Cricket's cabergoline thread

Teresa & Cricket

Teresa & Cricket

Member
I'm starting this thread to document Cricket taking Cabergoline.
The vet Rx is .5ml once pd

Today (3/27/19) I'm starting her on .1ml just to see if she has a reaction and will increase each day.
No one told me to do this but with her fragile state, I feel it is best to introduce new meds slowly.

How she is right now:
You can see previous thread, but basics are that her tumor is likely very large and is affecting parts of her brain. Her muscle control is especially problematic, where her right side has been "weak" for a few months. A few days ago something shifted and it got worse. She is ataxic/wobbly and stares off into the ceiling a lot. But she's still here, walks around and has an appetite (altho I have to bring her food and hold it in front of her), she still grooms her face and follows me around.

Concurrently, she has HCM and is just over a year past CHF.
Takes furosemide, clopidegrel and insulin.
Current insulin is 5.5U, but her BSL has been elevated since this event and I am considering upping it if it doesn't come down on its own.

So this is day one, I'll add more in a couple days or if I notice any changes.
 
I hope Cricket responds quickly to the cabergoline.
Hugs and best wishes to you and Cricket from Leo and Little Dude.

Leo and LD - hugs for Cricket - March 2019.JPG
 
Today I gave Cricket .2ml cabergoline- no digestive side effects as yet.

Her Sx are worsening, she keeps slipping while walking and also peeing in random spots.
Eating, but reluctantly and in smaller amounts.

Just now, I noticed her lymph nodes are swollen:( I also noticed her ears aren't healing as fast from blood pokes as normal. So either there is an immune disease or she has an infection.....so I will be making an appointment at the vet first thing tomorrow.
 
@Teresa & Cricket

Olive started cabergoline at .5 ml based on the studies recommendation for weight. However, Dr had old weight so dose was a bit low. So adjusted dose to .6 ml for her current weight. In all the studies cabergoline started to work at week 3 or longer. I noticed week 3 for Olive. Olive never had GI upset which supposedly limited to 3 days according to the studies, but again we didn't have that issue.

Cricket has some symptoms I haven't heard before as being part of acro so I can't comment on those.

Olive use to have very noisey, grunting, gurgle sounding, raspy breathing with an expiration wheeze. It was all the time non stop and so loud you could hear it over the TV and 2 rooms away. Mostly stopped now, but an occasional wheeze still on expiration.

Her walk was extremely cautious like she was testing each step to make sure the floor wasn't going to cave in. Occasionally she would stumble or start to lose balance. when She sits up her legs were shakey, wobbly. She is now confidently walking, trotting, jumping up on furniture. Legs don't shake when sitting.

She had no stamina, just laid around like a big blob. Now she plays a tiny bit, sprint down the hall.

She has never allowed touching below her shoulders, she seems to have nerve pain down her back. Still has this but is allowing minimal brushing/combing. Dr thinks it's more of a spinal issue/injury though.

Olive use to sit sometimes with her head pressed into the back of couch or armchair. She use to cover her eyes at times I think to block out light. I think this was headaches. This has stopped and she now loves to sleep in the sun.

Olive's glucoses started dropping I think day 10. For awhile it was fast. Reductions where close, sometimes large reductions. There was no knowing, monitoring is crucial to stay on top of it.

About 2 months in I would have to look up dates, glucoses started rising, symptoms started returning. Thought caber was different as the suspension was different from the 1st bottle. It was sent back to be analyzed. Pharmacist called back and said It was fine had all the ingredients in proper amounts. Maybe dose needed to be adjusted. So with vets approval started increasing dose as long as I did not exceed double of original of 0.6 ml. there are no studies that did dose increases. We got up to 0.8 symptoms went away, pancreatitis hit, resolved, left dose alone.. Lately I'm hearing the grunting at times so I'm thinking an increase is needed but waiting for new bottle to arrive.

Since it takes time for caber to start working I don't think I would take to long to get right dose in.

Cabergoline for me and our vet is uncharted territory. Every cat will respond differently to it. I wanted to at the least make Olive more comfortable and will give the caber 1 yr trial. It has done that. I think some people who stopped using it, didn't give it long enough and or expecting remisson. I don't think Olive will ever achieve remission, but symptoms have abated and that to me is more important.
 
Olive & Paula said:
@Teresa & Cricket



Thanks Paula, that's all very helpful.
What was Olive's weight for the first dose?

