Editor's Weekly Ramblings 39

Friday 16th Jan 2004

Note - This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian. Jack's Tale - An Update (The first ramble is here)

If you are a regular reader of this column then you will know that I have the pleasure of being the proud brother to a quadruped known as 'Jack'. He had a few problems related to him contracting Cushing's Disease, a common condition in older dogs (Jack is 14) caused by excess cortisol production. And I wrote a ramble about the heart-twisting effect this had on us as a family back in April 2003 (you can read it here).

Well, talk about opening Pandora's box! I probably get more emails asking me how Jack is doing then any other subject, and so to satisfy his legion of fans I thought it was about time for an update. Back when I wrote the ramble in April I was fortunate that a lady called Helen Houseman contacted me shortly after to say that I had missed out a new drug called Vetoryl, made by Arnolds (www.arnolds.co.uk) in the UK. Which she was successfully treating her lurcher Meggie with for the same condition. Now, at that time Vetoryl was very new, (and even now at the time of writing it is only actually licensed in the UK - although you can import it into the EU and US in small amounts if you get the correct waivers - Email for clarification of the process) and so naturally I checked into it very carefully, before we eventually decided as a family that it seemed like the best treatment option for Jack. The other alternatives being either effective but harsh (Lysodren) or potentially ineffective and unproved (Ketoconazole or Selegline). (The details are in the other ramble if you are interested)

I could babble on about the technical stuff, but frankly I did that before, and if you find yourself in the same conundrum as me I suggest the first thing you do is join the Canine Cushings group on Yahoo, which you can find here. There you will find a really supportive and caring group of people. Many of whom have been there, done that and bought the t-shirt when it comes to trawling through all the available options to treat canine cushings disease. And because our pets are something most of us are passionate about (if you aren't why have you got them?) many people are only too happy to answer questions and concerns. Admittedly most of these folk aren't vets. So bear that in mind. But frankly, if the experiences of a loving owner don't give you some clues as to your own options, then you are probably looking at the wrong forum! (The cream cheese lovers forum is here if you are interested in an alternative!)