Why can't I create a poll?

[Gus's Mom]

I don't see the option on my editor to create a poll.
Other boards I've been on have rules that you have to be a member for X-days or X-number of posts before you can create polls.
Are they not allowed here? Or am I just too new create them?

[CairnTerrierMom]

I have the "create poll" feature disabled right now. Let me know what you have in mind for a poll, and we can talk about turning that feature on.

--Mary

[Gus's Mom]

Most patients seem to be stuck in the Lysodren vs Trilostane dilemma. Lysodren is cheaper and approved in the US, but very scary to most people. Trilostane sounds less scary but quite expensive when you consider the cost of a specialist and the expense of importing the drug.
Though Gus isn't a new diagnosis, I'm stuck with the same dilemma since the Anipryl has stopped working. I know there are other drugs, and maybe someone else would be interested in a poll on just Lysodren vs Trilostrane vs Anipryl vs Other. But for me I want to know if Trilostane is worth the extra money and if Lysodren is as rough of a transition as I think it is.
Something like:
For patients taking Lysodren or Trilostane, which medication is your dog taking and how hard has the transition been?
- Lysodren with zero or minor complications
- Lysodren with moderate complications
- Lysodren with serious, life-threatening complications
- Trilostane with zero or minor complications
- Trilostane with moderate complications
- Trilostane with serious, life-threatening complications

[KarenTascha]

I think that's a good idea..

[CairnTerrierMom]

I don’t think the poll is a good idea. Decisions about treatment choices shouldn’t be made based on an unscientific “popularity” poll. Reading about other people’s experiences on this board can be very helpful, but ultimately the decision needs to be made by the owner and the veterinarian; and the choice of treatment should be based on what’s best for the individual dog.

I also think the poll choices (questions) are too subjective. You don’t know if drug complications are due to misdiagnosis and the dog is being treated for a disease it doesn’t have, or the drugs has not been prescribed and monitored correctly.

Also consider this scenario… a dog has experienced vomiting and diarrhea after five days of Lysodren loading. Two different people may have entirely different perceptions of this event… one says these side affects were minor, the other says the dog has “crashed” and the side affects were serious and life-threatening. The two people may experience the same event and have two totally different interpretations of that event.

I don’t think a poll is the best way to get answers to your questions.

--Mary

[acushdogsmom]

Hi Gus's Mom,

I agree with Mary's point of view regarding the specific poll question that you are suggesting and I particularly agree with Mary's observation that what one person might consider to be a pretty bad side effect or complication may be what another person considers to be a temporary "glitch" that resolved within a few days, maybe when the dose was adjusted, for example.

In a poll format, people can't explain their observations or give details about their reasons for choosing one treatment over another, especially if something they might want want to say in reply to your question is not included as one of the choices/answers to the poll question.

If you want some input from members here about the Cushing's treatments they are using for their own dogs, you can always post a topic in the Questions and Discussions forum, maybe titled something like "Which Cushing's treatment are you using?" or something to that effect. Then folks could reply to you in more detail about their reasons for their treatment choice and how their dogs are doing than they could ever do in a simple poll format. :)