15 and had been treated for Cushing’s since November 2019, so for nearly 18 months. He was taking 10mg of Vetoryl once a day and luckily handled it very well. He was also on Zentonil to protect his liver, because Cushing’s treatment can damage the liver and kidneys. In his case, his kidneys were still normal. His coat had grown back well with the Vetoryl; he was doing fine. That is, until this year when he began struggling to walk, and since the end of March he seemed very lethargic and unfortunately it ended in a stroke—four in five days. We took him to the vet every time, and he had medicine to help get oxygen to his brain, but there was nothing more to be done. His vet told me it was already remarkable for him to live so long with this disease; she said many dogs don't manage it. On another note, Vetoryl is expensive; I ended up buying it from a pharmacy in Portugal, and I actually have some left to sell if it helps anyone out. There are sometimes shortages, so I preferred to always have a box or two in reserve.
I hope I haven't scared you too much with my story, but it’s true that this disease is awful and some vets still don’t know a great deal about it.
Have a good evening.
@Emma7395 I had a dog who was diagnosed with Cushing’s at 10 years old. Vetoryl had only just come out at the time and no vet knew how to dose it properly. Mine was put on Selgian; the active ingredient works for Cushing’s, but not many vets prescribe that med. I surprised quite a few vets when I went to pick up her treatment from other clinics – I’ve lost count of the number of times I was told, "but Selgian isn't for Cushing’s." Well, yes, I know, but the point is it works! With the follow-up and the dosage adjustments, I kept her until she was 16. Even if your pup seems fine, start the treatment; it’s normal to be scared, I was absolutely terrified too. For mine, it started just like yours, with hair loss at the base of the tail. The earlier you start, the less you'll need to increase the dosage. You can operate for Cushing’s, but not in every case; mine wasn't operable either. Hang in there!
Hi Titejava,
Thanks for your help, I’d never heard of Selgian before. So, did your dog never have any other symptoms thanks to this medicine? Is it less harsh than Vetoryl? Fewer side effects?
Hi Emma, From what I know (my Bichon probably has this condition too), it all depends on the cause—whether it’s pituitary or adrenal. One is less serious than the other, I believe, meaning it can be managed quite well just with lifelong medication. I understand your hesitation, especially if the side effects turn out to be significant... I’ll be in the same boat as you soon, having to treat this, but surgery isn't an option for my dog. What have they told you about the side effects of the medicine? I suppose it's the same as it is for us; animals tolerate treatments differently depending on their general health. Don't hesitate to get a second opinion from another vet—that’s what I did. Keep us posted!
Hi Tatoo68,
My dog isn’t an option for surgery either.
How old is your Bichon? What symptoms are they showing?
The side effects of the medication include vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy; some dogs don't tolerate it at all and, in the worst cases, it can eventually lead to death. Plus, they rarely get the dosage right the first time...
They must have told you about the follow-ups every three months with more blood tests to see if the medication needs adjusting. Apparently, there are quite a lot of ups and downs with this illness.
I’ve spoken to three different vets and they all say the same thing. It’s actually very rare for a dog to have this condition so young. One vet is treating a Yorkie who has been doing very well without treatment for several years, only having some issues with its coat. Sometimes the condition stabilises, but unfortunately, that’s very rare.
What worries me most is that my dog is very young and full of life; I’m scared that by starting this treatment, I’ll make her tired and sick overnight when she’s actually doing fine right now. But at the same time, there's a risk that other things could deteriorate quite quickly. I’m really at a crossroads...
Please let me know how your little dog is getting on.
Speak soon
From what I know (my Bichon Frise likely has this condition too), it all depends on the cause—whether it’s pituitary or adrenal. One is less serious than the other, I believe, in the sense that it can be managed very well just with lifelong medication.
I totally understand your concerns, especially if the side effects turn out to be significant...
I’ll be in the same boat as you soon, having to treat this condition, but in my case, surgery isn’t an option.
What were you told about the side effects of the meds? I suppose it’s the same as with us; pets tolerate treatments differently depending on their overall health.
Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion from another vet—that’s what I did.
This involves the total removal of the pituitary gland, which requires long-term hormone replacement therapy (for thyroid and antidiuretic hormones) after the operation. This procedure isn't performed very often.
Medical Treatment
Even though surgery is possible for pituitary-dependent cases, the general preference is to opt for medical treatment instead.
• Trilostane
Trilostane aims to reduce cortisol secretion by acting directly on the adrenal gland.
• Selegiline (sold under the brand name Selgian)
Selegiline acts on the pituitary gland, which in turn helps regulate the secretion of cortisol by the adrenal gland. This treatment is used when trilostane isn't suitable and the hyperadrenocorticism is only mild.
• Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is recommended for large pituitary tumours when they compress surrounding tissues and cause neurological symptoms. A trilostane-based treatment is usually given alongside it to manage the adrenal gland, as radiotherapy is primarily used to reduce neurological symptoms rather than treating the hormone imbalance itself.
I've just copy-pasted the info from the site where I found it here:
I had a dog who was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease when she was 10. Vetoryl had only just come out at the time, and no vet really knew how to dose it properly. Mine was put on Selgian instead; the active ingredient works for Cushing’s, but not many vets prescribe that particular med. I left quite a few vets gobsmacked when I went to pick up her treatment at different clinics; I lost count of the number of times I was told, “Yes, but Selgian isn’t for Cushing’s.” Well, I know that, but it still works!
With the right follow-ups and dosage adjustments, I managed to keep her until she was 16.
Your pup will be just fine too. Go ahead and start the treatment—it’s completely normal to be scared, I really freaked out as well. It started the same way for mine as it did for yours, with hair loss at the base of the tail. The earlier you start, the less likely you are to need a higher dosage later on.
Surgery is an option for Cushing’s, but not in every case; mine wasn’t operable either.
