An unfortunate update...

Rardito

Rardito

Member
I haven't been on here in a long time, mostly because Mitsy (Cushing's Disease) has been in diabetic remission since the end of last year, but also because I stopped getting notifications from the site.

Unfortunately, her numbers had been slowly increasing (I was down to testing her monthly). The latest two numbers were 105 and 92, which are still good, but she had been in the 70s or less for a while. She was acting more normal, not leaning anymore, using the litterbox, etc.

Well, she is back to peeing on the floor again, being constantly hungry, and trying to get in the refrigerator because it's cold (something she used to constantly do back when her diabetes was active). She's also started leaning to one side again when she is lying down.

She never had Cushing's treatment due to her diabetes going into remission/her symptoms subsiding. And she's also never had the skin tears (which I am extremely grateful for).

I knew that she wouldn't be back to normal forever, but it's still terrible nonetheless. It's weird, this always seems to happen in the summer, too. Down to the month. It's always in June when she starts peeing on the floor again.

Has anyone else experienced the coming and going of tumor symptoms?
 
When you say you stopped getting notifications from the site do you mean alerts from replies to threads or the e-mail alerts? My e-mail alert has been turned off from day one, that's probably a question for the Tech forum.
As for tumors I've had cats and dogs misdiagnosed but never a tumor come and go. In one case what an oncologist thought was a tumor was an upper GI cyst. I've had lots of cats that will only lay one way. It may be they lay that way because they want to be alert to what's going on around them or if they're older they simply have a sore back and/or joints and it's more comfortable to lay that way. Try moving the basket or lining it with an old fluffy towel for comfort and see what happens.
Noah used to sit in the fridge the instant the door was opened. Our AC is always set to 73 and his basket was close to a vent and away from the sun, we thought maybe it was either an OCD thing or dementia. He did this the last two years of his life starting around age 13.
Our last dog was thought to have Cushings but the numbers always contradicted each other. Keep posting, your threads and posts come through fine at this end.

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I wasn't getting email notifications anymore but I just got this one, strangely enough. Maybe it's just when people were tagging me.

I know her tumor isn't coming and going, it's just the symptoms. I forgot to mention, even her hair finally grew back that she had lost due to the Cushing's and her ultrasound. She still has the uneven pupils from the pressure of the tumor, that never went away. It just seemed like nothing was bothering her anymore for the last six months. And now her symptoms are coming back which is unfortunate.

I just hope that the tumor isn't causing her pain as far as constant headaches or something. I know that's a possibility for humans with the pituitary tumor. I wish cats could talk to us...
 
How is her vision? Do both eyes look the same?
As for headaches I also wish cats could talk. It's a long story (no tumors) but I have some really oddball neurological stuff going on, bad enough that I've crawled into bed and missed PM shots. It's a rare condition that doesn't translate to cats. Do bright lights and/or loud noises affect her?
 
I'm so sorry to hear Mitsy's symptoms have returned and that her BG may be rising. Let's see if Mary Ann ever experienced coming and going symptoms. I recall Tuxie being a bit unpredictable as far as BG was concerned which I presume might have been due to the tumour pouring out different amounts of hormone from day to day but Mary Ann would be able to clarify/confirm if that is the case. Mary Ann's not on the board a lot these days but she usually picks up tags.
@Tuxedo Mom
 
I just happened to be on today and saw your post.

A tumour on the pituitary can certainly cause vision problems especially if it pressing on the optic nerve. Mitsy has been a bit of an anomaly for a Cushing's kitty. It is very unusual..at least in the dozen or so cases I am aware of...for a Cushing's kitty to be in remission without treatment. However, it is possible the tumour has been in a "hibernation" mode and not causing the symptoms commonly associated with Cushing's. The fact that Mitsy's fur grew back is a good indicator that the tumour was not active for some period of time. Tuxie was very prone to large highs and lows with his numbers. The same dose that worked well in the morning could send him into hypos in the evening. His tumour was always active, but tended to go into "off and on" cycles.

Mitsy's number are still in a good range, but the peeing on the floor and excess hunger are red flags. If Mitsy is eating well but seems to be losing weight, I might consider having a T4 test done to rule out hyperthyroidism, as both peeing on the floor and excess hunger can be signs of this. Perhaps a full blood work may be in order to rule out any other problems.

I was never really sure if the tumour caused Tuxie any discomfort, but he was quite vocal if uncomfortable and never gave any indications. Since pituitary tumours can also cause acromegaly it may be a question to ask the other members with acro kitties.

