5.5.15 Zoey amps(382)+8(139)PMP(511)+2(509)+4(506)+6(358)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rose

Rose

Member Since 2015
Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Perfect day for tequila shots. I don't need a reason, just an excuse. LOL
Vet day! Gotta bust a move and get out the door. Taking Zoey to work with me and then to the vet at lunch. She has her own version of a diaper bag (includes pee pads so I guess it really is a diaper bag...) Gotta go get it all packed and loaded. Today she had a dose increase so today will be the day, since I'm at work and she's also got a vet appointment) that she will choose to jump off the high dive. Swim flugels are in the diaper bag. :)

Thank you all for your help and support. :bighug:

Enjoy the day!

(yesterday)
 
Vet visit: I like him. I think my issue is that the history is not there between us like our old vet and his style is different in the way he approaches things and communicates -- and I don't adapt to change well. It's mostly me so I decided to get over myself and I kept my mouth shut and let him do his thing. Once he kind of assessed everything and I answered his questions he said he feels that she has all of the signs of Cushing's and wanted to do a few tests. I presented him with the articles that Wendy hooked me up with (of course, the pertinent areas were highlighted) and he was impressed that pretty much everything he had said was already highlighted. I pointed out the creatinine/cortisol test and he was in agreement that it would be a good plan to start there (negative would rule it out) and that if it tested positive, along with the other symptoms (which is all of them), that he might be able to present the case to the internist and get her started on the trelistane (sp?) without subjecting her to all of the other tests. He's not sure if the internist will sign off on the meds or want more tests but at least we're all on the same page. He said that if she does have Cushing's that it likely preceded the DM. He was happy with the way Zoey looked and her vitals and said that with the seriousness of her diagnoses that she was really in remarkable condition and doing well. They have treated cats with Cushing's before (although rare) and he was pleased that we had already researched it and knew the ins and outs and had a handle on the DM. So I have a sterile container to collect urine in the a.m. and then we drop it off, they send it out and by Thursday afternoon/Friday morning we should have the results and the first hurdle behind us. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for all your support, experience and guidance!! :cat::bighug:
 
Oh, so glad you like the new vet! Very important. And what a testament to your excellent care of Ms. Zoey that he was impressed with her condition in spite of her ailments. Well done Rose!! Sure hope very soon you'll be on a concrete track to know how to treat her successfully. Pat yourself on the back for being an above and beyond mama bean! Zoey is one lucky kitty to have you in her corner! And yes, even more impressed with the amazing depth of experience and knowledge available here on FDMB. What an amazing resource to have found.
Now pour yourself that celebratory tequila (once all other shots and tests for the day are complete of course!). :woot::smuggrin:
 
I'm so pleased for you that the new vet is listening and prepared to run the extra tests on Zoey. I hope this is that start of you getting things sorted out for her. :) I guess she wasn't overly stressed by the vet visit given her nice blue numbers afterwards!! :cool: Great to hear that he's impressed with her overall condition too - even when you know you're doing everything you can to keep her as healthy as possible, it's always good to have confirmation that it's all working and she's doing well. :) :bighug:
 
You guys are too kind and not taking enough credit for your supporting roles! No doubt, at all, that none of this was possible without each and every one of you. :spam: (I laugh every time I see this emoji because until about a week ago, I thought it said SAINT ... so, tonight, read it as SAINT.) You're all saints in our book. <3
 
Sounds like a very thorough vetty appointment and you've got a vet willing to listen to the bean. Very important in my books. And no wonder he thought Zoey was in remarkable condition - you are doing an awesome job Rose. :bighug: As someone who is owned by a bouncy black and white kitty with a condition caused by a pituitary tumor (kind of a sister condition to Cushing's), I can relate to how trying it can be. I couldn't have lasted (nor Neko) without the support I found there.

I find it fascinating that your vet is familiar with Cushings cats, and from the sound of it more than one. One of the articles mentions only a hundred such cats in the research, but if all these vets have seen one or two cases, it sounds like it's more common condition. Acromegaly used to be considered a very rare condition but recent studies show it's more like 20-25% of all diabetic cats.
 
