I have a crazy vet..help!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Anna123

Anna123

Member Since 2016
Just had a horrible experience talking to my so-called vet on the phone. I asked if she could take 2 blood tests to see if Coco has a high dose condition (being that she is on a large amount of insulin & it was suggested that I do that on here..for Acromegaly & IAA) and told her that I do home testing. She said they don't do that. She then went into a total frenzy screaming that I am clearly OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE (her words) and that I should never listen to anyone on the internet & that I am probably HURTING my cat by testing her so much and I'm probaby driving her insulin needs up by what I am doing. I am in TOTAL shock right now that a veterinarian WENT OFF on me...and yes, I ended up yelling at her as well. She deserved it. She said that the information I'm getting (on here & FDMB) is OLD FASHIONED. I told her that HER PRACTICE is old fashioned & I'm Done with it!! I immediatly went in there & got both of my cats records. As I said, I am in shock..and without a vet. :(
 
Anna123 said:
Just had a horrible experience talking to my so-called vet on the phone. I asked if she could take 2 blood tests to see if Coco has a high dose condition (being that she is on a large amount of insulin & it was suggested that I do that on here..for Acromegaly & IAA) and told her that I do home testing. She said they don't do that. She then went into a total frenzy screaming that I am clearly OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE (her words) and that I should never listen to anyone on the internet & that I am probably HURTING my cat by testing her so much and I'm probaby driving her insulin needs up by what I am doing. I am in TOTAL shock right now that a veterinarian WENT OFF on me...and yes, I ended up yelling at her as well. She deserved it. She said that the information I'm getting (on here & FDMB) is OLD FASHIONED. I told her that HER PRACTICE is old fashioned & I'm Done with it!! I immediatly went in there & got both of my cats records. As I said, I am in shock..and without a vet. :(
Click to expand...
Wow, sounds an awful lot like my former vet! Good thing you got your records when you did; I waited too long to get mine and now they won't get up off them. Makes me furious!
 
I'm very sorry but have felt your pain. I've been through 3 Internal Med vets and 5 regular vets in 2 years. I won't bore you with all the details. Bottom line is they are wrong when it comes to diabetes and this board has save Doodles and my life. My Doodles was tightly regulated on Lantus Jan 2016 and Jan. 31 regulation was lost over night. We kept climbing in dose with multiple blood work tests, IM vets, regular vets etc. We climbed to 12u of Lantus and he was stuck in pink, black and red plus using R multiple times a cycle. I finally found a IM vet who tested for IAA & Acro. He's negative Acro and came back 74% IAA. The IM vet at the time gave me a hard time about giving me the IAA results saying they were slightly elevated and irrelevant. When I demanded the paper work, and seen the 74% I was furious! 74% is extreme IAA, not a little elevated. Because I could literally see that Lantus was stinging him I asked for a script to Levemir because it's neutral based and she wouldn't give it to me. :mad: She also told me I should not be home testing blah, blah, blah. Unfortunetly during the same visit my Doodles seen a cardiologist and was dx'd with advanced/severe HCM and recurrent CHF on top of the IAA. I fired her, found another vet who prescribed Levemir and he's been doing pretty good. It's just shy of 1 year now. BTW, while he was climbing in dose and getting all the blood work done, the other vet I fired said "it's not like he has heart disease" while the only bloodwork value that was triple the normal value was his CPK (sometimes and indicator of heart disease). I just had to keep advocating for Doodles until I found someone. Currently he has a regular vet but really his cardiologist is the only one we see.

So, bottom line...find another vet. It's disgusting what goes on in the veterinary environment. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
How unprofessional...

Most of us, myself included, have struggled to find an open minded vet that is willing to work with you. Huge ego + lack of FD knowledge is a bad combination.

I'm sure you can get a recommendation for a good vet in Chicagoland. Where exactly are you?
 
Sorry to hear your vet was a control freak.:bighug: The clinic owner where Neko went thought I was wasting time on exotic tests and also poo pooed the internet advice. Not to totally diss him, he was a fan of home testing. Anyway, last time Neko ended up seeing him instead of her regular vet, he admitted I knew more than him about acromegaly. Admittedly a low bar, but at least he acknowledged what I knew. Being right earned me a lot of respect. That plus they ended up hiring the locum vet who pointed me here.

