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Thirsty Cat + ACTH blood test

Our cat's vet decided to perform an ACTH blood test after all the other tests (diabetes, thyroid) came back negative.  She was tested positive for Hyperadrenal Corticism (I probably spelled this wrong, sorry).  
How common is this disease in cats?  Are there any records that are kept on this?
Once she was diagnosed I became obsessed in finding information and other cat owners in the same position as me --- to no avail.
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4105307 tn?1369531432
Tink has gone on to heaven ahead of us. She was not herself, not eating all her food, isolating herself, and the last two evenings hid under the bed. We knew her time was close. We had an appointment in the afternoon to get her rabies shot so we could take her into Canada on a trip by motorhome. All arrangements were made and she made 3 short trips with us. Instead we moved up the appointment. She laid in my arms on the way, hardly moving. We had decided to help her by euthanasia, the humane protocol with sedation first. The vet doesn't usually use sedation and didn't expect any problem. Tink was already so relaxed and not stressed, so we agreed to skip the sedation. What I didn't know is how much she would cry from the administration of the shot...all because her cushing's ailments caused pain when locating a vein and holding her leg. I wish I had insisted we stop, but I didn't know it would hurt so much for as long as it did.  Here's the information I had intended to follow, and so much wish that I had insisted we stop and administer sedation. Her cries continue to haunt me. We gave her two insulin shots a day for three and a half years and she died at 12 1/2 years of age. We miss her terribly, and our other cat is slowly adjusting.

For the benefit of any other readers, here is the information.
________
Make sure your veterinarian follows the protocol to humanely euthanize a cat. The cat is tranquilized or sedated before euthanasia to eliminate any distress or pain. An IV catheter is put in place, and it is flushed with a heparin saline solution. Family is given quiet time with their cat to say goodbye. The veterinarian administers two shots: a sedative and the euthanasia solution. Following the humane euthanasia protocol eliminates all stress or panic from the cat. Some veterinarians prefer the direct technique of injecting without sedatives because it is quicker and less expensive. As the cat's caretaker, request and make certain that the human euthanasia protocol is followed...
Helpful - 0
4105307 tn?1369531432
I just found this email and am so grateful for your reply. Yes, our cats are two-in-two-million and both greatly loved. Tink still has a bulging eye and needs eye drops but otherwise it has cleared up with medication. Today steps should arrive for her to use at the side of the bed. I tell friends she was my kitty until my husband gave her beef jerky...now she is devoted to him! She's a beef lover. Her appetite is also strong and I hope we don't need to increase insulin again. She now limps more often and sleeps a lot. More hair is falling out. But she is as loving as ever. She falls asleep at night with her head on my husband 's inside elbow. She gets on your lap and if you lean back in the recliner she climbs up and rubs her head on your chin and nose. We even get kitty kisses.  And when she is there she talks to you in whispers! It's so endearing. She loves her time on the screen porch and sometimes has to be "treated" to get her back in. We have an urn of ashes of our 19 year old cat to be scattered with ours and I know where we'll take Tink when her time comes. I like your idea of having details on record ahead of time and need to do that. A friend suggested giving her glucosamine and I started liquid glucosamine about a week ago. Hope it is helping but hard to tell. We left her along with our younger kitty at an excellent boarding clinic when we took a trip. Now we are looking at an RV so they go with us next time we travel.

Meanwhile each day with her is a blessing.
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Avatar universal
Your message reminds me so much of my experience.  I forgot to mention that her nictating eyelid, at times, was visible too, but she didn't have bulgy eye(s).  A couple of weeks before she passed away, we moved her litterbox upstairs because she had a difficult time negotiating the stairs.  And like Tink, we had to put a small stool at the foot of the bed as she couldn't jump up anymore.  Things went downhill very, very quickly.  Her sides swelled so much in such a short time and she wasn't interested in food, which if you knew my cat would know something was wrong. :)    
I decided when the time came I would have her put to sleep.  My sister-in-law didn't take this initiative and her cat woke them up at 3:00 AM howling in pain and they had to call a vet right away.  Not a good experience for anyone, including kitty.
Shortly after her diagnosis I picked out an urn for her ... sounds morbid, but I'm glad I did because it was so much easier on me.  They kept everything I wanted on file so not to phone and ask what I wanted ... the type of urn and the paw print in clay.  During her illness, every year I would take her in for a "wellness" checkup which included tests on her kidneys, liver, bladder, blood, etc.  
When I called the vet they said there wasn't much time left so I scheduled a date for her with the vet.  He came to our house which, if I ever have another pet, I'll do it this way again.  It costs a bit more, but my cat (and me) are worth it!  I took a couple of days off work to spend with her before the vet arrived.  She laid on the bed with me and purred softly steady non-stop!  The day the vet was scheduled, she had stopped eating and this day she wouldn't even eat a treat ... the first time she ever refused a treat!  It was the right day for her to be at peace, and thus my heart was broken.
I asked the vet about this disease and said I tried to find someone on the internet to discuss my experience with but couldn't.  He said it's so rare that a vet in his/her career may not even run into this disease in a cat.  
A few years before when she was diagnosed the vet said it may be one in a million cat that has this disease.  I went home and told my husband, "We have a one-in-a-million cat!  This is the proof."
Tink is a one-in-a-million cat too!  I can tell from your notes you love him dearly ... he's very lucky too.

