The Kat House

Cruella spent the day at the vet hospital yesterday. She had her third stim test since beginning Lysodren nearly two weeks ago. I got a call from the doctor today, and the cortisol levels are now exactly where they should be! She will not be taking any Lysodren this weekend, and maintenance will begin on Monday.

The doctor did explain to me that since the cortisol levels are so much lower than what Cruella is used to, it may take her a while to adjust. She may not feel so great at first and may actually show some signs of a Lysodren reaction. But she is currently at a healthy cortisol level, so as she adjusts to it and as maintenance continues, her health should improve and the clinical signs of Cushing’s should go away.

I don’t yet know how often Cruella will be taking Lysodren in the maintenance phase, or what the exact dosage will be. The doctor will be calling me with that information after she performs all the necessary calculations on Monday. But one thing is for certain – a lot less meds will be required, and they will probably be given 2-3 times per week as opposed to twice per day. It will be a huge relief both emotionally and financially for me, and physically for Cruella.

If any of you ever encounter Cushing’s Disease with your dogs, I highly recommend joining the CanineCushing’s AutoimmuneCare Yahoo! Group. The members have offered a lot of great advice and support for me in dealing with Cruella’s condition. Also, the cost of Lysodren is quite scary – up to $10 per pill! But if you spend some time looking around, you can save a lot of money. Most of the group members purchase it from drugstore.com for $4.55 per pill. You may be able to get it even cheaper by using some of Andrew’s coupons. I got my Lysodren locally at the Medicine Shoppe for $4.57 per pill, but I may transfer it to drugstore.com to save a few more bucks. For added convenience and savings, you can order your own prescriptions at the same time. Drugstore.com carries nearly every medication you can think of – Xanax, Phentermine, Viagra, and even various birth control pills.

Thanks so much for all the thoughts and prayers for Miss Cruella. I hope to be posting more good news about her condition soon!