No way you're are obsessive compulsive, just a person who loves her cat enough to do what is right. I hope you have better luck next time in finding a good vet. To me, finding a vet willing to learn and work with me is more important than knowing all about FD. I've lost track of the number of people here who have fired their vets. I was lucky that I didn't have to. Though I did have a "discussion" with the IM vet on dose. Then I started quoting all the research and articles I have read. Often times going prepared with peer reviewed articles and research can help the discussion. Let's them know you have a solid basis behind what you say.
 
Doodles & Karen said:
I'm very sorry but have felt your pain. I've been through 3 Internal Med vets and 5 regular vets in 2 years. I won't bore you with all the details. Bottom line is they are wrong when it comes to diabetes and this board has save Doodles and my life. My Doodles was tightly regulated on Lantus Jan 2016 and Jan. 31 regulation was lost over night. We kept climbing in dose with multiple blood work tests, IM vets, regular vets etc. We climbed to 12u of Lantus and he was stuck in pink, black and red plus using R multiple times a cycle. I finally found a IM vet who tested for IAA & Acro. He's negative Acro and came back 74% IAA. The IM vet at the time gave me a hard time about giving me the IAA results saying they were slightly elevated and irrelevant. When I demanded the paper work, and seen the 74% I was furious! 74% is extreme IAA, not a little elevated. Because I could literally see that Lantus was stinging him I asked for a script to Levemir because it's neutral based and she wouldn't give it to me. :mad: She also told me I should not be home testing blah, blah, blah. Unfortunetly during the same visit my Doodles seen a cardiologist and was dx'd with advanced/severe HCM and recurrent CHF on top of the IAA. I fired her, found another vet who prescribed Levemir and he's been doing pretty good. It's just shy of 1 year now. BTW, while he was climbing in dose and getting all the blood work done, the other vet I fired said "it's not like he has heart disease" while the only bloodwork value that was triple the normal value was his CPK (sometimes and indicator of heart disease). I just had to keep advocating for Doodles until I found someone. Currently he has a regular vet but really his cardiologist is the only one we see.

So, bottom line...find another vet. It's disgusting what goes on in the veterinary environment. :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
Click to expand...
I hear you...we have an appt. with an internal medicine specialist on Monday..but I just was hoping my normal vet could do those basic blood tests so that I could save a little money. Silly me!
 
Anna123 said:
I hear you...we have an appt. with an internal medicine specialist on Monday..but I just was hoping my normal vet could do those basic blood tests so that I could save a little money. Silly me!
Click to expand...
Good luck! Sorry for ranting as you can tell it still makes my blood boil.
 
Sandy and Black Kitty said:
How unprofessional...

Most of us, myself included, have struggled to find an open minded vet that is willing to work with you. Huge ego + lack of FD knowledge is a bad combination.

I'm sure you can get a recommendation for a good vet in Chicagoland. Where exactly are you?
Click to expand...
Skokie (Northern suburbs) There are a lot of vets around, but I have a feeling I will face this a lot. We had been clients for over 20 years with this practice!
 
I would have done the same thing in your situation. I made a compromise with the vet I have, she is not the most knowledgeable about FD or Acro/IAA, but she is willing to listen and learn. We have had a few agree to disagree moments, but overall we have a civil discussion and both have the cats health as our priority. My vet had never heard of the acro/IAA tests, she called them exotic conditions and said I was wasting my money but agreed to do the tests. No cat need more then 5u of insulin was her motto, until she spoke with the vet at MSU who said what I had been saying all along, he needs what he needs. After that she doesn't question me as much these days and has even referred to the group here as my FD experts.

She discouraged home testing saying I would scar his ears. I thought, if the worst I do is scar his ears, but lengthen his life, increase his quality of life, and potentially save him from a hypo episode, it is a good trade off. Not surprisingly, his ears are fine and I've caught numerous fast drops that without home testing could have been life threatening.

I think it will be a win if you can find an open minded vet, even if they don't fully understand or are current with FD. The group here can fill in the gaps with the collective knowledge we all have. I found bringing in papers from other vets, journals, etc. helped keep her guard down since they are part of her community while educating her about why I wanted a test or a switch in insulin.

Sorry you had to go through that, especially with that long of a relationship, but your cat is priority one, even if it means finding a new vet.
 
