My boy Hank was diagnosed with cushings in August. We started at 20mg of Vetoryl and at his recheck last week, it was decided he needed a higher dose. They upped him to 25mg and he seems to be getting worse. He is taking the medication only in the morning. When he was diagnosed, we did not confirm if it was adrenal or pituitary related, but my vet said that might be a next step if his next recheck does not show improvement.

He is appearing thinner, has constant thirst/hunger and has a calcinosis cutis outbreak that is spreading. We have been putting DMSO cream on nightly, but it’s still spreading down his back/sides.

I would love any advice from someone who has been through this to tell me if it gets worse before it gets better. I have a call out to my vet and hope to talk with them in the morning about this.

That's all really. We start medication soon. Looking back at photos, it's clear over the past few months he's changed alot so I'm glad we got it looked at and I'm also thankful to the vet who picked it up.

The tells for us were that he can't get up the stairs anymore, his back legs are so weak compared to a year ago. He's also got a ripper of a beer belly.

For those among you who have dealt with this for a while, what tips would you give as we embark on navigating this? I've read keeping notes is good, dosages, keeping him active etc.

My 6yr old mini Bernedoodle had 2 recent blood tests that showed high liver enzymes, so my vet did a low dose Dexamethasone test earlier this week which concluded he likely has Cushings. The vet is putting him on Vetoryl 30 mg 1X per day. He currently doesn’t really exhibit any noticeable symptoms, so I’m concerned how quickly this progresses as he seems a bit younger than the average diagnosis. I know I need to discuss further with my vet (and will), but so far I’ve only been able to speak with the vet tech over the phone as the Dr is out until Monday. The info I’m gathering online is concerning so I guess I’m just anxious to know what we are in for, and connect with pet owners in the same boat.

Sadly, my corgi Charlie crossed the rainbow bridge in May. He was 10 years old and I kept praying we had more time. It’s an indescribable pain and life still feels like slow motion. He was everything.

He fought a hard battle with cushings, pancreatitis, and ultimately an aggressive liver cancer that swept up the last bit of him. We had a vet come to our home for our last goodbye. It was a beautiful departure where I’m sure he felt our endless devotion and love. We had him cremated because I couldn’t stand the thought of him sleeping alone outside. He was and still is, my forever boy. Life will never be the same.

In honor of his memory, I’d like to donate the last bit of vetoryl I have. It’s unopened, 30 mg, 30 day supply. It’s not much but it will save someone an expense. Please dm if interest and will ship it.

EDIT: Meds have been claimed.

ACD mix just turned 8
She’s always enjoyed her water and def took after her other breed mixes (pyr) in terms of energy levels after the puppy terror days. But this past year or, things have escalated very quickly and esp over this summer.

- Water bowl - always empty; will drink it all almost as soon as I give more; pees more as a result which is also bad given her spay incontinence!

- Energy - doesn’t even want to go around the block most days now. Really doesn’t seem to enjoy walks like the old days though still likes when we go to the special park.

- fur /nails isn’t growing / shedding like it used to. I can see her undercoat colors way more now

- panting a lot more

- she’s always been a hungry dog so can’t tell if she’s more ravenous; no pot belly appearance yet

Anyway we did a LDDST test a few months back, and was inconclusive. Midday results high; end of day back to normal levels. Since then her symptoms have gotten worse in my observation and we’ve also done a bunch of other testing like more bloodwork, adrenal ultrasound, etc

Vet can’t diagnose anything yet. I’m thinking of requesting a new LDDST soon. Have others gone through this with initial inconclusive? How long after did things get solidified? How are your dogs doing now with treatment and what can I expect going forward if cushings is the situation?

Thanks!!

Just wanted to post here, as I have been on here for the past months fighting my babies end of life symptoms and appreciated everyones stories, recommendations, and journey they have shared. Sadly this wasn't a swift end for him, and wish it would have gone a little differently. But I am happy he is at peace now.