Cricket lost a few ounces since the IM vet (who I will no longer be seeing) called in the Rx.
She was at 13.6 and just yesterday weighed in at 13.1
Wondering if I need to adjust back a bit?

It is great to hear it had a significant effect on her quality of life--that is what I am looking for since surgery and radiation are not options for Cricket.

Some of Cricket's current Sx might be related to an infection or other problem, I had a blood and Urinary panel done at my reg vet yesterday, results tomorrow (Crossing my fingers for a simple infection and not a kidney issue)
This makes more sense for the incontinence and quick onset of worse Sx to me.

As explained to me, some of her issues have more to do with the fact that the tumor is likely exceptionally large and therefore hitting areas of her brain.

I am seeing behavior I think might indicate headaches, esp because she responds verrry well to a head massage around the base of her skull.

Friday she gave me a huge scare:
I came home and she was in her carrier (I set it up as a bed so it's not intimidating) and not responding to me except for her tail which she would whip everytime I said her name.
I pulled her out and it was like she was paralyzed/stiff and staring out into nothing, didn't sniff food in front of her...
I was CONVINCED she might go right then.

Then 5 minutes later she basically blinked and looked at me, sniffed the food and proceeded to gobble it up.

Couldv'e been a seizure, but the ER didn't see signs of that.
Previously, right after her heart failure, she had a vasovagal event and it looked a bit like that. I am wondering if it happened again just as I was coming in.

Anyway,
I'll know more tomorrow.
Thanks so much for all your input:bighug:
Click to expand...
 
I think Olive's weight (which was old weight) when 1st ordered was 11 or 12 lbs so Dr ordered .5 ml. The concentration is 100 mcg/ml.

When the med arrived I double checked the dose and Olive was at 13 lbs so dose should have been 0.59 ml. So I started at 0.6 ml.

Then over time I did 0.7 and moved up to 0.8 ml and thats where the symptoms started to abate. Has been at that for quite some time now. But I'm starting to hear the expiry wheeze again so I might up it to 0.9 soon.

It does sound as if cricket is having some type of seizure though. If the tumor is large enough and causing pressure, it could be possible. But by don't know for sure.
 
Oh, so was your compounded formula 1ml to 100mcg?
Mine is 1ml to 125 mcg, so the math isn't as easy. But it looks like .5 is still right for Cricket, or just a tick under .5

As for seizures, the ER vets didn't see evidence of a seizure. But if she is seizing, it is not grand mal.
 
Yes that's the math for our caber.I

They could be focal seizures. it's limited to a certain area of the body. They might not lose consciousness but can seem disoriented. There are different kinds.
 
Today we started the full 0.5 dose and go lab results back.
Hooray! No kidney or UTI or any infection.
Potassium was "on the lowest side of normal" so I will be supplementing 1/2 doses of K for her now.
I'm also starting the B12 methyl, after reading up in here.

Vet feels the urination/thirst is more related to her BSL popping up higher and I'll be increasing the dose.

I thought maybe she was higher because of an infection, but it looks like the pituitary gland is just kicking up and pushing her BSL higher, making her feel very bad.

This also proves that the IM I was seeing (as mentioned in a separate thread) was very wrong in his dosing suggestions--as I figured.
I will not be going back to him.
@Wendy&Neko , you might remember that he told me she was blind in one eye? The ER and other vets feel she is seeing fine-- as do I.


She's also seeming better little by little. She's walking a bit better, wanting up on the couch w/me and at least trying to pee in the litter box now (on puppy pads, but hey!). I need to trouble shoot this cause the new low box I got is very slippery for her to walk in, and that's why she keeps going over the side, or just literally laying down in it:(

I'm feeling hopeful for the cabergoline.
 
As far as the box goes, it could be legs are to weak yet. How about putting puppy pad in box with no litter yet. It won't be slippery the eventually when she starts improving, slowly add litter to it.
 
Sounds like kitten steps of improvement. :) The low potassium could definitely contribute to her being wobbly.

As for her insulin dose, I am glad you are increasing. The tumour can definitely ramp up quickly. You might think about a 1/2 unit increase. Plus it leaves you on the line.
 
I'm figuring I'll go up to 6, but I'm going to give her a day at 5.75, just because she's sensitive.
This disease is wild, I mean she was in such a nice place in the blues for a while there.