She challenged me.."Where are you getting your information?!!"...I knew she would wince when I told her an online group...Does anyone have a better comeback if a future vet feels that way ? I realized as soon as I said that, that she didn't take anything I said seriously.
 
I'm so sorry you had that awful experience. My wonderful vet is a specialist IM who has practiced for over 30 years. He was so impressed with my ss and what I learned here that he showed it to all his veterinary students! With the next vets until you know how open they are don't mention the internet. Instead mention you have read veterinary articles on IVIS or some other publication and want to pursue whatever it might be. You also can say you have a friend in another state whose vet told her when her cat was diagnosed etc.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I'm so sorry you had that awful experience. My wonderful vet is a specialist IM who has practiced for over 30 years. He was so impressed with my ss and what I learned here that he showed it to all his veterinary students! With the next vets until you know how open they are don't mention the internet. Instead mention you have read veterinary articles on IVIS or some other publication and want to pursue whatever it might be. You also can say you have a friend in another state whose vet told her when her cat was diagnosed etc.
Click to expand...
do you think I should mention "Tight regulation"? ...they are going to wonder where I got that method! This situation just really pulled the rug out from under me.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I listen to experienced owners of diabetic cats and read the scientific literature.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I told my vet--I'm a scientist, so I told him that I'd found a published protocol for treating diabetic cats with insulin glargine. He's pretty hands-off anyway, but I think perhaps it went over better than if I'd told him how I found the protocol (here of course!).
 
Anna123 said:
they are YOUR records..I can't believe a vet won't give them to you!!
Click to expand...
She won't give them to me. I needed the records for one of my civvies for an insurance claim for an injury and because we then discovered a heart murmur, and she refused to give them to me. I finally had to ask my new vet if he would try to get them from her. She sent a few, but not all of them. Later I needed to re-submit the paperwork and called again about his records and the tech (who knew me) said well, they were pretty busy and he doubted they'd have the time....I was absolutely furious, but there doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
 
Squalliesmom said:
She won't give them to me. I needed the records for one of my civvies for an insurance claim for an injury and because we then discovered a heart murmur, and she refused to give them to me. I finally had to ask my new vet if he would try to get them from her. She sent a few, but not all of them. Later I needed to re-submit the paperwork and called again about his records and the tech (who knew me) said well, they were pretty busy and he doubted they'd have the time....I was absolutely furious, but there doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
Click to expand...
@Squalliesmom Wow...this is unbelievable. I would march into their office and demand my paperwork and make a huge noisy stink until they provided them to me. And they better not tell you they lost them because there are laws that require vets to retain medical records for a specific period of time (3-7 years depending on the jurisdiction). I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. I don't know what the laws are for medical records for animals in the state where you live, but I'd look them up and send a demand letter. If you decide you want to go forward with this and need help, PM me. I'm so pissed for you and would definitely help you write a demand letter.

You could also threaten to file a complaint with the state vet board if they don't release your records. I would definitely not let this go if you need your kitty's medical records for insurance reasons.

EDIT: I see you are in Maryland. Below is an excerpt from the Veterinary State Board of Maryland

My veterinarian will not release a copy of my pet's records to me. Do I have any recourse?

Although records are the property of the veterinary practice for whom the records were made, upon request by a patient's owner, the veterinarian is required to release a copy of an animal's written record to you or a subsequent treatment veterinarian. The veterinarian may require you to pay the reasonable cost of providing the records. If the veterinarian has original, non-written records, such as radiographs, photographs, or electrocardiograms, upon your request, the veterinarian shall release these to a subsequent treating veterinarian. These non-written records shall be returned to the original veterinarian within 30 days of their receipt, or until such time as agreed to by the parties.
 
Last edited:
Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
@Squalliesmom Wow...this is unbelievable. I would march into their office and demand my paperwork and make a huge noisy stink until they provided them to me. And they better not tell you they lost them because there are laws that require vets to retain medical records for a specific period of time (3-7 years depending on the jurisdiction). I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. I don't know what the laws are for medical records for animals in the state where you live, but I'd look them up and send a demand letter. If you decide you want to go forward with this and need help, PM me. I'm so pissed for you and would definitely help you write a demand letter.

You could also threaten to file a complaint with the state vet board if they don't release your records. I would definitely not let this go if you need your kitty's medical records for insurance reasons.