@Wendy&Neko Amen to that! ... I have no hesitation in saying that Zoey surely would've died a dozen deaths by now if it weren't for you guys. So very grateful to be a part of this! Can't tell you how many times I read posts with tears running down my face because I'm filled with so much overwhelming gratitude and compassion for what all everyone here goes through. You're all truly amazing on your own but as a group ... well, it's like the NSA of feline information. You guys have scoured and collected all the data and continue to monitor all the chatter and pick up on the tiniest of hints and are ahead of it before some of us even know we should be alarmed. Just awesomeness all around.

I was surprised when the vet tech told me that they've had a few Cushing's cats but I was also noticing her softer tones when she spoke of Cushing's so I'm thinking they've not had very good prognoses with their encounters. Maybe it's because they were trying to manage the diabetes with Caninsulin and I can totally see how that might cause problems. Until Zoey, I don't think they've ever dealt with a cat on Lantus; and matter of fact, now that I think about it, he didn't even ask me about her diabetes. Perhaps he knew from all of the readings I've brought to him that we got that part under control so no worries. I wonder how many cats have these secondary issues that don't get diagnosed because so many vets give the diabetes diagnosis such a grim representation that the owners go ahead and euthanize? It probably skews the numbers and more cats than they realize develop these conditions. Lord knows if they would only look here on this site they would have quite a bit of useful information for their case studies.
 
The folks at Royal Veterinary College (including the author of one of the articles I gave you) are studying ways to make managing feline diabetes easier. Their study showed up to 30% of cats with FD being PTS within a year, and that's all cases, not just with secondary conditions. :( Now that I know what to look for, I figure Neko has had acromegaly for almost 4 years, and it took a while before it turned into diabetes, which she has had for 3.5 years. Every so often I've seen someone here get a diagnosis for a secondary condition and have their cat PTS. It makes me so sad. Then I see someone like you who is such a strong advocate for their cat, it brings a smile back to my face. :bighug:
 
PTS ... ?? Did Neko's diagnosis come from the vet or did you discover it and take your suspicions to them? Sure do wish foresight was as strong and clear as hindsight. I know that Zoey's belly has been big for a very long time, long before she got so sick with the diabetes diagnosis; she also had other subtle symptoms that we discounted to age. If only.... Having a vet that will consider thinking outside of the box is half the battle. These illnesses do not fit nice and neatly in a box. I've been reading some of Dr. Niessen's posts and research. It sounds like he is going to bring much needed changes, in time, to the way DM will be treated one day. At least it's encouraging to think so. And you're so kind to call me a strong advocate instead of a hard headed PITA. potayto/potahto. LOL

collecting urine: I bought Zoey a new litter box (breeze) that is litterless and the urine flows through these "beads" onto a pee pad below. If I were to put saran wrap down so the pee collects there, would that taint or compromise the "sterile" environment for collection? I can also remove the beads and it's just a plastic grate that she would pee over; that might be better. I'm obviously going to try to get a sample close to the source, but her hind legs are weak and she doesn't hold herself up very well so it may be a challenge and a plan B might be worthwhile.
 
Bounce from the blue?? Did not give a fur shot. These high numbers have me worried. I tested for ketones and it's negative. She's changed though. She's much calmer (I read that to mean she feels bad) and she's not licking her bowl clean when I first put it down. Starting last night, she was leaving a little bit behind. She'll eventually eat all of it, but up until last night, it was immediately and she would scrape the bowl with her teeth and lick it until it shined and looked like it was clean. Of course, the higher numbers mean that she's weaker so she's having an extra hard time with the LB and walking and standing for long periods. She has to rest quite often between her current location and her ultimate destination. I'm sure hoping we see some lower numbers soon.
 