Honestly, she's already starting to act a little more normal this evening after starting the K and B12. Still low energy, but more present and attentive.

I need to find a better source of the B12 methyl though, the one I have has rice flour as a filler.

I also think she had a string of bad headaches during all of this, which makes sense.
 
Is Cricket on anything for pain? It is thought acros can get headaches. Either buprenorphine or gabapentin seem to help.
 
I have a Rx for gabapentin, which we use for vet visits.
I tried giving her a half dose for potential pain a few weeks ago, but it made her too drowsy to handle with the neurological problem in her right front leg. She was falling while using the litter box.
So I don't intend on using pain meds on her until I can get the weakness under control at least.

But if she shows signs of headache again, I might try a small amount of it.
 
What dose of gabapentin do you have! It can make them drowsy at first, but after a few days they adjust. It will also help with the discomfort of spurts of bone and soft tissue growth. I think Olive started with 50 mg twice a day before the cabergoline. I always try to reduce meds if I can so as the caber started helpingI, she went to 25 mg twice a day, then 12.5 mg twice a day and she stayed in that a long time. March 2 was her last day on it. She is on bupre though and always will be for the pancreatitis, it's a lower dose then originally started at.

A few things to keep in mind and this is what I observed in Olive and Wendy always seemed to know whether it was the acro or not.

I will try to make sense here. The way I think about her FD has shifted to more the Acro. Whether that happens naturally I don't know. Before the caber started I swear I could tell when the tumor was having an active spurt. If that's possible I don't know. Her original vet still thinks she is better because the glucoses are better. Although that is part of it, it's because the caber is helping the glucoses. But he was told by specialists caber doesn't work, so that's what he believes.

There will be times glucose just jumps up for no apparent reason. Your mind runs the list: fur shot, bad tooth, UTI, constipation, contraband etc? When you know without a doubt none of that happened, you know it's a tumor spurt of activity. It happens a lot less now, but still happens.

You want to keep in top of the constipation. I think that's our biggest issue now. Since Cricket has some back end issues, you want to be on top of it. Having pain managed could help. Olive is extremely sensitive in her hips and rear. I'm sure it hurts her to go. I try to not let her jump, just my thought that it must hurt when she lands especially on a hard floor. In carpeted rooms she does okay.

I don't necessarily obsess about high glucoses anymore. Of course I want them lower and they are, but it's Olive's demeanor, behavior, comfort that matters. Olive now and Olive before caber is night and day.

I will never understand the technical stuff of acro or caber and how they work. I just know Olive is benefiting from it.

She is letting me know its time for her bupre. I created an addict.
 
@Teresa & Cricket app

I have to clarify the above post.

Olive was on gabapentin long before we knew of the acro dx. When she first got here she was bloated and very uncomfortable. The vets thought it was because she was newly dx with FD and not yet treated long enough (only about 1 week in). Then we found out about her abdominal mass. The IM said to give the gab every 8 hrs because it was clear she needed pain relief. But we started to reduce the gab. It helped but she continued with the symptoms. It was about 6 months later we found out about the acro and went back to every 8 hrs. It took another 4 months part because I wasn't pushing my vet about it (and had a lot going on with my dad and husband medically) and while looking at other options. Then we started caber then p'titis hit that lasted a long time. When she started bupre, we tapered the gab down. That's when it became clear it was helping her acro more than the bupre. So back up in gab we went. She was on both for a long time. Every 6 hrs she got a dose of one. At this time off gab but if needed will start it right up again. I would like to switch her back to gab and off bupre but afraid it will backfire on us. Maybe when her p'titis level drops more I will give it a try.
 
Cricket update:
Cricket has had at least 2 more "episodes" of freezing up. Could be muscle spasms, could be vaso-vagal events, could be petit mals... not clear and I have to put off seeing my new IM because the money I was saving for that visit went to the ER and blood test.
A few nights ago, I came home and she had accidentally shut herself in the bathroom, was crouched behind the toilet, had pooped and peed on the floor, knocked over a water bowl, and never touched her food.
It was scary, but didn't look like she was in there long. She let me clean her, then slept the whole night by my bed (not even peeing) and ate a pouch of Tiki mousse.
But come morning, she was fine again!

However, the last one was much more mild and she popped back out faster.
She's been walking more and purring

Most importantly, this morning her AMPS was 185! :cat:
So I didn't shoot.
Then this eve she was at 285.
I want to be cautious (and sleep) so I gave her just 1U lantus
I'll adjust in morning if needed.

