Maverick with Acro and Insulin Resistance

Hello,
After a while with suspicion I had Maverick tested at MSU.
IGF-1=361, IAA=51%
With that being said, I think he is fairly well controlled on Lantus and Regular.
Do any of you know of any research on pain and starting Neurontin or would care to share your personal experiences? I don't know for a fact that he is in pain, but I want him to be as comfortable as possible.
Also how many calories or ounces are you feeding? before we knew we were limiting his intake to attempt to lose weight, but once again I want to give him what he needs.
At the moment I am leaning towards not treating with meds, radiation or surgery.
Thank you!

 

Hello there. My Neko had both acromegaly and IAA too. She had SRT at Colorado State University. It looks like Maverick is doing fairly well on the diabetes side of things.

My girl was on raw food, and 125 grams or about 1/4 lb a day kept her at a pretty good weight. I would let the scale be your guide as to whether you are feeding a good amount.

What type of pain are you talking about? Neko had a lot of arthritis pain, at one point I had to start buprenorphine twice a day. She also got acupuncure and I gave her daily acupressure. Some people find gabapentin works well at managing pain. It was my vet's second choice. We did try it, but bupe was better for her.

Have you looked at cabergoline? There is a post here about it. It's a much cheaper med that has had some success. The radiation therapy is a lot more expensive than when we went to CSU.

 

Hi there - Jimmy was diagnosed with Acro recently as well. We are treating any pain he may have with Charlottes Web CBD Hemp Oil. The second day after use I noticed an immediate improvement in his physical movements and overall behavior. He stretched in a downward dog position for the first time in months and initiated play with me. He is also running up and down stairs and jumping on to the chairs more often.

I’m keeping away from any heavy pain killers for now because he struggles with constipation and I know pain meds stops up humans so I’m guessing they may have the same effect on him. CBD is also a natural laxative so that’s a bonus for us.

Good job on the regulation!

 

I have read that acro causes pain due to the growth hormone and should be on meds. I'm not sure if he has pain from that or arthritis or neuropathy. He doesn't jump and play like he used to. Has never walked on hocks. He's also very grumpy about me trimming his claws. Wasn't sure if his paws/claws hurt.
I will look into cabergoline. Thank you!

 

Thank you for the recommendation. Maverick has megacolon so I will look into the hemp oil. Where do you buy it?

 

Online at https://www.cwhemp.com/cannabinoid-hemp-oil-cbd-supplement-everyday-plus

It’s the same strength as the pet version but uses olive oil instead of MCT/Coconut Oil.

I also forgot to mention...he lets me look at his paws and nails now as well without violently pulling away. I don’t believe it would replace the cisapride for mega colon though. We still struggle every few weeks with fairly large hard stools. I’m hesitant about the cisapride due to potential heart issues...but I’m not sure what other choice I have.

 

How much do you give? I like the idea of trying this first and hold off on the strong stuff until absolutely needed. I'd like to see some improvement in Beenie's movements. She does the same to me when I try to touch her rear paws she always pulls away. They need to be brushed as the hair is matted.

 

I started out at 2-3 drops twice a day (in his food - but others syringe). I’ve increased to 3-4 twice a day. Increases can happen every 5-7 days until an improvement is visibly through observation and interaction. I’m increasing agressively to get the laxative effect. Others who are using it for pancreatic flares also increased dosage quite quickly. I’ll post the cc to drop conversion calculator when I’m on a computer later should you want to syringe it to Beenie.

 

Other natural things for arthritis pain or inflammation are fish oil/omega 3 and Duralactin. Hyaluronic acid (Hyaflex is the brand I used) can also help with the joints like Adequan or Cosequin do. I started with Cosequin but it wasn't enough.

 

I also heard that Krill oil and curcumin: are Powerful inflammation fighters, some give these supplements for asthma. Can dose 500 mg of krill oil twice a day mixed in food. And curcumin phytosin (Now and Doctor's Best brands), 10 to 20 mg per pound of cat per day; split dose into twice a day.

 

Good luck with Maverick. Leo had Acro too, and the SRT radiation journey is in his thread.. And a similar ramp in BG and insulin demand. To my knowledge he never had any pain.

 

I just ordered the oil that you recommended. My vet is not getting back to me regarding the Cabergoline. I just feel like I'm not helping Mav enough.

Does anyone have any recommendations for vets in the Columbus, Ohio are that are experienced with diabetes or better specifically acro?

 

Can’t help with the vet rec. But wanted to let you know I’m now giving Jimmy Gabapentin to help manage any pain he may have. He had a bad constipation episode and once I gave him the gabapentin he’s been going regularly. I’m continuing with the CBD as well though.

I’m waiting to hear back from the vet about cagerboline as well.

 

Tagging @Sienne and Gabby (GA) who may hav a recommendation for a vet knowledgable in diabetes.

 

I like my vet -- a lot. Her name is Janet Cohn and her practice is Purrfect Care Feline Veterinary Center. It's a cat only practice and she's been a feline specialist her entire career. She was with a different practice until about 2 years ago. She's just added 2 vets to the practice -- one of whom is the vet of colleague of mine uses. She was familiar with tight regulation and recognized I knew what I was doing and didn't try to strong arm me with the, "I'm the doctor," sort of nonsense. She took one look at Gabby's SS and pretty much said let me know if you have any questions but didn't question micro dosing, food choices, or anything else. If she doesn't know something, she will do her homework. If I didn't know something, she was more than happy to give me as much information as I wanted. I don't know if she has experience with acro -- It wasn't something I was dealing with. She was great with Gabby's diabetes and incredible when her health began to rapidly decline. She also makes house calls.

 

Thanks so much! I just watched Gabby's tribute slideshow. I love the videos of Gabby and Gizmo playing and grooming. It says so much that you stay connected to the board and are willing to come back and help others.

 

Can I ask how much CBD you give Jimmy and his weight? I'm interested in trying this for Malachai. Thanks!

 

Jimmy weighs 21 lbs. I give him between 4-6 drops twice a day.

 

Jimmy is a big boy. I love it!!!