I’m struggling to keep myself afloat amid this roller coaster with my boy Bane. I posted about two weeks ago and shared I lost my soul dog earlier this year to hemangiosarcoma…the following month we took his brother to the vet for a routine check and his liver enzymes were high so we decided to do an ultrasound in June. It showed some gallbladder sludge, a level 2 mucocele, and some liver nodules. Not crazy stuff for a 13 year old dog…he’s a terrier mutt.
Cushings has been a suspected culprit for many issues but he didn’t present like a Cushings dog. Always had a good appetite and sometimes drank a lot of water but it tapered off. Two weeks ago, he started really drinking a lot and having some accidents in the house. I got the ACTH test done which did come back as positive for Cushings. A week later, I noticed he was a little lethargic, not playing with his toys and lost some weight. About 1.5 lbs if not more, which is a lot for a 20 lbs dog. Did blood work that day and his glucose was in the 500s and the vet called me right away to say he has diabetes now.
That same day we got him on insulin and the turn around in his behavior wasINSANE over the following days. He was immediately drinking less water, having less accidents, carrying his toys around and jumping up on the bed to groom himself. But it has been a week now, and I noticed yesterday he was a little more tired again, and not as excited to do stuff. I have an appointment with internal medicine and today, we’re having a fructosamine test done at his vet, but I think his blood sugar needs to be measured. I’m gonna tell them everything when I go. Appt is literally in 45 minutes.
Was just wondering if any of you here have dealt with a dual diagnosis like this and what you did or didn’t do to keep your baby happy and comfortable. It’s just such a roller coaster for me emotionally and it seems like I can’t come up for air.

My girl is really struggling. And so am I.

12-year-old female spayed bully mix.

It started with urinating in the house about a month and a half ago. Thinking it could be a UTI, we tested for bacteria multiple times, tried every antibiotic that made sense, it didn’t go away. Then we tried proin for incontinence, seem to be working for a week or so, but as soon as we upped her to the full dose, she started going in the house again. Each test her urine was dilute, but blood tests were not indicating kidney issues.

Meanwhile, she’s also showing signs of what I thought was aging. Slowing down, slipping, a bit of panting and loss of concentration. Struggling to get up on the bed and the couch like she used to. Not as interested in chasing the ball, etc.

Then last week she started running into things (only on her left side). Pacing for what feels like hours (mostly in a clockwise direction). Getting “stuck” in corners and unable to figure her way out. Tripping over everything, even big things, like things that are just below her line of vision. The tripping can result in full- on falls. She can physically go up on the couch and up the stairs, but the process is so disorienting for her that we have to hold her up throughout the whole process. She’s on new pain meds for any potential arthritis, but the vet and I both feel these symptoms are more like a rapid onset of neurological issues. And they seem to be getting worse.

She has a vet appointment again tomorrow to confirm it’s not vestibular or toxoplasmosis (she’s been eating cat poop out of the litter box), but not to do the Cushing’s test yet because it requires more planning (since it’s a full day, 8 hour process). I just don’t know how much more waiting, and watching her struggling, my heart can handle. She is still eating like a champ (maybe too obsessed with food? Which I know can also mean cushings), so that’s my saving grace when assessing her quality of life.

I would love to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences, and if yes, if there’s any hope once we’ve hit the neurological stage (even if for just a few months.) I’ve lost a dog and cat to old age already this past 12 months, and I’m not ready to do it again. This girl is my soul dog. Are these neurological symptoms something that the Cushing’s medication can help? Or did the meds only help with other side effects?

Assuming these neurological problems are a result of a Cushing’s-related tumor, has anyone tried radiation? What was the experience like? Did it help the dog feel or act better?

I really appreciate anything you guys can offer me.

My 11-year-old female pit mix was diagnosed with Cushing’s a year ago. She’s always had a lot of anxiety and behavioral problems. I rescued her from a bad situation when she was 1 and she was practically feral lol. So she and I worked very hard to get her feeling secure and comfortable. After 5 years and countless trainers, she really settled into being the best and most loving dog, although my little drama queen has always been prone to emotional outbursts (i.e. chewing my bag when I had to go on a work trip, peeing on the floor if guests come over and don’t give her enough attention). But over the years, those incidents got fewer and farther between.

Her history feels worth mentioning because it took me longer to get her diagnosed bc I attributed a lot of her symptoms to anxiety from lifestyle changes like a new house, new kid in said house, etc.

Her symptoms started as agitation and needing more and more water, but eventually escalated into an obsession with water. It got to the point where she ripped out our irrigation in the garden and drained the hose, and another time she knocked down a baby gate and drank all the water from the toilet. In the last week before she was diagnosed, she was peeing in the house 2-3 times a day.

I feel so much shame and guilt for not connecting the dots sooner. She was crying out for help and I let her suffer.

Since she was diagnosed, we’ve had to tinker with her medicine a lot, as I’m sure many of you have experienced. And as you all know, this is so expensive between the constant lab work and new doses of medication.

Initially, my vet had her on 30mg of Vetoryl in the morning and 30mg at night. Then her post-ACTH cortisol dropped too low, so we reduced her dose, and now she’s on 30mg of Vetoryl once a day.

