Don & Xena
Member Since 2023
So I called my vets office today. The one that diagnosed Xena. I called to see what their price would be to get the IGF-1 and IAA tests if they did it at all. I know it would be pretty expensive, but one of the doctors got on the phone and told me that considering my financial situation, that it would be not in my best interest to do those tests, because she said they’re not definitive, and the only treatment is very expensive. So I mentioned. Cabergoline. She did not seem to be familiar with it being used to treat acro she also asked me to spell it, which led me to believe that she didn’t know much about it, but she was googling it while we were talking and she said “do you know this medication is used to abort, kittens, and puppies?“ she said there hasn’t been enough studies on it and it would be a risk basically. She went on to tell me that she thought it was more likely that Xena has Cushing’s. Of course the test for Cushing’s is an ultrasound that will cost about five or $600.
I told her where Xena’s numbers usually are. She’s aware I’m using a human glucometer and she said that she would probably just keep giving the dose on that or even try lowering it to see what happens. She said she feels she is somewhat regulated.
She asked if Xena drinks a lot of water and I told her that she doesn’t anymore because when we started having a problem with hard store, we started adding a lot of water to her meals. Regardless, after that, she kept saying “since she’s not drinking a lot of water“ so she didn’t get the point that, the only reason she’s not drinking from the bowl all the time is because she’s getting a lot of water in her meals. Everything this doctor told me threw me for a loop it’s completely the opposite of what I was hoping to hear especially since it doesn’t lineup with this protocol.
She also said that after increases, you should let the cat stay at that dose for 7 to 10 days that three days (six cycles) is not enough time for their body to get used to the dose, and that I could have passed a proper dose.
She asked if Xena is ravenous, and I told her that she’s not ravenous, but she is food aggressive, but this did not seem to register with her as a clinical symptom.
She mentioned that cats with acro usually gain weight. Xena‘s weight is exactly the same as when she was diagnosed.
To her credit, she did spend a good amount of time with me on the phone, which is surprising since this particular vets office has always seemed very much strictly profit oriented.
So her final suggestion was to drop to 25 units… Originally she was saying 20 but she changed it and said you can try 25. She suggested adding 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of Metamucil 2x / day to her food. She mentioned that fiber helps sugar attach to some thing (she was talking so fast)… And that’s why they usually recommend MD or WD, and that she knows that there’s a Nother field of thought that high protein, low carb is better, but the fiber is important.
One thing I asked her was “ so if I got the IGF-1 test done, and it pointed toward acro… You wouldn’t prescribe Cabergoline?” She said it’s not that she wouldn’t prescribe it and basically went on again about how it hasn’t been clinically tested.
Anyway, you get the gist.
@Wendy&Neko
I told her where Xena’s numbers usually are. She’s aware I’m using a human glucometer and she said that she would probably just keep giving the dose on that or even try lowering it to see what happens. She said she feels she is somewhat regulated.
She asked if Xena drinks a lot of water and I told her that she doesn’t anymore because when we started having a problem with hard store, we started adding a lot of water to her meals. Regardless, after that, she kept saying “since she’s not drinking a lot of water“ so she didn’t get the point that, the only reason she’s not drinking from the bowl all the time is because she’s getting a lot of water in her meals. Everything this doctor told me threw me for a loop it’s completely the opposite of what I was hoping to hear especially since it doesn’t lineup with this protocol.
She also said that after increases, you should let the cat stay at that dose for 7 to 10 days that three days (six cycles) is not enough time for their body to get used to the dose, and that I could have passed a proper dose.
She asked if Xena is ravenous, and I told her that she’s not ravenous, but she is food aggressive, but this did not seem to register with her as a clinical symptom.
She mentioned that cats with acro usually gain weight. Xena‘s weight is exactly the same as when she was diagnosed.
To her credit, she did spend a good amount of time with me on the phone, which is surprising since this particular vets office has always seemed very much strictly profit oriented.
So her final suggestion was to drop to 25 units… Originally she was saying 20 but she changed it and said you can try 25. She suggested adding 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of Metamucil 2x / day to her food. She mentioned that fiber helps sugar attach to some thing (she was talking so fast)… And that’s why they usually recommend MD or WD, and that she knows that there’s a Nother field of thought that high protein, low carb is better, but the fiber is important.
One thing I asked her was “ so if I got the IGF-1 test done, and it pointed toward acro… You wouldn’t prescribe Cabergoline?” She said it’s not that she wouldn’t prescribe it and basically went on again about how it hasn’t been clinically tested.
Anyway, you get the gist.
@Wendy&Neko
Yup, vet doesn't know what she's talking about. The first Cushings test is a blood test, there could be more than one, depending what that one tells you. The ultrasound is if they suspect an adrenal tumour causing the Cushings, but that's more rare than the pituitary caused Cushings. Oh, and at 31 units, it's highly unlikely it's Cushings. There is this old tale floating around that acro is much more common with male cats and Cushings is for girl cats. 
I ran into that one too. While the percentages maybe true, we've had lots of female cats here with acro, and some males with Cushings.