EDIT: I see you are in Maryland. Below is an excerpt from the Veterinary State Board of Maryland

My veterinarian will not release a copy of my pet's records to me. Do I have any recourse?

Although records are the property of the veterinary practice for whom the records were made, upon request by a patient's owner, the veterinarian is required to release a copy of an animal's written record to you or a subsequent treatment veterinarian. The veterinarian may require you to pay the reasonable cost of providing the records. If the veterinarian has original, non-written records, such as radiographs, photographs, or electrocardiograms, upon your request, the veterinarian shall release these to a subsequent treating veterinarian. These non-written records shall be returned to the original veterinarian within 30 days of their receipt, or until such time as agreed to by the parties.
Click to expand...


Thank you! The only reason I haven't really pushed any further is because I'm afraid some day I may need her for an emergency as she is the nearest vet to me in my rural area. But truthfully, I don't really trust her competency to provide proper care. I will think it over and see if I can screw up enough courage (I'm kinda afraid of her) to face her with this. I really would like to have all my cats' records for their new vet, and in case I ever need them for any other insurance claims.

ETA: I really appreciate your offer to help me, and your looking that information up for me!
 
I just want to say hats off, well done for dishing back! On regaining the courage to go in there: replay the chewing out she gave you in your head, reclaim that ire and march in and demand the records that by law she has to provide and you are legally entitled to. She can rant and rave all she wants, doesn't make anything she said even remotely true. I wold also slap a copy of the legal statutes for your state down on the counter too, just in case she needs to be reminded of what they are...
Big huge hugs..proud of you!:bighug:
 
Squalliesmom said:
Thank you! The only reason I haven't really pushed any further is because I'm afraid some day I may need her for an emergency as she is the nearest vet to me in my rural area. But truthfully, I don't really trust her competency to provide proper care. I will think it over and see if I can screw up enough courage (I'm kinda afraid of her) to face her with this. I really would like to have all my cats' records for their new vet, and in case I ever need them for any other insurance claims.

ETA: I really appreciate your offer to help me, and your looking that information up for me!
Click to expand...
@Squalliesmom Thanks for the additional details on your circumstances. The fact that you live in a remote area and this unreasonable vet may be needed for emergencies in the future is definitely important information to know in figuring out how to deal with this situation. You definitely don't want to ruin your relationship with this vet should you need her in the future, but I honestly don't really like reading that you are afraid of her either. You have to find a way to maintain neutral common ground with her without insulting her (that usually turns most people off and she will be less inclined to oblige). I'm not exactly sure how you do this since I don't know you or her personally, but I do believe that putting something formally in writing may help your cause. People tend to respond better when in receipt of a written request. A demand letter can still come across kind, professional, and courteous while at the same time seeking information and providing a deadline for which you need the info. I hope this helps. My offer still stands to assist you with a letter if needed. :)
 
Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
@Squalliesmom Thanks for the additional details on your circumstances. The fact that you live in a remote area and this unreasonable vet may be needed for emergencies in the future is definitely important information to know in figuring out how to deal with this situation. You definitely don't want to ruin your relationship with this vet should you need her in the future, but I honestly don't really like reading that you are afraid of her either. You have to find a way to maintain neutral common ground with her without insulting her (that usually turns most people off and she will be less inclined to oblige). I'm not exactly sure how you do this since I don't know you or her personally, but I do believe that putting something formally in writing may help your cause. People tend to respond better when in receipt of a written request. A demand letter can still come across kind, professional, and courteous while at the same time seeking information and providing a deadline for which you need the info. I hope this helps. My offer still stands to assist you with a letter if needed. :)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your offer, I may well take you up on that! Yes, I am actually pretty terrified of this woman. I have heard from people who have worked there that she flies off the handle and starts throwing files, etc, around when angered! I pray I never need to take another animal to her, I blame her for my losing a beloved kitty several years ago, but she is only about 25 minutes away from me and, where I live, that's very close. My current vet is about an hour away, just for reference. So in a life or death emergency, she might be my only option. If she'd even see me - if she is angry enough that I left her practice I could see her refusing to treat my animals.
 
She then went into a total frenzy screaming that I am clearly OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE (her words) and that I should never listen to anyone on the internet
I've discovered that the quickest way to frustrate and then enrage any doctor anywhere, is to say I got my information from the internet. As Wendy of Neko has suggested, the best approach is to cite the doctor's research reports and bring them in with you.
Click to expand...
 
