Hello everyone. I am new here. My dog Buddy is an 11yr old Lab cross. He was a shelter rescue dog I got when he was 4 and is a valued part of our family. He never had any serious health issues until recently. For abt the last year or so his arthritis has been getting worse. When he was having a poor spell we would give him an ibuprohen tablet and within a few hours he would be fine. This would usually happen a few times a month. We took him to the Vet for annual check-up last Feb and his ALKP Liver count was high (1660) all other bloodwork was good. The Vet blamed that on ibuprohen and gave him 100mg tramadol (3 daily) They did a Low-Dose dex suppresion test and said he has Cushings disease and prescribed 60mg Trlostane. After 5 days on trilostane (1 daily) Buddy was not eating, very weak, could hardly stand up,we discontinued the trilostane and within a few days he was much better. When i told the Vet about this they prescribed 30 mg Trilostane and said that would be fine,again within 4 days Buddy was weak,lethargic to the point we thought he was dying. We immediately took him off the trilostane as well as the tramadol. It has been a week now since he has had any meds at all and he is healthier and more active than he has been in months. He actually runs a bit now when he goes outside. I have researched Trilostane and it seems the Vet was doing the right thing in prescribing it so I am perplexed why it makes him worse,could he be allergic to it or doseage still too strong? Does anyone know of a natural supplement that I could give him instead? I would appreciate anyones thoughts on this as we love Buddy dearly and want him with us as long as possible.
Hi Tom, and welcome to the forum... I'm fairly new here, but it's a great place to come for chats and support and words of wisdom. Not sure that I have any specifically re the meds that Buddy is taking. It sounds as though you have had a really tricky few months, but good to hear that Buddy is more active and healthier. I have given my girls (aged 4, but came to us in February overweight and a bit stiff-limbed) Nutraquin (which was supplied by the rescue charity), but I'd already bought Synoquin, both of which have chondroitin and glucosamine and a few other things in them. It's helped hugely. Not sure if it was arthritis, but have seen these recommended for dogs with arthritis. I've also bought some Seraquin, because I see that it has chondroitin, glucosamine and turmeric in it. I've not used it yet, as I'm finishing the Synoquin, but I have read that turmeric is good for arthritis in dogs as well as humans. Something in the back of my head tells me that turmeric can't be mixed with any blood-thinning meds. I'm sure you'll have lots of wise responses and kind words, and I look forward to reading them. Best of luck!
Hello there, and a very warm welcome. You could try to supplement Buddy's diet with something high in omega 3 which might help his arthritis - my dog is on Synoquin and Salmon Oil. I have no idea whatsoever whether it will do any good, but I don't believe it to be harmful. Do check with your vet though to make sure this would be ok given Buddy's other conditions. There are international guidelines on safe levels of omega 3 per kg of dog bodyweight, so it is worth working out an appropriate dose for your dog to make sure you don't give too much. If your vet says Buddy shouldn't have ibroprofen, then I'd take that advice - it is certainly my understanding that ibroprofen is unsuitable for dogs. In terms of meds for Cushings disease, you really should go back to your vet, with your concerns documented (eg the meds you have given and how Buddy has reacted and seemed at different times) and ask for alternatives - it does seem from what you say that the meds prescribed so far do not suit him. A diet supplement is no substitute for med to control something like Cushings if that is what Buddy needs. I do sympathise, my dog reacts very badly to most anti-inflammatory drugs, and it's been a real worry to find something. He is on Cartrophen now, after we'd tried various other things, which suits him and has helped a lot (he is a young dog, but has had cruiciate ops, and knock on joint problems, but thankfully fit now). If your vet can't offer you a solution that you are happy with, it might be worth trying a different vet.
Thanks for your input Nicky and Julie,I will check out the supplements you mentioned as well as mentioning Cartrophen to my vet at Buddy"s next appt in a couple of weeks. His Vet is a 24/7 operation,they do bloodwork on site and have a reputation as the best in this area so I really don"t think I could find anyone more compentent. Did further research on Tramadol,apparently 15% of dogs can have a reaction like Buddy did.
The Cartrophen is for arthritis - it works for some dogs, but not all. My dog has definitely benefited but my vet says that's not the case with all dogs. Still, worth a try. But you'll still need to find an alternative drug for Buddy's cushing disease. Best of luck with it.