I am assuming this means the cabergoline is starting to work!!!

She's been more attentive, purring and following me around, (her norm)

She's also peeing in the right place again!

No more constipation.

She's still got weak legs, but she can stand and walk and eat much better already.

Oh, and her thirst and urination has calmed down considerably. Her appetite is more normal.



Thinking about supplementing fish oil, anybody do that and what's your dose?

Also, anyone using CBD oil for acros?

I'm considering building or looking for a ramp so she can get up and down from the bed, I am really missing sleeping with her but I'm afraid she'll try to get down on her own while I'm asleep and fall :nailbiting:
 
@Olive & Paula , I am interested in working on pain management for her, looking into CBD oil.

The Rx for gaba is 100mg. It is the amount prescribed for calming a cat for vet visits.
I've given her the full amount for one vet visit and once at home.

Another time, I gave her half(50mg) and it made her spacey.

I have also heard (from the pharmacist) that it is hard on the liver and kidneys.

I'm willing to try a smaller dose, but want to talk to a vet first.
The last IM (the bad one) didn't feel she was in pain, just because she wasn't holding an aggressive pain stance. I think he's full of crap.

I would likely need to compound it tho, because I have it in gel-cap and can't easily 1/2 or 1/4 it.
 
I have no experience with CBD.

I don't know if the 100 mg is for calming. I tend to think so as a lot give it for that reason. Olive was never on that much nor for that reason.

50 mg helped her be more comfortable. Then down to 25 mg and was on that for months. Then 12.5 mg for months until she was off it.

At first the 50 mg were triangle and hard to cut into quarters but that was what vet gave.

Once It was determined she would need it long term started looking into options. The ones I get now are chewable and she loves them. They are triangle pills so quartering would be hard. They crumble easy also so can mix in food. I get the 25 mg and half them. For now I'm using them on Tripper until her appt in a few weeks. If the doctor (different than Ollies) doesn't order her own script, I will keep using Ollie 's. She is all about keeping Ollie comfortable and has no issue with the bupre and gab being for life, She thinks it best.

If you compound maybe getting 25 mg is good. You can give 2 if needed yet cut in half also And of course give the 25 mg. So you have 3 doses available. Trick is to get Dr to order the higher dose so you have enough. If he orders lower dose but you give the higher one you will run out and pharmacy might not be able to refill if it's to early.

How is it going with cabergoline?
 
How about talking with @Wendy&Neko about the dosing of insulin. Skipping might not be best option yet. Right now with the inconsistent shots and I get why and understand your reason but the depot will be messed up and you won't be getting accurate readings.

With cabergoline one does not necessarily go according to the rules. You do need consistent dosing still .You might also start thinking of a lower number to make it a no shot time.

Teresa, do not go this alone. Caber can make it unpredictable. You will need to be diligent in testing until you know how it will work for Cricket.

Marvin went off insulin in a matter of weeks, Olive probably won't but look back at her ss for Oct/Nov 2018. It was wild. Now she is taking her time.
 
Good to hear you are seeing some improvements in Cricket, though those episodes must have been scary!

185 is a perfectly safe number to shoot. Especially if you can monitor. With Lantus, the lower you shoot, the flatter the cycle. We determine how to change doses based on how low the dose takes the cat. The cycle following the skip and low dose you gave, the depot helped keep her lower. Now the depot is emptying and will be going up.

As Paula said, you do have to be cautious with cabergoline in the mix, and it’s been 10 days so it might be starting to work. However, overly cautious will keep her in high numbers. So you need to find a happy medium. Think in terms of reducing by a whole unit, until you get an idea of how she reacts to the reduction. It is better to go to a lower dose, and work your way back up in dose you need to. If she gives you a low number and you can not monitor, it’s OK to skip. And by low, I mean quite a bit lower than 185.
 
Hi Wendy and Paula, thanks for the responses.

I actually don't feel comfortable shooting at 185, especially because I wasn't going to be home around her nadir to monitor.
I would rather take the safest possible route. The only times I can get a mid-cycle read is on Sundays and Mondays (occasionally Sats)

I totally get that you all are comfortable with dosing under 200, but I'm not... especially if I can't monitor.