Squalliesmom said:
Thank you for your offer, I may well take you up on that! Yes, I am actually pretty terrified of this woman. I have heard from people who have worked there that she flies off the handle and starts throwing files, etc, around when angered! I pray I never need to take another animal to her, I blame her for my losing a beloved kitty several years ago, but she is only about 25 minutes away from me and, where I live, that's very close. My current vet is about an hour away, just for reference. So in a life or death emergency, she might be my only option. If she'd even see me - if she is angry enough that I left her practice I could see her refusing to treat my animals.
Click to expand...
She should be governed by professional standards of practice. Vets have to belong to some professional association governed by a variety of policies that address conduct with clients, etc.
 
I had replied on Facebook regarding my former vet in Chicago -- Cat Hospital of Chicago.

@Kris & Teasel - Professional associations very rarely have an affect on practice. If you have a complaint, most professionals are licensed and those licenses fall under the jurisdiction of a state licensing board. Each and every complaint that's filed must be investigated. It is a much bigger deal to have your license revoked -- which means you can no longer practice in that state -- than for a professional association say you can't be a member. The former affects one's livelihood.

 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
It is a much bigger deal to have your license revoked -- which means you can no longer practice in that state -- than for a professional association say you can't be a member. The former affects one's livelihood.
Click to expand...
Agreed, which is why I recommended filing a complaint. However, as Squalliesmom pointed out, this vet is the closest one to her home which is in a rural area and she doesn't want to destroy her relationship with this vet for fear she may need her in the future for a pet emergency and be turned away. I can understand this and believe it's a sensitive situation. Where I live, we have vets on every other corner so I don't have this challenge. We need to give Squalliesmom some good advice on how to kill her vet with kindness and make it seem like it was the vets idea to hand over her pet's info vs her demanding it and further upsetting their relationship. The vet, may in fact, have been upset that Squalliesmom took her business elsewhere. It is a small rural area after all so maybe she doesn't have a lot of clientele and by leaving the practice Squalliesmom may have hurt her where she felt it- her pocketbook. So by holding the files hostage, maybe she is hopeful she'll get her customer back for future needs. I don't know...I'm speculating here...

I'm not sure how to really address the issue with the vet, but maybe make a list of the records you know she has and ask the new vet to send a letter to request them. Or just to request 'all files'. I'd also maybe try to sugar coat one of the vet techs into helping me out and go around the vet.

Also, for future reference, ALWAYS ask for a copy of any and all paperwork for vet visits before you leave the office. For lab work that comes in later, go back down and grab a copy or ask that they email them to you right away when the results come in. Keep your own records, this what I do. For myself included. :)
 
Last edited:
I'm sorry I don't have time now to read this whole thread. Sienna will have the same recommendations that I have - Cat Hospital of Chicago is one of the best feline practices in the country - vets are extremely knowledgeable - They are not that far from Skokie - on Irving Park Road near the Kennedy
I will pm you with more information -
 
Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
Agreed, which is why I recommended filing a complaint. However, as Squalliesmom pointed out, this vet is the closest one to her home which is in a rural area and she doesn't want to destroy her relationship with this vet for fear she may need her in the future for a pet emergency and be turned away. I can understand this and believe it's a sensitive situation. Where I live, we have vets on every other corner so I don't have this challenge. We need to give Squalliesmom some good advice on how to kill her vet with kindness and make it seem like it was the vets idea to hand over her pet's info vs her demanding it and further upsetting their relationship. The vet, may in fact, have been upset that Squalliesmom took her business elsewhere. It is a small rural area after all so maybe she doesn't have a lot of clientele and by leaving the practice Squalliesmom may have hurt her where she felt it- her pocketbook. So by holding the files hostage, maybe she is hopeful she'll get her customer back for future needs. I don't know...I'm speculating here...

I'm not sure how to really address with the vet, but maybe make a list of the records you know she has and ask the new vet to send a letter to request them. Or just to request 'all files'. I'd also maybe try to sugar coat one of the vet techs into helping me out and go around the vet.

Also, for future reference, ALWAYS ask for a copy of any and all paperwork for vet visits before you leave the office. For lab work that comes in later, go back down and grab a copy or ask that they email them to you right away when the results come in. Keep you own records, this what I do. For myself included. :)
Click to expand...
I learned my lesson regarding records! I always get copies of everything, now, even though I trust my current vet to never behave the way my former one has.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
I had replied on Facebook regarding my former vet in Chicago -- Cat Hospital of Chicago.

