We’ve been dealing with Cushing’s disease in our Cane Corso (~100 lbs) for the past year. About 7 months ago, we started him on Vetoryl. After a few months of adjusting the dose, we settled on 20 mg a day to keep him stable. However, around the same time we started Vetoryl, he began experiencing stomach issues, regurgitation, and changes in his bark. His stomach makes noises at night, his bark has become more squeaky, and recently (in the last couple of months), he has started vomiting, leading to a few nights of endless puking and resulting in pneumonia. While this could be unrelated, it might be linked to Vetoryl, as nausea and vomiting are noted side effects.
We are looking for a natural alternative to Vetoryl to see if it alleviates his stomach issues. In the past, we’ve tried a crockpot diet, melatonin, lignans, and various adrenal support supplements. His Cushing’s was quite severe back then, but now that it’s stable and we know the effective dose of Vetoryl, we’re hoping to find a natural solution that’s easier on his stomach. The current situation is causing him significant discomfort, and pneumonia requires substantial intervention.
Does anyone have experience with natural solutions and could provide guidance on what might be the 20 mg equivalent of Vetoryl?
I don’t have a specific recommendation for a natural alternative, and you may not want to do this, but have you talked to your vet about getting anti-nausea medication?
While finding something easier on his stomach would be ideal, if that’s not possible, managing the nausea might help prevent aspiration pneumonia.
(My dog had aspiration pneumonia last summer, so I understand how challenging it is to treat.)
Thanks for the reply and suggestion. Yes, we agree it’s not something we want to do and risk having him regress with his Cushing’s. We’ve been supplementing with anti-nausea meds (Cerenia) and other supplements like Pepcid and slippery elm in sheep’s milk. It worked for a couple of days, but then he had severe nausea again. We’re not sure if it’s the Vetoryl or if we need to adjust his diet. He eats raw goat meat as his primary daily meal.
I assume your vet suggested feeding him raw goat meat?
I’m curious if you’re supplementing that with other nutrients. While I don’t know much about Cushing’s disease, I do know that dogs need a balanced diet with certain vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and compounds like taurine to stay healthy. Feeding only one type of raw meat without proper supplementation or including other parts of the animal, such as organ meats and bones, can lead to nutritional imbalances. These imbalances can cause nausea and other gastrointestinal issues.
If you’re already aware of this and are supplementing his diet, please excuse me for bringing it up. I just thought it might be worth mentioning.
Cushing’s disease can be triggered by various factors, but the result is the adrenal glands overproducing cortisol, which can lead to multiple organ failure if untreated. I don’t know of any natural remedies that effectively combat Cushing’s or its symptoms, other than the Vetoryl prescribed for him. It’s a tough disease to manage, but theoretically, Vetoryl should provide symptomatic relief if he doesn’t experience too many side effects from the medication. Nausea is a known side effect, and anti-nausea meds like Cerenia can be very helpful. Talk to your vet about that possibility.
His cushing’s disease began after receiving a rabies vaccine at an older age (2 years ago).
The vetoryl works for symptoms, but the side effects are beginning to show.
He was also diagnosed with pancreatitis and megasphagus yesterday. I don’t know if they’re linked…
There’s so much going on with him right now that I’m just trying to simplify things as much as possible and keep him comfortable rather than adding more adverse effects.
Sorry, but you definitely have your hands full with him. Pancreatitis, of course, includes nausea as one of its symptoms, so that could explain at least some of it. For the megasphagus, low fat diets are recommended, and depending on the severity, you may need to use a blender frequently. Best wishes, and please keep us updated.