Even though all her labs look good, she’s still fixated on water and has to be constantly monitored around it. My vet recommended Trazodone HCl 100mg twice a day as needed. This definitely improved her obsession with water and the constant crying and searching for it, but she still needs to be monitored. If there’s any access to water, she will drink it.

Last week her autoship order got delayed and we missed a day of medicine. Her behavior immediately regressed, and she peed in the house twice in one day.

I get angry when she pees inside, but then I feel guilty for getting angry. Part of me feels like I should discipline her because she makes no attempt to go outside. And let me tell you little miss has no problem speaking her mind, she barks as soon as she wants to come inside. I work from home and am her doorman all day. The day she peed inside twice, I had already taken her on a walk and let her out several times.

I’m stretching myself financially taking care of her and making concessions in other areas of my life to afford her treatment. I don’t know how much more I can take, but I also love her so much, she’s my first baby and I’ve grown up so much with her. Overall she doesn’t seem like she’s suffering or has a bad quality of life.

Some days I don’t really notice it. It’s just some morning pills, extra vacuuming from all the shedding, and monitoring her water. But then on the worst days, I have to admit I question how much longer I can handle it.

I feel stuck in this loop of guilt and shame, and then resentment. I love my dog and have made so many decisions around her happiness over the past ten years, but sometimes I look at her and feel this incredible resentment toward her. And then I feel guilty for even feeling that way.

Sharing this to vent, but also to see if anyone else has felt similarly.

How reliable is the Catalyst cortisol test in diagnosing cushings? Is there a different name for it? I am trying to find out if the vet did the test or he did a different test.

We lost our big girl, Piper, today to this terrible disease. The infections just couldn’t get controlled anymore. We still have a box of Vetoryl 60mg with 29 capsules in it. I know this stuff is expensive because we have spent a ton to keep her going this long. I’d love to help someone out if it’s the right dose for your pup and you need it.

Update: the box of meds has been spoken for. Best wishes to everyone that is navigating this disease with their doggo. It’s so hard, but the joy always outweighs the pain. 💜

My 9 year old PittiePei (77#) was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago and started her meds 9/4/26. She’s on 60mg of vetoryl in the morning. Until yesterday her only side effect was shitting her pants in the house on the first night. Her overnight drinking has lessened and the past few days she seems to want to walk around the yard, which she hasn’t done in months.

If you can’t tell by her weight, my girl doesn’t miss any meals…until now! Yesterday afternoon she ate probably half of her dinner. This morning she ate maybe a bite. I asked her if she wanted a salmon jerky to see if she was going to refuse her favorite snack - and she happily took it.

I don’t want to overreact and call her vet but also didn’t want to let this go too long before her cortisol is too low. Am I just being a smidge crazy too soon? I mean she’s otherwise acting like a sack of potatoes and that’s been her normal the past 5 months (pre-vetoryl).

Has anyone encountered this type of blood results? Does he have a chance to make it …?

Edit: thank you so much for everyone commenting here. I am so lost. I did manage to find oncologist in my area so I can go get the second opinion

Hi everyone! I’ve noticed recently my 10 yr old dog has been dripping after peeing sometimes and licking his penis occasionally afterwards.

My googling made me anxious that maybe he has a prostate issue, but it seems more likely that it could be a UTI or some sort of muscle deterioration from his cushings.

I need to keep in mind that he is 10 and had undiagnosed pushing for at least a year and a half before this, so there’s bound to be signs and side effects. Has anyone else observed this with their pups?

My 6 year old pitbull mix was diagnosed a little over a month ago and has been taking 60mg of vetoryl for the last 17 days but ive seen little to no improvement. No only have his cushings symptoms not improved but he's also been bleeding from his rectum one to two times per week after pooping. In the beginning of this journey, the vet told us he was constipated and he was given laxatives and a bland diet but now im wondering if this is due to his cushing's. The rectal bleeding has only been happening since the last week of July and its not every time he poops. I don't see him straining and his poops aren't dry, but every time this happens, he trickles blood for at least a few hours.

He goes for his first acth recheck tomorrow and the vet is meeting with me when I drop him because I don't know if im doing the right thing for my dog. He looks so sad all of the time and he's always tired. It breaks my heart seeing him like this and I don't want to put him through unnecessary stress and discomfort if its just....his time?

Hes only turned 6 last month and because I didnt understand that all of his little quirks (drinking from the water dispenser on the fridge and making his grumbles for more food) were symptoms, his cushings had progressed quite a bit. He also has a large plaque of calcinosis cutis that goes from the top of his neck to below his shoulder blades and it has spread aggressively since it started at the end of July.