One time I did shoot when she was that low and it stressed me out, I was waking up every couple of hours to check her. The lowest she seemed to get was 111, but it was still nerve-racking.

Seeing so many stories here about sudden hypos has me very cautious.
We've had so much stress in the last 2 weeks, I can't have another thing to keep me worried. I need a full night sleep where I don't wake up paranoid that something happened to her.

And yes Wendy, I did re-start her low.
I did 1u the following eve, it didn't appear to affect her/BSL didn't seem to go down.
This morning I bumped her to 2 and she appeared to stay under 300. (1.5 seemed futile)

I'm keeping her at 2u tonight and will be able to monitor closer tomorrow and monday.

If she climbs, I will bump it up.

Her urination and thirst is normalizing and her energy is returning. She's also walking much better.

Tomorrow I'll dive through and look at everyone's SSs who used/uses cabergoline.

I do appreciate the advice and take in every bit of it, so THANK YOU:bighug::bighug:
 
Not everyone is comfortable dosing under 200. And some cats are bouncy.

I probably would not dose Leo when he is under 200, because he is too variable. If you look at Leo's chart, it is a color smorgasbord, often from a string of consistent doses. Under these conditions, I have always followed the original suggestion from my vet.

She said "Keep Leo safe". And I have tried. Ultimately you must keep Cricket safe too! I wish you continued progress with the cabergoline. :bighug:

Lately, Leo has stabilized a bit, so he does get dosed under 200. But I'm here to watch him.
 
Last edited:
Hi all, its been a while since I've given an update, been very busy:

Its now 19 days since starting cabergoline

2 weeks since starting B12 and potassium

Cricket's Sx associated with mobility, energy, and those "episodes" have remarkably improved! She isn't spacing out or anything.

She still has limited use of her front/right leg, and general rt side sensitivity, but that is neurological and unlikely to improve.

No more signs of neuropathy though! I was able to take all the towels and blankets off the floor because she can walk fine on the hardwood again. She's jumping again (even just jumped up on my lap), she's cuddling again, purring, she's even talking more, just overall more energy.

All eating/drinking/peeing/pooping/breathing is normal, using the box again too.

Her BSL is definitely being affected, so I'm monitoring as much as I can and changing her dose where it feels necessary.
Staying cautious to avoid hypo, but appreciating the improvements. I imagine it'll be another week or so before we get to a more stable place.

The only potential side effect to cabergoline I noticed is that she has been smacking her lips alot more- something she normally does when she's nauseated, but there's been no puking.
This is already starting to subside.

So overall, many improvements both with the cabergoline and supplements.

YAY!
 
What an awesome Cricket update! She is loving the cabergoline. :)

As for dosing, try to find a dose you can shoot regularly. We dose by how low dose takes the cat, or the nadirs. I find it just to hard to figure out what to do with the dose if you are moving it around all the time.
 
I agree with Wendy. Changing it like you are makes it hard to know where the depot could be. It's something you need to keep in mind should Cricket starts needing reductions. So happy to hear she's doing better.
 
A really great report on Cricket. I am so glad to read it, that I read it twice!:bighug::bighug::bighug:

Cricket might be feeling better as a result of not being in the high BG numbers all the time. I noticed when Leo goes in the 250-350 range, he gets more lethargic and has a washed-out look.
 
Yes, I agree that I need to find a stable dose, it's been a little shocking for her to need significantly less, so I am basically starting over.
The confusing part is that her nadir occasionally runs through the 12 hr. If you look, you'll see there are times when sh is well below 200, and then keeps going a bit lower.
So yeah, I'm trying to find a calm spot where she's safe, but still not too high.
I'm loving that we are below 3u though!
 
So when I tried to refill my cabergoline with Diamondback, they are now telling me that the liquid compounded formula is only good up to 2 weeks.
Is anyone else coming across this issue?

I had them refill it anyway, but their suggestion was for me to get capsules instead, which comes to around $100 for 30 day supply.

The liquid I purchased was $84 for about 25 day supply.

Any other suppliers I can shop around for?

Cricket's current dose is .5ml of oral liquid.
 
I think it depends on the base they use. Wedgwood (which now owns Diamond back) use an oil base. They send me a 20 ml bottle which lasts me about 40 days. $127.50.

They don't give price over phone. Only to vet. I get the marshmallow bacon flavor.
 
