How to cut the cost of Cushing's: a guide for dog owners

Cushing's disease can be tough, not only medically but also financially. Extensive diagnostics, frequent blood tests, ongoing medication—it all adds up, and quickly. If you're looking for ways to better afford your dog's care, below is a guide that might help.

If possible, avoid buying medication from your vet

When you buy prescription drugs directly from a veterinarian, you’re probably paying a lot more than you would if you bought them elsewhere. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, veterinarians often overcharge for the drugs they sell, with price markups ranging from 100 to 1000 percent.

Luckily, you can bypass these high charges by purchasing your dog’s medication from an online pet pharmacy. Unlike veterinarians, these pharmacies typically purchase medicines in bulk at a discount rate, which allows them to offer customers the lowest prices possible. Examples of pharmacies where you can purchase Vetoryl are listed below. All of these have a good reputation and usually have reasonable prices:

Chewy (US and Canada)

PetMeds (US)

Animed (UK)

Many large-scale retailers, such as Costco, also fill prescriptions for animals and can be a good option for someone wanting to save money. More details about Costco’s pet pharmacy are available on their website. 

Consider compounded trilostane

For a lot of people, the high cost of Vetoryl is an obstacle to treating their dog. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, you might want to consider treating with compounded trilostane instead. Vetoryl and compounded trilostane share the same active pharmaceutical ingredient but may differ in other characteristics, such as dosage form and strength. For more about compounded trilostane, see this article: Compounded Drugs, another option for treating Cushing's.

Split Cortrosyn vials for ACTH stim tests

Have you ever wondered why the ACTH stim test is so expensive? It’s because of Cortrosyn, the very expensive synthetic hormone that’s used. The good news is that there’s an easy way to cut the cost.

According to Dr. Mark Peterson, Cortrosyn is supplied in 250 μg vials, while the dose of Cortrosyn used for an ACTH stim test is only 5 μg/kg. This means that small to medium sized dogs require only a fraction of the Cortrosyn contained in each vial. If your dog weighs less than 55 pounds (25 kg), you can ask your veterinarian to split the vial of Cortrosyn and store it for future ACTH stim tests. This way, you can potentially get a few tests from it while only paying for it once.

Instructions on how to split and store Cortrosyn can be found on Dr. Peterson’s website, Insights into Veterinary Endocrinology.  If your veterinarian is unaware of the protocol, providing these instructions may help.

Consider the PVC test

The Pre-Vetoryl Cortisol (PVC) test was developed in 2018 as a way monitor cortisol levels in dogs being treated for Cushing's disease. Though widely used in the UK and European Union, many veterinarians in the US and elsewhere are not aware of it. If your vet isn't familiar with PVC, it may be worth having a discussion about. Using this test can save money and time, since it only requires one blood draw and a shorter office visit than the ACTH stim. For more information, including the PVC testing protocol, see Pre-Vetoryl Cortisol: an alternative to the ACTH stim test. Feel free to pass the sources along to your vet, if needed.

Negotiate a payment plan with your veterinarian

If you're a client in good standing, you may be able to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan with your veterinarian. Some veterinarians also work with third-party billing services, such as VetBilling, which allows you to pay in separate installments.

Reach out for help

If you're struggling to afford veterinary costs, consider reaching out to a nonprofit for assistance. There are a number of organizations that provide financial help to pet owners. Some examples are:

The Pet Fund

The Mosby Foundation

Brown Dog Foundation

Help-A-Pet

Paws 4 A Cure

Take out a loan with Scratchpay

Scratchpay offers loans for any veterinary bills between $35-10,000. You can apply for a payment plan through their app or website, and Scratchpay will pay your vet immediately. In addition to their monthly payment plans, they also have a Take 5 plan, which allows you to split your vet bill up into five payments. More details are available on the Scratchpay website.

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