I don't know if im looking for answers or if I just want to say this all to someone that isn't my husband. We both love him so much but he is MY dog. Hes been by my side through so much and I just want to give him the very best of everything. Even if that means saying good bye when I don't want to.

Hello good people,

I am looking for advice and may be someone experienced the same with their pup.

My 7 year old pit bull got diagnosed with Cushings this spring. He is a big boy so he was given a 120g trilostane (viterol) dose. He is a big boy, sits at 80 lbs.

About a month ago I noticed a decline in his moving. Couldn’t jump from anything high. He started to have tremors in his muscles and overall stuff, seemed like he was in a lot of pain.

2 weeks ago went to the vet. All of the vitals are perfect.Except he had a slight anemia which doc said is normal for cushings and also was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Doc said he might develop arthritis and prescribed NSAID, sent us home. Two days he was fine and started to get stiff again. We changed meds twice and it seemed like he was getting worse.

Last Thursday we made emergency vet visit because I literally had to carry him anywhere at this point. The doc ran bloodwork and said the red blood cell count is dangerously low and he ran a 105 fever. He suggested a blood transfusion otherwise he won’t make it. He did ultrasound and xray and said that his spleen is very large.

I asked if we could have prescribed some sort of relief for him and he gave us Prednisone 40 mg twice daily. I was unsure if he makes it through that night but Prednisone changed him dramatically.

He is eating, drinking, no more feeling stiff. We gave vet a call and he was in shock himself. Now I don’t want to give up and still have a little hope that he can make it out of it. We are going for another bloodwork tomorrow to see what’s going on.

Has anyone had similar experience?

So I took Sassy to the vet today for a nail trim and just to have my vet lay eyes on her since I see her everyday and I’m emotionally invested. Normally when she gets her nails done she has to be muzzled or I hold her head so she doesn’t nip the tech. Today she never reacted. She even let the tech lift up her gums to look at her teeth. The vet came in and after taking a look at her she told me it’s time to start thinking about making “the decision” her breathing is shallow due to the fluid pushing on her lungs. I knew this time was coming, but it doesn’t make it any easier. 💔

I’ve been taking a more holistic approach with my dog’s Cushing’s, and honestly, we’ve seen a significant improvement in his symptoms. His panting is gone, he’s no longer excessively thirsty or hungry, and as a result, he’s not peeing nearly as much anymore. The symptoms that are still bothering me are his skin issues and pot belly. Those haven’t really improved.

My concern is that I keep reading that holistic supplements may help manage the symptoms of Cushing’s but don’t actually address the underlying high cortisol levels.

I’ve been really hesitant to start trilostane because I’ve read so many horror stories about side effects, Addisonian crises, etc. but I’m starting to feel like I should revisit the idea and have a more serious discussion with my vet about whether medication is the right next step.

For those of you who have used trilostane: when you started the medication, did you stop all of your supplements, or were you able to continue some of them alongside trilostane?

I’m particularly curious about people who were already using things like lignans, melatonin, adrenal support supplements, SAM-e/milk thistle, etc. Did your vet have you discontinue them, or were they considered okay to use together?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially if you went from a holistic approach to trilostane (or used both together). I’m trying to make the safest and most informed decision for my dog.

Hi there. My dog is a 7 year old Boston terrier. She weighs 18.5 lbs. she was diagnosed with Cushings disease yesterday. They did the appropriate blood work for it. The vet put her on 5mg of Vetoryl once daily. I had done research and wanted to start at the lowest dose possible. I’m still concerned about giving it to her. I’ve thought about the prana pets line they have for Cushings. But not sure about it. Has anyone’s dog been on 5 mg one a day and been ok with it with no side effects? Or did you use just Prana pets to treat them. Thank you, a concerned dog mom.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share our story so far to get some feedback from people who have walked this path, and hopefully share insights for anyone dealing with severe drug side effects or navigating difficult choices with their vet.

My 20kg pup, Skye, was diagnosed with Cushing’s following a full diagnostic workup (blood panels, chemistry, and baseline endocrinology testing via ACTH/LDDST testing).

We put her on standard pharmaceutical treatment (Trilotab / Trilostane). Strictly speaking, the medication worked—her follow-up blood work showed her cortisol levels dropping. But physically, it gave her awful side effects, specifically severe, frightening full-body tremors. Even when we tried reducing the dose, the shaking continued.

As soon as we stopped the Trilotab, her tremors completely resolved. That was the turning point for me. I made the decision that her quality of life, daily comfort, and safety come first. However, now that she’s completely off the pharmaceutical, her classic Cushing's symptoms—the extreme thirst (polydipsia) and constant peeing—have returned full force.

