5-11 Mini Purrl AMPS 194, +3 126, +6 108, +9 172, PMPS 164, +3 103

You saw some low blues, so I'd hang onto this dose another day. With blue nadirs you hold 6-10 cycles. I held shorter for high blues, longer for lower.
 
When a cat gets to 6.0 units, we suggest testing for secondary endocrine conditions that can cause insulin resistance, specifically acromegaly and IAA (insulin auto antibodies). My girl had both conditions. Although there are cats with those conditions on less insulin, the chances are high that a cat on six units or above has a secondary condition. Cushings is a third possibility, but less common.

There are reasons to get a kitty diagnosed. First of all, there are treatments for acromegaly but you have to know the cat has it first. The latest research shows about one in four diabetic cats has it. Second, there are also side effects that come with acromegaly which is caused by a benign growth on the pituitary tumour. Knowing to look for side effects means you can treat those too. An example with Neko - her vet saw a red mark near a tooth and though that tooth needed to be pulled. I went to a dental vet, and he discovered the red mark was due to soft tissue growth on her gums (caused by acromegaly) and the tooth above was rubbing on it. The vet shaved the tooth, Neko didn't have to have it extracted.

Third reason for knowing the cause of the need for higher doses is we might tweak dosing to respond to how her dose needs might change over time.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
You saw some low blues, so I'd hang onto this dose another day. With blue nadirs you hold 6-10 cycles. I held shorter for high blues, longer for lower.
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Thank you. I think she may see some green tonight. At +3 she was 103 and at +4 95.

I'll stay with 6.5 tomorrow.

Wendy&Neko said:
When a cat gets to 6.0 units, we suggest testing for secondary endocrine conditions that can cause insulin resistance, specifically acromegaly and IAA (insulin auto antibodies). My girl had both conditions. Although there are cats with those conditions on less insulin, the chances are high that a cat on six units or above has a secondary condition. Cushings is a third possibility, but less common.

There are reasons to get a kitty diagnosed. First of all, there are treatments for acromegaly but you have to know the cat has it first. The latest research shows about one in four diabetic cats has it. Second, there are also side effects that come with acromegaly which is caused by a benign growth on the pituitary tumour. Knowing to look for side effects means you can treat those too. An example with Neko - her vet saw a red mark near a tooth and though that tooth needed to be pulled. I went to a dental vet, and he discovered the red mark was due to soft tissue growth on her gums (caused by acromegaly) and the tooth above was rubbing on it. The vet shaved the tooth, Neko didn't have to have it extracted.

Third reason for knowing the cause of the need for higher doses is we might tweak dosing to respond to how her dose needs might change over time.
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I appreciate this info. When Purrl was at the vet in Feb. he didn't think she had characteristics of acromegaly, however he mentioned physical things like excessive bone growth and wide face, which she does not have. But as we are now heading into 4 months without a good dose, I have to wonder if something else is going on.

This article I read and printed from DVM 360: Feline Acromegaly had quite the laundry list of signs and quite a few of them are pertinent to Purrl, and were not mentioned by the vet.

Again, thank you.
 
Most important fact - only 35% of cats diagnosed with acromegaly had clinical signs at diagnosis. Neko's only symptom was her dose and hunger - but most diabetic cats not in good numbers are hungry. The vet dismissed it as a sign. Later on I found the one teary eye she has was probably due to soft tissue grown in her tear duct. If acro (not sure until testing), there are treatments, more than when Neko was diagnosed.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Most important fact - only 35% of cats diagnosed with acromegaly had clinical signs at diagnosis. Neko's only symptom was her dose and hunger - but most diabetic cats not in good numbers are hungry. The vet dismissed it as a sign. Later on I found the one teary eye she has was probably due to soft tissue grown in her tear duct. If acro (not sure until testing), there are treatments, more than when Neko was diagnosed.
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Purrl has always had a healthy appetite. I've always felt she could never free feed as she'd eat 'til she popped. Self-regulation didn't seem to be in her vocabulary. She has been fed raw since she chose us in 2012 and she was about a year old when we adopted her. In hind sight, up until about a year ago, her appetite was very good and stable. It seems her appetite has been ramping up since then and she's just ravenous all the time.

As she has aged, she has developed what I call a "soupy head" (there are no signs of cold or infection), it's a peculiar raspy snorty breathing sound at times on the exhale (like she should clear her throat) and it is more frequent now. I've never been able to pinpoint if it's head or possibly throat. She also snores now. Soft tissue overgrowth would certainly explain that!

It sounds like acromegaly leads to diabetes. That would also explain why Purrl is diabetic. It sure wasn't her diet.
I'd like to know what kicks off the acromegaly.

I certainly appreciate your wealth of knowledge. I'll be talking to her doctors this week.
 
JLS12 said:
I'd like to know what kicks off the acromegaly.
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So would the people who study it. In cats there is some theory that it is environmental, some of the chemicals we've used in the past as fire retardants as an example. (PDBEs)

The sounds are likely soft tissue growth in the throat. Neko didn't get any throat noises until over 4 years past her diabetes diagnosis. Every cat with acro presents quite differently. I also figured out after that she likely had acro at least 6 months before her diabetes diagnosis - that's when the weepy eye started - and her fondness for bread products (muffins, banana break, baquette). The benign pituitary tumour sends out excess growth hormone - think growing teenage boys.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
So would the people who study it. In cats there is some theory that it is environmental, some of the chemicals we've used in the past as fire retardants as an example. (PDBEs)

The sounds are likely soft tissue growth in the throat. Neko didn't get any throat noises until over 4 years past her diabetes diagnosis. Every cat with acro presents quite differently. I also figured out after that she likely had acro at least 6 months before her diabetes diagnosis - that's when the weepy eye started - and her fondness for bread products (muffins, banana break, baquette). The benign pituitary tumour sends out excess growth hormone - think growing teenage boys.
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Based on Neko's experience, I'd say Purrl's been headed down this path far longer. The intermittent soupy head has been around for a few years.

This has certainly been quite the learning curve these last few months for both Purrl and me!
 
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