@Kris & Teasel - Professional associations very rarely have an affect on practice. If you have a complaint, most professionals are licensed and those licenses fall under the jurisdiction of a state licensing board. Each and every complaint that's filed must be investigated. It is a much bigger deal to have your license revoked -- which means you can no longer practice in that state -- than for a professional association say you can't be a member. The former affects one's livelihood.
Click to expand...
I was coming at it from the point of view of my required membership (as a licensed teacher) in the Ontario College of Teachers in Ontario, Canada. The College sets our standards of practice and a teacher's behaviour in the classroom can be grounds for a complaint or even a dismissal and revoking of a teaching license.
 
@Kris & Teasel and @Ozzy Pawzbourne - In my profession, the largest organization has their ethical guidelines but doesn't regulate issues like release of records. That would be something that would need to be filed with the state licensing board. As was pointed out, there are regulations regarding the release of information. A professional organization doesn't have the authority to make someone comply with state regulations. All they can do is throw you out of the organization and that really may not make a difference. It may be different, though for teachers vs medical fields.

I do agree that getting a letter or a visit from the state regulatory agency is not something that would endear you to the vet. The problem, though, is what to do if a consultation is needed or if you're traveling with your kitty and want the records with you. The vet should not be pulling attitude and refusing you the records.

 
I am so confused on the direction this thread went...I think my story & another's are getting mixed up..
 
Sorry Anna- sometimes that does happen when people get chatting on here. I apologize if your concerns were not fully addressed/answered. I hope you are able to find a new vet who can work with you as a team to treat your kitty. After all, all the care really takes place at home so it is best if you can find a vet who will work with you. Please keep us posted. I am not in your area so can't recommend a vet. Hope someone else here or on the main forum might be able to if you are seeking a referral. Good luck!
 
Ozzy Pawzbourne said:
Sorry Anna- sometimes that does happen when people get chatting on here. I apologize if your concerns were not fully addressed/answered. I hope you are able to find a new vet who can work with you as a team to treat your kitty. After all, all the care really takes place at home so it is best if you can find a vet who will work with you. Please keep us posted. I am not in your area so can't recommend a vet. Hope someone else here or on the main forum might be able to if you are seeking a referral. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thanks~ Love your cat's name! :)
 
Anna123 said:
screaming that I am clearly OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE (her words) and that I should never listen to anyone on the internet & that I am probably HURTING my cat by testing her so much and I'm probaby driving her insulin needs up by what I am doing
Click to expand...

My take on her comments - she doesn't know about high dose conditions and is in over her head. This type of reaction is to put YOU on the defensive instead of her admitting she isn't familiar with acro/iaa, etc.

Take a look on the New to the Group? sticky, near the bottom there are single topic posts, including high dose conditions. Look for this section:
------2014 ~ 39th Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
~~~~~~~~~~Which Insulin in Cats - p 156
~~~~~~~~~~Management and Monitoring of the Diabetic Cat - p 160
~~~~~~~~~~Feline Diabetes - p 229
~~~~~~~~~~Diabetes Mellitus and Quality of Life - p 730
~~~~~~~~~~Acromegaly in Cats – p 733
~~~~~~~~~~Insulin Resistance – p 737 (description of mechanisms of resistance on p 738 under heading Pet)

And you can print off the info on acromegaly and insulin resistance to provide the next vet. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow. The general procedure is for the vet to do a blood draw and then it is sent to MSU for testing. Definitely get both the iaa and acro tests (IGF-1 and insulin auto antibodies). The appropriate tests are listed in the "Acromegaly, the basics" link in that same section. I added the specific test info in the second post in that thread.

Hope things go well tomorrow - let us know!
 
julie & punkin (ga) said:
My take on her comments - she doesn't know about high dose conditions and is in over her head. This type of reaction is to put YOU on the defensive instead of her admitting she isn't familiar with acro/iaa, etc.