Cricket update:
Things were going well, then we ran out of cabergline--or at least it went way past its expiration date for the water-based (never doing that again) bc I ran out of money.
But we are back on it now--with the oil-based and with a new IM vet who I like alot!

However, she slipped back into an "episode" like before where she was very stiff and staring out into space, couldn't walk/take it to the box,etc (all in my SS)
And her BS went up again.
She is back to frequent urination, but now its many pees, low volume.
So yeah, the cabergoline does work for her, but gaps are clearly bad.

She's been doing a little better now that its been about a week on the new bottle, but she's now starting to show signs of being in pain.
I gave her about 10mg gabapentin yesterday, couldn't tell if it helped--but she DID walk up her steps into my bed this morning ! so thats an improvement.

She's also getting B12(methyl) and potassium.

I wish I wouldv'e gotten a rx for a compounded version of the gaba, but I'm trying it out by compounding it myself in a 10mg-1ml solution of water. I've done this before for antibiotics.

Poor thing keeps falling while peeing:( so I trimmed her fur and have to clean her up alot.

But yeah, there is the neuro issue with her right side, compounded with her now getting weakness in all limbs-likely from her BSL going up. I am worried about the strain on her joints from all the weird walking, slipping and falling. I'll try and get a video of her walking sometime to show.

It's been a rough week with lots of lost sleep.

I'm thinking she has lost some feeling in her rt side. Definitely some stagnation- her rt ear was full of gunky wax--but not left-- and her rt ear feels "thinner" when I go to draw blood.

Anyone have actual results from glucosamine and chondroitin?

I want to get her acupuncture, but it starts in the 2-300's!
She is walking better today, and she walks DETERMINED. Like she knows she needs to or else she'll get stiff and she'll lose more muscle mass. Seriously, she does laps around the apt like senior ladies at the mall! and sometimes we go for a lap in the hallway cu there is a rug that keeps her from slipping.

Her BS went nicely down, then bounced waaaay up. I think its a combo of the new cab plus a slight dose increase.
Either way, I'm increasing her dose little by little again.

Oh, also her stridor seems to have disappeared!

Anyways, that's our update for now.
 
@Teresa & Cricket

I get caber in oil base also. Really really shake it up. I have to pay attention this time. I think it's starts to lose effectiveness after 3 weeks. Olive seems to get a bit worse while we are waiting for new bottle. Her bottle supposedly lasts 33 days. Do NOT refrigerate the oil based caber. I also keep it in a box (the probiotic box, fits nicely) to protect from light. Since its in an amber bottle I assume light could be an issue. You might need to play around with the time you give it. I found an hour before PMPS shot works best for us. It is time Ollie gets no other meds.

What I do when needed (stridor returns daily, most of the day for few days) I up her dose by 0.05 ml (on 0.85 ml now). So vet orders at higher dose (script is for 0.9 ml to be given) this way it gives me more volume and amount lasts me an extra week. I also have to refill exactly 3 weeks after getting it since it takes 10 days to make and ship.

Sound like it's helping already. The first thing I noticed the stridor has stopped and the walking got better. There will be times Cricket will backslide, as the tumor will have activity bursts (Olive glucoses start rising, walking gets wonky, she looks really lousy). Don't panic, stay on course and push through it. It can last a few days (Olive longest was 3 days) but insulin dose had to be increased after it since the tumor excreted more.

For the pain, think of gabapentin or bupre daily from now on. Long term management seems to work better. I get the gab compounded in chewable treat Olive loves. Or can be easily crushed and mixed in food. They are from Wedgwood and they are called gourmeds chewable in natural chicken flavor. Wedgewood now partners with Diamondback in Arizona so check to see if they can make them. Maybe they can get the formula from Wedgewood in NJ. Again my vet orders double dose so I can get more quantity. The order is for 25mg tabs count of 100 tabs and I gave half pill so it lasted 200 days. It is a low dose for Ollie but she did well. Now off it and just on bupre. Was getting both in the beginning.

I said when I started the caber I would give it one year to see if it helps. Today we are on day 236 of it. I post the day in my condo thread everyday so I can keep track better. It has made a big difference in symptoms. Insulin wise, she is a bit lower. Others who tried and say it doesn't work, I think gave up after a couple of months. But I don't know what their expectations were. Mine has also been, probably not remission but to keep her comfortable and hopefully stall the tumor activity from the bone and tissue overgrowth. And to keep the other organs from the damage the acro creates on them (all organs can or will be enlarged).

