We're not sure, but symptoms were much improved when he was on the rabbit. He was still getting those others things though. Vet said could be in my house too or pollen or whatever. I wanted to get testing done, but she said really not worth it. I dunno.
Your starter for ten ...
Yup, I was just reading that one, and another. Doesn't look like a very "curable" disease.
...due to the enlarged organs...pancreas, liver, kidneys. There are two types of Cushing's...PDH involves a tumour on the pituitary gland (most common) and ADH ( involves a tumour on one or both of the adrenal glands) PDH has had some success with trilostane(vetoryl) although using this drug involves getting regular bloodwork to make sure the dose is correct.
Thanks for the info! He's been licking himself for about 3 or 4 years. Almost back legs and tummy were the worst. We finally switched him to a novel preotein and he was doing better. Then his ears were severly infected. He was on ear drops (steroids) for almost a month, with no success. Then Osurnia (steroid) that seemed to solve it. He was on pred for 2 months (low dose 5mg) but he did not lick at all when on that! Then Thanksgiving diagnosed diabetic and no more steroids. Now all for legs are bad, the back worse. Belly is thin, as is neck starting to. Vet thinks this along with his number not budging at all might be cushings.I had a Cushing's kitty and have come across a number of other Cushing's kitties over the last 3+ years. My personal feelings is that is may be under-diagnosed since it was considered rare. Years ago acromegaly was considered rare in kitties and now it is estimated that as many as 25% of kitties may actually be acro.
My Tuxie (GA) was impossible to regulate. He had thin skin...it never got to the tearing part...and extremely poor hair re-growth. He was shaved for an ultrasound a few months after diagnosis and never regrew the hair back after 3 years. He had an extremely "swollen" belly..almost looked like he was pregnant
The simplest least invasive test for Cushing's is the UCCR (urine cortisol-creatinine ratio) which involves collecting a urine sample at home ( so there is no stress involved) Your vet would send this sample to an outside lab such as IDEXX or any lab that performs the test. If the test comes back positive or borderline then other tests are needed to determine what type of Cushing's it is. An ultrasound done by a board certified technician can also be helpful in making the diagnosis.
Other tests that may be useful to check for high dose conditions are a full thyroid panel, which can be done at IDEXX. As well testing for insulin autoimmune antibodies or acromegaly can be done through MSU (Michigan State University) There are many members on here who have dealt with IAA and acro kitties that can give you lots of guidance if Rufus were to test positive for those.
Thanks. A lot of times if he's not sleeping, he's licking. Oh beleive me I'm trying my hardest to get him to eat rabbit or duck, but he's just being picky. I know the nausea is part of it. He was eating rabbit last year, and now just wants his gross fancy feast. I am 99% sure he has as allergy and intolerance to turkey. I took the fancy feast with turkey listed in the ingredients out of rotation, and its been better. But the rest of the cans have meat byproducts listed. Im sure there are amounts of turkey in there.
He does have pancreatitis
If you want to load something from your device, use the 'Upload a File' button below the typing box where you enter your posts.
He does have pancreatitis
thanks!
Vet told me she thought he had pancreatitus back in October. When he had his blood work done and was diaganosed diabetic in Novemeber, we also did the pancreatitis test (not sure which on). Came back positive. Never given any meds for it. He was on pepcid and that seemed to help. We did try cerenia pills on my suggestion. Didn't do anything for him. We started Ondansetron on Saturday. Huge dose. Seems to working, but still won't eat the wysong rabbit. Dental specialist gave me liquid gabapentin for pain. Not sure i notice any difference with him on it (except more tired).
Things to watch for (not an exhaustive list):
Clues may include:
Thank you thank you thank you! So much awesome info!! Looks like he's probably not in too much pain. I am giving him a probiotic so I think that firms up his stool, but hard to differentiate between this and food intolerance. I do know that if he doesn't have pepcid or ondansetron he has a hard time wanting to eat. So maybe he has a low grade constant state of pancreatitis. But then again, hard to distinguish between symptoms of intolerance and pancreatitus.
Interesting that you don't recommend probiotics. They seem to have helped Rufus.
Oh wow. I had no idea the pepcid was bad. Glad he's off of it now. Do you know if slippery elm be use in conjuction with a probiotic?
I would imagine so. Maybe ask the question in a new thread on the FH board?
Word of warning: cats are notoriously good at hiding pain and discomfort. Taking time each day to observe Rufus is the best way to learn to 'hear' what his body is telling you. No-one knows him the way you do, and you are therefore in the best position to figure out Rufus's unique 'tells'.
Oh I know. Back when this started in Ausgust / September he would go downstairs and lay under the pool table. Even in the shower. He has never done those things. He doesn't even like going downstairs because of his arthritis. I know those are his "big" tells. But the lip smacking and general lethargy I wasn't and aren't sure of pain or tired or because his BG is still so high. And I've been unemployed for WAY too long and I'm with him WAY too much. He's probably hoping I get a job soon so I can stop babying him
Oh I know. Back when this started in Ausgust / September he would go downstairs and lay under the pool table. Even in the shower. He has never done those things. He doesn't even like going downstairs because of his arthritis. I know those are his "big" tells. But the lip smacking and general lethargy I wasn't and aren't sure of pain or tired or because his BG is still so high. And I've been unemployed for WAY too long and I'm with him WAY too much. He's probably hoping I get a job soon so I can stop babying him
Those are exactly the sort of things to look for. Also, if you notice a new behaviour be sure to note it in your journal. It might be a one-off but, if it keeps cropping up then you may be able to spot a new pattern based on your notes.
I read on here (I think) that one positive about a diabetic cat is that you will now have a much closer relationship with each other. So a small ray of sunshine in an otherwise horrible diseaseLip smacking is a sure fire sign of discomfort...whether nausea or dental issues. I spent most of the last 3 years of my Tuxie's life with him close to 24/7, which besides giving me such a close bond, also allowed me to "know" when something was off. Knowing YOUR kitty is so very important.
Hard to tell the lethargy from the tired. I keep saying to the vet he seems lethargic. She keeps saying, well he's a cat and he's older so the sleep a lot. But you're right, he's my kitty and I know him better then anyone. That's also hard when you know something and the vet is dismissive. It's hard because you want to respect them and they know more info then you, but at the same time I don't always agree with what their plan is.
Very tired has a 'knackered' quality to it, but a lethargic cat tends to look poleaxed (often with signs of low mood).
Is, Mary Ann. And always will be ...I have loved all my kitties, but my Tuxie is/was my heart kitty.
