Ask Dr Claire

My 15 yr old Pomeranian x has Cushing’s disease, he is on Trilostane and has been on it for 7 weeks. No improvement. Is it possible its not working?

Trilostane therapy is a good choice of Treatment for Pituitary Dependent Cushings Disease. Studies have shown that between 82-100% of dogs with this condition will respond to Trilostane.

Signs of improvement are only usually seen from 4-6 weeks after start of treatment (not before), if there’s no response at this later stage then testing for a possible underlying condition that is interfering with the medication is needed, and if nothing is found it may simply mean that a dosage change is required.

A test called an ACTH stimulation test is done at 4-6 weeks after the start of treatment and the results of this together with the clinical signs of your dog help determine next steps.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

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Chat soon,

Dr Claire