Hang in there.
 
Hi everyone,
I have an unfortunate Cricket update:
She's not doing well.
The effectiveness of the cabergoline seems to have worn out or maybe the oil base isn't as good as the water, or maybe she needs a new dose... or maybe it has nothing to do with the cabergoline.

So as of sometime in the middle of the night, Cricket hasn't moved on her own. I've had to move her to a pee pad to pee, and I've moved her onto the bed and now the couch.
I go her to swallow about 2ml of tiki mousse, which I mix her furosemide in, by feeding her with a syringe. Some of it she ust let sit on her lips or drooled out.
She got a tiny bit of water when I gave her a bit of gabapentin too... but most came out.
She's alternating sleeping an just staring.
She has moved one leg to let me know she had to pee once and to get me to stop cleaning her face.
Basically, her body is limp.

Earlier, she was awake but her eyes were moving fast like REM or like reading. That has stopped.

Posture is spread-out, laying on one side with head tilted up.. not typical of a cat in actual pain, as I understand it.

Off and on, she has been wheezing too (or her stridor is back), right now she's quiet.
But, her RR rate is good and I'm monitoring her BS... which is in the 200's.

Oh, and she is drooling. I have a napkin under her face to absorb it.

My guess is she had a seizure or stroke in the middle of the night, or the tumor had a growth spurt and moved into something in her brain, or the pressure inside her head is increasing... or???

I'm giving it time, I don't feel the ER is right right now. I just think they'll say the same thing as before.
She has been in a similar state before and come out of it, but this is prolonged. If her breathing changes, I'll reconsider.

Plus I'm worried about the stress of fireworks tonight. Going to try and give her more gaba this evening.

The positive is that she responds well to gentle petting and massage.
This could mean we are near the end or she could shift and surprise me like she often does.

I've never actually done this before, my other cats passed away without me around.
I'd love some advice on what to look for, how do you know when it is time, etc.
Also virtual hugs and well wishes.
Thanks,
Teresa
 
I am sorry that Cricket has had a turn for the worse. :bighug: One of the things that helped me make the decision about Neko was this post: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/making-the-decision-help-to-know-when-and-how.131915/
I found the quality of life scale a good one, plus considering whether Neko was having more good days than bad days, where good days was doing the things she liked. Whether or not they stop eating is also important. Another deciding factor for me is that I wanted the vet to come to the house, and to do things in Neko's time, not in a crisis at the ER. I wanted to err on the "slightly too early" than "too late" with the decision.

I don't know if you have one in your area, but where I live there is a vet who specializes in home visits for setting them free. Part of his visit is a consult to help you decide if the time is right or not.

Sending you strength as you make your decision. And hoping that Cricket rallies again.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I am sorry that Cricket has had a turn for the worse. :bighug: One of the things that helped me make the decision about Neko was this post: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/making-the-decision-help-to-know-when-and-how.131915/
I found the quality of life scale a good one, plus considering whether Neko was having more good days than bad days, where good days was doing the things she liked. Whether or not they stop eating is also important. Another deciding factor for me is that I wanted the vet to come to the house, and to do things in Neko's time, not in a crisis at the ER. I wanted to err on the "slightly too early" than "too late" with the decision.

I don't know if you have one in your area, but where I live there is a vet who specializes in home visits for setting them free. Part of his visit is a consult to help you decide if the time is right or not.

Sending you strength as you make your decision. And hoping that Cricket rallies again.
Click to expand...



Thanks for that resource, Wendy. I'll read it later.
In the last 20 minutes, Cricket had an upswing.
She swallowed some food I gave her via syringe then I took her to the pee pads. A while later I heard her shuffling. She had peed and pooped and suddenly had energy and awareness.
I brought her back to the couch and showed her food and now she is eating everything I put in front of her and acting alert! Still very little physical energy/ability but she may be popping out of this again.
It seems the recovery time for these episodes is getting longer.

My guess is focal seizures, but I think I'd need scans to know for sure.
Now the fireworks just started so I will be shutting the windows and hoping she doesn't get freaked.

Thanks so much for your kind words :bighug:
 
Another Cricket update:
She is more present, eating, walking (slowly but surely).
Her overall condition is slower.