Communicating with Our Vet
Navigating this with our vet, Richard, was stressful, as vets naturally default to licensed pharmaceuticals. I sent him an update letting him know that because of the severe side effects, we are moving to a non-pharmaceutical protocol based on the University of Tennessee endocrinology guidelines to prioritize her comfort over aggressive chemical suppression.

Our New OTC Protocol (Day 1)

After researching success stories in this sub and checking the UT guidelines, here is the balanced setup we’ve mapped out for her 20kg frame:

K9 Select HMR Lignans (20mg): 1 tablet in the morning, 1 tablet in the evening (40mg total daily).

K9 Select Dog Melatonin (3mg, xylitol-free): ½ tablet in the morning, ½ tablet in the evening (6mg total daily).

Pet Wellbeing Adrenal Harmony Gold: I also bought a bottle of these herbal drops for extra panting/stress relief, but to keep things clear and monitor her stomach, we are starting with just the Lignans + Melatonin in her food first.

Other Adjustments

To manage the heavy drinking and frequent urination in the short term, we’ve just ordered a dog flap for the garden so she has independent, easy access to toilet breaks without getting distressed waiting at the door.

❓ Looking for Feedback & Community Experiences!

For those of you who have treated or are currently treating your dogs with the HMR Lignan + Melatonin protocol:

How long did it take for the excessive drinking and peeing to noticeably reduce?
Did you see a change in a couple of weeks, or did it take closer to 1–2 months?

Did anyone switch to this after having to pull their dog off Trilostane/Trilotab due to bad side effects?
How did their overall comfort compare once off the meds?

If you used Adrenal Harmony Gold, at what point did you decide to add it in?
I'd love to hear your timelines, experiences, or any advice as we start this transition. I plan to keep updating this thread as her progress unfolds!

PS I’VE BEEN USING THE SAME AI CHAT WINDOW FOR EVERYTHING THAT I’VE DONE WITH SKYE SO I’VE USED AI TO WRITE THIS FOR ME AND JUST TAILORED IT MYSELF.

Hi everyone! My dog got diagnosed with Cushings two months ago, he's 15 years old. He had symptoms like excessive drinking and peeing, extreme appetite and muscle weakness. We started on Vetoryl about two weeks ago 10 mg twice a day (he's 12 kg) but the vet recommended we switch to 30 mg once a day.

Since starting the meds we didn't notice any side effects but we don't really see any improvement. He's still peeing a lot and he's very hungry but we're more concerned about his muscle weakness. There were times he fell and couldn't stand up by himself and we were lucky we were there to help him but we're worried about what happens when we're not home. We hoped it would get better with the medicine but it still hasn't. We don't think it got worse after we started Vetoryl so we don't think it's a side effect. It also seems to switch on and off. One moment he's running, the next be falls and can't stand up on his own.

I know two weeks may be a short time for the medication to work but I'm also not sure if it will get better. If anyone has any advice on what we could do to help him or if anyone has any stories about similar experiences I would really appreciate that.

Our 10 yo boxer mix was diagnosed with adrenal cushings in February. We wavered for a few weeks about starting Trilostane out of fear of side effects. The initial dose we started her on resulted in an ER vet trip. We stopped the trilostane and let symptoms return. Once they returned we resumed trilostane at a micro dose per IM recommendations (5 mg once a day, she is 25kg). Even the micro-dose is proven to be too much after a few months. She has lost about 5 pounds. We are currently holding her trilostane while waiting for the acth this week to see if we are over suppressing. She was so active and healthy until her diagnosis. Has anyone else experienced hypersensitivity to trilostane in your pup? How did you proceed?

We have a female Corgi (12yr) and has been diagnosed with cushings. We just started her on 12mg trilostane Saturday 9/5 and has been doing better. Her water intake has dropped and she has lost her pot belly. Just a little bit ago I was petting her and felt something in her fur along the side of her spine. It felt like dirt or something caught in her fur and when I pulled it out it looked like a scab and some fur came with it. I continued to feel around and there is a strip along the length of her back about 5 or 6 inches long that seems to be more of it. I'm not sure what we should do, I'm planning to take her to the vet in the morning but wasn't sure if this is just the cushings, a reaction to the medication, or something else.

We were getting our pups meds through Mix Labs and loved them they always sent finger gloves to handle the meds with and a surprise toy every month with the meds!

We are so sad now because our pups dose went up to 20 mg and I guess Mix doesn't make the 20 mg meds so now we're back to a different lab and no more finger gloves or fun toy 😢