:bighug:
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
How is her vision? Do both eyes look the same?
As for headaches I also wish cats could talk. It's a long story (no tumors) but I have some really oddball neurological stuff going on, bad enough that I've crawled into bed and missed PM shots. It's a rare condition that doesn't translate to cats. Do bright lights and/or loud noises affect her?
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Her vision is questionable... she seems to be able to see but always looks past me and not directly at me. One of her pupils is larger than the other one but it's been like that for years due to her tumor.
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
I just happened to be on today and saw your post.

A tumour on the pituitary can certainly cause vision problems especially if it pressing on the optic nerve. Mitsy has been a bit of an anomaly for a Cushing's kitty. It is very unusual..at least in the dozen or so cases I am aware of...for a Cushing's kitty to be in remission without treatment. However, it is possible the tumour has been in a "hibernation" mode and not causing the symptoms commonly associated with Cushing's. The fact that Mitsy's fur grew back is a good indicator that the tumour was not active for some period of time. Tuxie was very prone to large highs and lows with his numbers. The same dose that worked well in the morning could send him into hypos in the evening. His tumour was always active, but tended to go into "off and on" cycles.

Mitsy's number are still in a good range, but the peeing on the floor and excess hunger are red flags. If Mitsy is eating well but seems to be losing weight, I might consider having a T4 test done to rule out hyperthyroidism, as both peeing on the floor and excess hunger can be signs of this. Perhaps a full blood work may be in order to rule out any other problems.

I was never really sure if the tumour caused Tuxie any discomfort, but he was quite vocal if uncomfortable and never gave any indications. Since pituitary tumours can also cause acromegaly it may be a question to ask the other members with acro kitties.

:bighug:
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Thanks for the test suggestion, I'll probably have it done once my significant other returns from out of state.
Yeah, I'm guessing her tumor does the "hibernation" thing as this is her third round of peeing on the floor, the first one lasting two months, the last one was about four months of it, and this one just started again yesterday. I'll be checking her sugar more often again as well.
Thank you for your knowledge!
 
As has already been mentioned, hyperthyroidism can cause some of the symptoms you've described. I'd suggest you request a full thyroid panel -- T3, Free T4 (by Equilibrium Dialysis), TSH, etc. rather than just the Total T4 given that you have the Cushings going on as well.

My Charlie had hyperthyroidism in addition to diabetes and a host of other issues. The early signs of hyperT for him were a voracious appetite and an almost crazed obsession with food. Any food. I once watched him jump from the floor to the top of the refrigerator, steal a loaf of bread, then tear it open and inhale the bread as if he were at a competitive eating contest. Increased urination, restlessness, and increased activity are also signs.

Have you ever had Mitsy's blood pressure checked? That can also affect vision and cause blindness. It's probably the tumor causing the issue, but it never hurts to rule out BP.

Remember, too, that if Mitsy has impaired vision, she might be having problems finding the litterbox. Has anything moved or changed? Do you have at least one box on every level of your home?
 
JL and Chip said:
As has already been mentioned, hyperthyroidism can cause some of the symptoms you've described. I'd suggest you request a full thyroid panel -- T3, Free T4 (by Equilibrium Dialysis), TSH, etc. rather than just the Total T4 given that you have the Cushings going on as well.

My Charlie had hyperthyroidism in addition to diabetes and a host of other issues. The early signs of hyperT for him were a voracious appetite and an almost crazed obsession with food. Any food. I once watched him jump from the floor to the top of the refrigerator, steal a loaf of bread, then tear it open and inhale the bread as if he were at a competitive eating contest. Increased urination, restlessness, and increased activity are also signs.

Have you ever had Mitsy's blood pressure checked? That can also affect vision and cause blindness. It's probably the tumor causing the issue, but it never hurts to rule out BP.

Remember, too, that if Mitsy has impaired vision, she might be having problems finding the litterbox. Has anything moved or changed? Do you have at least one box on every level of your home?
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As far as the litter boxes, the location is the same. I have two of them and only one level in my house. She goes up to the litterbox, just pees in front of it or to the side of it (at least that's how it starts). I think it's her way of telling me she doesn't feel well. Once she walked right up to me, squatted, and peed in front of me. That was during her diagnosis of diabetes/Cushing's, though.
I'll have to see if I can include those tests as well. Thank you!
 
One additional thought ... Have you actually SEEN Mitsy urinating next to the litterbox?