But one thing in particular that is standing out is a cracking sound from her aw/mouth.
I can't tell if it is tooth-grinding or cracking like a human w/TMJ, but it was once in a while, now becoming more frequent.
She'll make that noise and then lick her lips a bunch. She doesn't like me touching her mouth (what cat does, lol!).
I'm wondering if this could be a sign of her jaw altering/widening from the acromegaly.

It could be a cavity/infection, but im not seeing red gums and last check up was fine (Not perfect, but nothing to worry about)

She is also more reluctant to eat anything dry/big bites.
I have a raw, freeze-dried rabbit treat I typically giver her after BS check and she now can only eat it broken up and has to work to get at it. She licks it for a while then finally bites it, but almost just with her gums whereas she used to practically bite off my fingers trying to get a whole treat.

I'll be due for a IM check up soon, just curious if anyone has seen this.
 
Hi Teresa - I am sorry to hear that Cricket is in this down swing. :(

Your vet may be able to help with the quality of life decision.

Leoberry just spent 6 months in a downhill slide, and he lost the battle on July 5th, at age 13. On the way, he rallied multiple times. In the end, it was real obvious to us that he was past any rally point. The recovery times from his not-eating issues were getting longer - similar to Cricket.
Leo's last thread

I agree with Wendy on tactics. We had an in-home compassionate vet provide Leo with his final journey. The vet told us that we were saving Leo from an ER final journey on a cold metal table in a strange place. So if it comes to that with Cricket, and you can afford it, I recommend a home appointment. Leo was cuddled and held with our love until the end. He knew he was loved.

Perhaps there is some oral issue as you said. Leo's prognathia from the Acro occurred over time. Leo also had enlarged salivary glands and growths in his throat from Acro. Those issues largely contributed to his inabiliity to ingest any crunch food, and he also had issues just eating Fancy Feast. In the last months, he would eat a few bites then run from the food as he moved his mouth around. I followed him and would hold up the bowl so he could get more food bites.

Hugs and best wishes to you in these troubling times with your sweet Acro kitteh. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Our Acro kittehs take so much from us, and in return they give us their undivided affection.
 
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Thanks Jeff

I'm so sorry to hear about Leoberry, I am just seeing that now. Take care of yourself while you grieve, I know it is not easy.

It is helpful to have your thread here and the experience to bounce off of.
We have a compassionate care vet in portland that does home visits for helping pets pass. A friend of mine did that with her kitty and said she was very competent and empathetic.
I will go that route if she doesn't pass on her own and it becomes clear she is ready.

Even though her physical strength is waning, her eyes are still full of light and she's determined to walk laps around the apartment and climb into bed for snuggles.
So, we'll see.
Thanks again ::HUGS::
 
Neko also suffered from soft tissue growth in her mouth, specifically gums, making it hard to eat. She was making grinding noises when eating. I used a stick blender to purée her food so it was easier to eat. A Magic Bullet also works.
 
Wendy,
I'm so glad this forum exists. When I try searching for info on mouth problems, tissue growth, aw growth and acromegaly, I just get the same thing regurgitated over various petmd-like sites.
There is nothing like first-hand information.

Luckily, she still eats her normal food fine, and doesn't leave a crumb of her frozen raw food--she loves it so much when I leave it out that she typically eats it well before it defrosts lol!

She also gagged a couple of times yesterday, just randomly but not since.

I'm hoping to get her sugar back down again after a recent rise, she just functions way better under 200.

I'll keep in mind puree-ing if it gets to that, but the canned food she gets is pretty finely ground, especially easy if I water it down.

Thanks again
 
I'm glad I could help. Leo in spirit is also glad to help another Acro-kitteh. We miss sweet Leo so very much.:(

There really is not much public info about Acro changed to their little bodies. Maybe it is just a 1% disease, but there should be more info out there.

For Leo's mouth and throat issues, our very experienced cat-only said there was really nothing that could be done. Any surgery (salivary glands, throat, etc) would have too many negative consequences to outweigh the benefits. Leo even had ingestion issues with pureed Fancy Feast in the last months. It was so hard to watch him try to eat. To compensate, I typically followed him and held up the food bowl after each mini-session. Since he was eating so little, he was getting 10-12 meals a day. We always mixed in water to make his Fancy Feast into a puree. (Last year, he really loved it).

I hope Cricket has a good turnaround. If they don't get enough calories, then the downhill slide starts. That is what caught up with Leo, as he was down to 50-70% of his viable weight.
 
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