Helpful - 0
4105307 tn?1369531432
Your reply is very appreciated. Cushings in a cat is very rare but maybe there are others who will reply. My vets have not treated it before. Our kitty is family and it is so hard to know she won't get better. We try to keep her comfortable and she is very loving. At night she lays in bed with her head on my husband's inner elbow until he starts to doze off, or sometimes longer. She also lays on your chest and gives you kisses on the nose and chin, or lots of whisker kisses. She's been more hungry lately. We did a curve about a month ago and increased her insulin to 9 units 2 times a day. We plan to do another curve Friday. I need to research how much insulin is still safe and contact the vet.
Helpful - 0
4105307 tn?1369531432
I'm so glad you wrote and told me your story. No one else with a kitty having cushing's disease responded although several offered information and encouragement.

My 12 year old kitty with cushing's disease  has survived and has been a happy cat the past 3+ years. For 2+ years she has been on insulin 2 times a day, currently 9 units each time. In May 2013 the vet opened a Retrobulbar abscess at the back of her mouth, the probable cause of her bulging eye and third eyelid showing. Her recovery from sedation was scary. Without her normal drinking and eating her BG went down to 58 and twice we gave her karo syrup. She went through a day breathing with her mouth open. Otherwise she was sleeping a lot. She went through a stage when she was too weak to get on the bed, even with her own stool. My husband thinks she will know when the time comes and will go peacefully. I'm not so sure.  

Today her eye has improved. We took her to an animal ophthalmologist. She is weaker, but still has all the symptoms...enormous belly, lots of hair loss, extreme thirst and appetite, weak and thin legs, growth on top of her head that has come and gone twice, diarrhea, occasional litter box accidents. We use a Lantus Solarstar pen for insulin and she doesn't mind at all. We hesitated about leaving her while we went on a trip, but they give her her meds and have a vet on site and the ladies love her. As long as she is happy and loving we continue to treat whatever has come up. I understand your loss after all the hope and care you experienced. Bless you.
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Avatar universal
My cat was diagnosed at 14 years and lived for 3years and 3months w/o meds. We tried the prednisone route but she was very sick. So much so I had to take her to the vet and they kept her overnight on IV because she was so dehydrated.  After that I decided not to do the drugs because her quality of life was more important to me than the quantity of life.  One of the symptoms is the *fright/flight* which is normal due to the amounts of cortisol shooting through her system.  Early on in her diagnoses you wouldn't know she was sick except that she drank A LOT and pee'd a lot too.  Later in her life she had the swollen belly that made her look very pregnant.  She never lost any fur, had any visible lumps or litter accidents.  Her last day, when she stopped eating completely, she managed to crawl into her litterbox and gave me a pee-ball the size of a peanut.  I miss her terribly, even though she died five years ago ... I haven't been able to get another cat as yet.
Dear 2012meme, I'm sorry I didn't log on sooner to read your message and I sincerely hope things are going well for you and Tink.  I would love to hear further from you so please feel free to drop a line here or message me whenever you have some time.  My thoughts are with you.
Helpful - 0
4105307 tn?1369531432
From your comment I wonder if you have a cat with cushing's disease. I have research a lot on the web and found the same information. I posted a comment for lynn12358 hoping to hear back about her cat. Here is what I said: I would like to hear more about your cat that tested positive for Cushing's disease. My Tink is going on 2 years with it and diabetes. Cushing's is very rare in cats and I haven't been able to find anyone either who is living with a cat that has it. It can be discouraging and I hope that since your post in February 2011 you have had many more months of happiness with your kitty. I would like to hear more from you. We are now having litter box issues on occasion. While her fur is missing from her belly, sides and hind legs, and her middle is large and round and the size of a volleyball (almost that is), and a growth on top of her head gets bigger, she is as loving as ever. She is always hungry and has not lost weight. Thanks for the opportunity to tell her story to someone who understands......meme
Helpful - 0
4105307 tn?1369531432
I would like to hear more about your cat that tested positive for Cushing's disease. My Tink is going on 2 years with it and diabetes. Cushing's is very rare in cats and I haven't been able to find anyone either who is living with a cat that has it. It can be discouraging and I hope that since your post in February 2011 you have had many more months of happiness with your kitty. I would like to hear more from you. We are now having litter box issues on occasion. While her fur is missing from her belly, sides and hind legs, and her middle is large and round and the size of a volleyball (almost that is), and a growth on top of her head gets bigger, she is as loving as ever. She is always hungry and has not lost weight. Thanks for the opportunity to tell her story to someone who understands.
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
hi...I will give you an excellent site with multiple links you are seeking...good luck.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_cushing_s_disease.html
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Avatar universal
You can find out more about it by it's more common name, Cushing's Disease or Syndrome. It results when too much cortisol, a hormone, is produced in the body.  It typically results from a benign adrenal or pituitary tumor, but can also be the result of administering cortical steroids such as prednisone as a medication.  It is more common in dogs than it cats and older cats have a higher incidence.
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