Take a look on the New to the Group? sticky, near the bottom there are single topic posts, including high dose conditions. Look for this section:
------2014 ~ 39th Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
~~~~~~~~~~Which Insulin in Cats - p 156
~~~~~~~~~~Management and Monitoring of the Diabetic Cat - p 160
~~~~~~~~~~Feline Diabetes - p 229
~~~~~~~~~~Diabetes Mellitus and Quality of Life - p 730
~~~~~~~~~~Acromegaly in Cats – p 733
~~~~~~~~~~Insulin Resistance – p 737 (description of mechanisms of resistance on p 738 under heading Pet)

And you can print off the info on acromegaly and insulin resistance to provide the next vet. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow. The general procedure is for the vet to do a blood draw and then it is sent to MSU for testing. Definitely get both the iaa and acro tests (IGF-1 and insulin auto antibodies). The appropriate tests are listed in the "Acromegaly, the basics" link in that same section. I added the specific test info in the second post in that thread.

Hope things go well tomorrow - let us know!
Click to expand...
Thanks so much~ we had to move the appt. to Wednesday, but I'll let you all know how it goes! :)
 
julie & punkin (ga) said:
sounds great![/QUOT

Woahh!! I just read about acro & it says that cats may have "pot belly, narrowed airways"...ummmm..that sounds like Coco! Lately her breathing has been very loud & noticeable... could it be from this?!! It's not quite "labored breathing, but she's quite loud with it. What do you think?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, when you have a large dose and add in noisy breathing and a pot belly . . . that would suggest acro. Although it doesn't rule out iaa - we've had several cats, including Neko, with both iaa and acro. It's helpful in dosing strategies to know what you're dealing with.
 
julie & punkin (ga) said:
Yes, when you have a large dose and add in noisy breathing and a pot belly . . . that would suggest acro. Although it doesn't rule out iaa - we've had several cats, including Neko, with both iaa and acro. It's helpful in dosing strategies to know what you're dealing with.
Click to expand...
she doesn't have all the symptoms (large nose or bigger head & paws), but she does have a pot belly & the breathing has gotten pretty noticeable in the last several months. I just wonder...
 
Neko had hardly any symptoms when she was diagnosed. Slightly shy of brighter light and a tearing eye (soft tissue growth blocking tear ducts I later found out). Only something like 35% of acrocats present clinical signs on diagnosis. Not all acrocats get the same symptoms. After 5.5 years as an acrocat, Neko never got the large paws or that much of a pot belly.
 
If you scroll down in that link you can see Punkin's pictures before/after. When he was first diagnosed with diabetes I would've said that he didn't have any of the physical features, but when I dug up a photo of him from earlier it's pretty obvious. They'd happened so gradually that I didn't notice as it happened. I could see his feet were big.
 
julie & punkin (ga) said:
If you scroll down in that link you can see Punkin's pictures before/after. When he was first diagnosed with diabetes I would've said that he didn't have any of the physical features, but when I dug up a photo of him from earlier it's pretty obvious. They'd happened so gradually that I didn't notice as it happened. I could see his feet were big.
Click to expand...
I did notice the pics~ really a big change!
 
Anna123 said:
she doesn't have all the symptoms (large nose or bigger head & paws), but she does have a pot belly & the breathing has gotten pretty noticeable in the last several months. I just wonder...
Click to expand...
Every cat doesn't have every symptom. But Coco has enough that it makes it highly likely she is an acro kitty. Don't worry, we have several very experienced members here that have/had acro kitties - Julie and Wendy, in particular, are awesome.

Sienne lived in Chicago for quite a while and her recommendation for a vet is to be trusted - she is most particular when it comes to her kitties. She's a professional and holds other professionals to her standards.
I really don't like the way your vet treats you. Even if she doesn't approve of the way you are handling Coco's FD, it's your decision. I hope you can find a vet that is at least more open to listening to you. I had a problem with the vet that was treating Cinco at UC Davis (a teaching hospital!). She didn't approve of TR (don't think she really understood it) and thought I was going about things all wrong. Luckily, I was able to get Cinco in to see the department head, who is a well-respected endocrinologist who does a lot of research on diabetes in cats and dogs. He said I was doing a great job, and once he told the other vet that, she had no choice but to go along with me. I still changed vets, but it was very satisfactory. Your vet should be your partner in Coco's care, not someone you have to argue with. Just keep the internet out of the discussion with your future vet and, as others have said, say you've done some reasearch and found this info. Hopefully, you'll find someone that is open minded. We'll help you with what to share with the vet and how to approach it. You are not alone.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top