You may be seeing a little New Dose Wonkiness. Paws crosses she comes down tonight.
Rose said:
PTS ... ?? Did Neko's diagnosis come from the vet or did you discover it and take your suspicions to them?
Click to expand...
PTS - put to sleep. It was the good folks on FDMB (Julie, Sienne, Marje) who suggested I get Neko tested for acromegaly and IAA when we got to 6 units. The vet thought I didn't need to do it until her dose got over 1.5 times her weight in kg. That's what the IM vet she consulted told her. Neko never got to that high a dose. The vet was humoring me by getting the tests done. The senior vet at the practice called them "exotic tests" to my face. Needless to say, the vet was a lot more surprised that I was by the positive test results. Neko didn't have many clinical signs. Her appetite was overwhelming - but the vet told me that was normal for unregulated diabetics. The only real clue was that she squinted in the bright light. I found out recently that her eye tearing was also an early sign - but who would think acro when they saw that? She's always been a large girl, part Maine Coon, but she weighs less now than she did years ago.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I found out recently that her eye tearing was also an early sign - but who would think acro when they saw that?
Click to expand...
I never knew that. Rosa's had one eye that tears easily for about a year and a half now that the vet was never able to find a cause for...no other obvious signs of acro, but I'm guessing with her being diabetic as well that might be something I need to look out for in the future. It does seem to have stopped since she got regulated and went OTJ but it started happening a long time before she had any problems with her BG - I'd put it down to her not being used to the forced air heating system in the house here and it being irritation from that. And of course our heating's been off since she was OTJ too so it still could be that.
 
I get frustrated that I can't "fix" her, but as long as she's not suffering from pain and is a willing participant in "giving me some sugar" (that's what we say when it's time to check BG) we will see how far we can take this. If nothing else, I would like the vets who come into contact with her to remember her and learn from her so they can do better for the next diabetic cat and alter their treatments and perhaps catch these secondary conditions sooner because they'll know to look for them. That would be a good thing.

Neko's story doesn't surprise me at all. So glad you were a strong advocate for her, as well. ;) Perhaps she's made a difference for the cats who treat with those vets. I choose to believe that.

Hi, April ... happy that you're peeking in on us and joining us in our condo. Always something new to learn, isn't there? Hopefully it won't flare up again for Rosa, but if it does, you know what rocks to turn over.


I have NO idea what to expect from Zoe tonight. Her numbers are starting to improve but it's time for her food. I'm going to feed her which I would expect her BG to rise, but lately she's been staying flat after her feeds and then dropping. So, to play it safe, I'll probably check her every two hours through the night (while she's dropping) so she doesn't fly down the scale whilst I'm asleep and set herself up for a wicked bounce.
 
Hi Rose

Yes, I always look in to see how you're getting on. I love reading about your adventures with Zoey - it sounds as though you still manage to have fun with her even when things aren't always going so well. It really it heartwarming to read about! :)

While I hope there's nothing else underlying Rosa's random issues, if there did turn out to be another condition causing things, I'd cope with it and get her whatever she needs to be healthy for as long as possible. I'm hoping it isn't anything I need to worry about as she's managed to get OTJ but the future will bring whatever it brings, and the more information I've got at my disposal if things do flare up at any point, the more likely I am to be able to convince our vet that additional tests might be beneficial. I file all these snippets of information away for possible future use when I see them show up! And for now, I'll just enjoy her being well and worry about future problems if they arise - there's no point me ruining her good times with worry about what might happen tomorrow!

I hope Zoey doesn't make it into too late a night for you - she does like a bit of a dive and bounce when she thinks no-one's looking, doesn't she?
 
I'm late to today's discussion - but lots of good info here! I'm thrilled that the vet's response was so positive!

I think using the Breeze would be fine - I'd give a call and ask the lab if the plastic pellets would contaminate anything in their labwork. The only thing I can think of is that plastic can have estrogen-like properties when it breaks down, so I'd just want to be sure they weren't measuring estrogen.

Off to bed for me. Sleep well at your place!
 
Yes, we missed you, Julie, but glad you stopped in with your busy schedule. We could see you going door to door at other condos and knew you were working tirelessly getting caught up to speed. I didn't know about plastic having estrogen-like properties but I was questioning contaminates of some sort. Luckily, my well-behaved and trained Zoey :rolleyes: squatted and did her thing in the urine cup. They're probably going to wonder how I got a full cup of urine from a cat ... but it's full. LOL
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top