I ask because many times the cat isn't intentionally missing the box. I can't count the number of times I've been told a cat is peeing next to the box on purpose, only to put up a camera and catch video proof of the cat standing *in* the box (or halfway inside the box) and peeiing over the side. Sometimes it does coincide with a cat not feeling 100 percent -- maybe they don't expend the extra energy to climb all the way in the box or they hurt and don't squat quite as much or whatever. Just tossing it out there. I've had to lobby for larger boxes, lower sided boxes, etc. to friends ad family members who are facing these issues. Anyway, it's just a consideration.

Edited to add: Do you have more than one cat? The other thing that frequently happens is that we blame the wrong cat. So often it's easy to assume it's the sick one ... the one who has a history of having missed the box in the past ... but it's actually the OTHER cat who lives in the house. Video or game cams are really helpful in finding out exactly what's going on and exactly who's the culprit.
 
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Unfortunately Mitsy likely had a seizure tonight. I took her to the emergency vet and they confirmed that she went blind from the seizure. Her retinas detached. I took her home after a sedative shot because I couldn't afford to leave her there for monitoring, but I'm regretting my decision as the sedative doesn't seem to be doing anything and she is still panicking and breathing rapidly. I don't even know what to do now :(
 
Whatever you do now don't regret anything, guilt is a terrible thing. I read your posts when you first joined and I know you to be a caring and loving person.
That doesn't help Mitsy but you both have fought the good fight. We'll see what happens now. Lots of love and hugs. :bighug: :bighug: :bighug:
 
:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug: I'm so sorry to hear Misty had a seizure with ongoing symptoms. You did everything you could do so don't feel guilty. Sometimes despite our best efforts, things happen. Misty knows you love her and are doing your best. Was a veterinary ophthalmologist at the ER to make a DX of detached retinas? While prolonged unregulated diabetes can cause detached retinas, blindness following a seizure can resolve at least to some extent so don't lose hope of some recovery for Misty.
 
Oh, that is heartbreaking, I am so sorry :(

I saw your other post about her being panicky. Have you ever heard of the Thundershirt for Cats? https://www.thundershirt.com/thundershirt-cats.html

It is the same concept as swaddling a baby, the constant pressure is supposed to be calming. Do know that they have a money back guarantee, and the biggest thing is for you to know that some cats have a reaction known as "freeze and flop". It looks disturbing, and they don't know why it happens, but they are in no pain -- you just take it off. The cat literally freezes when you put it on and flops on its side like a Fainting Goat. It is in their FAQ: https://www.thundershirt.com/faq#faq10

Anyway, I wonder if that might be calming for Mitsy. Our first diabetic loved wearing it and we put it on him when he went to the vet, or in any stressful situation.

Our hearts are with you and Mitsy. :bighug:
 
Unfortunately Mitsy had to be euthanized. I wanted to update everyone but I probably won't be on here much because it's too painful. Thank you everyone for your help along the way
 
I'm so very sorry to hear Mitsy has passed. You did your best to help her and she was well cared for, loved and lucky to have you as her person. You were her guardian angel and now she is yours. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
Rest in peace sweet Mitsy. cat_wings>o
 
I am so so sorry to hear that Mitsy has crossed the Bridge. I truly know that you have gone above and beyond for Mitsy. Cushing's is a terrible disease as some of us here know. You gave her love and compassion and that is the most important part of being a pet parent. Hold close the special memories to give you strength and sad but loving memories of your precious girl. :bighug::bighug:

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This is such sad news. Most of us have been through this before and often time and time again. The sad thing is nothing we can say will make you feel any better.
Earlier on you mentioned regretting something, it doesn't matter what it was. We all know that feeling and you don't need to punish yourself right now. Just know that you gave Mitsy a wonderful life and did all you could.
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copy&paste from your other thread.
I was on this morning when you posted. I knew I couldnt help in any way, and kind of felt the outcome wouldn't be good:( But, I still had hope that your little Misty would pull through. I am so sorry that Misty left you so quickly. :( I went to your Instagram and just by looking at your photos it is quite obvious that you more than loved her. I know it has to be the worse day of your life :( I feel your pain and felt it immensely when I read your post this am. I have no words to make you feel better right now :( just know that it will take time to mourn your Misty and there 's no time limit. Love to you and your other fur baby .:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:cat_wings>o
 
I am sorry to hear Mitsy has passed. I remember when you first got on the forum last year. You did so much for your sweet kitteh. Sometimes, it is just their time.

May your sweet kitteh Mitsy rest in peace.cat_wings>o
 
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