Anyone based in Australia and their Baby has Acromegaly?

My boy has been diagnosed with Acromegaly with IGF-1 @ 1600.
My Vet was going to look into treating him with Pasireotide, but I have been told to look into Cabergoline. Is anyone treating their baby with this? and how is it going?

 

Pasireotide actually treats the acromegaly but cost maybe $1000 or so a month.
My Snuffles is on cabergoline @10mcg/kg and is doing good. Insulin needs have went down after first going up after starting cabergoline. He is now on about 8 units BID.
Iy is usualy for an untreated acro cat to have insulin needs increase w/time. My previous are, MurrFee went up to 50 units BID

 

I live with two acrokitties who are brothers. Blue was the first to be diagnosed with acromegaly in 2017. He received neither Pasirotide or Cabergoline but had hypophysectomy and radiation a few years later. He's doing great! No more insulin.

Eddie, his brother, was diagnosed in 2020, had surgery and radiation. He's still on insulin following the radiation but we've now gone from 15u to 7.5 with the help of FDMB and TR. He's not had either the Pasirotide or Cabergoline.

I've researched both of these and while effective, the cost of Pasirotide is prohibitive. I've read good things about Cabergoline and I believe some members here are using it but posting it in the Levemir/Lantus/Biosimilars forum.

Best of luck with your boy!

 

My cat was acro but I chose to just treat with tightly controlled insulin.

 

Have you seen this post yet?: Information for Aussie Feline Diabetic Caregivers

About 3/4 of the way down is a section for caregivers with acro cats and testing. It mentions Dr. Kenny in Sidney who has done the pituitary removal surgery (he learned from the folks at the Royal Vet Clinic in the UK). If nothing else, your vet may wish to consult with him.

We had quite a few cats here on cabergoline, in fact 4 of them that have gone off of insulin completely. The main benefits are a reduction in insulin dose needed, and most important, reducing some of the acro side effects. I have never heard of anyone using pasireotide, except under the research study originally done at RVC, where the manufacturer donated the drug. It is prohibitively expensive. And there are cheaper options.

My cat had stereotactic radiation therapy. Back in the day, that was the only other option other than just keeping controlled with insulin. SRT did help her get down to really tiny doses and reduced the acro side effects for a number of years. We still see a few people getting SRT done. It's cheaper and safer for the cat than the surgery.

 

Oh that is great news.
Thank you for your reply

 

I would do the radiation, but we live in Tassie and no one will do it here. To send him to Melbourne or Sydney will stress him out so much it would probably kill him. Were your babies aggressive when they were younger?

 

Thank you,
I have heard of Dr Kenny, but unfortunately that is not an option as we don't live in that area and the flight there would stress him out to much.
Thank you so much for the information on the Aussie Feline. I can understand peoples posts better now

I think our number 1 aim now is getting the blood sugar levels down as it is now effecting his hind legs. He still jumps on the kitchen bench but I have noticed that he is walking on the hocks more.

 

How long is the flight to Melbourne or Sydney from where you are? I do know of folks who have flown with their acrokitties for treatment.

Neither of them was aggressive when they were younger...

 

We were one of the very fortunate ones who went into remission on Cabergoline. I am currently giving 5mcg/kg weekly even though the recommendation is every day or every other day (long story...had to do it for health reasons but he's been doing fine this way so I haven't messed with it).

Are you giving any B12 for the neuropathy?

 

No I haven't yet and was reading about it so will talk to my Vet on Friday about it. Do you know if Acro affects their Voice? Charlie meowed today a couple of times and nothing came out.

 

It affects a lot of things. The growth hormone can affect soft tissues, organs, etc. A lot of cats gets runny eyes because the tissues around tear ducts is growing (or something like that). So it's possible there's extra growth in his throat area? I wouldn't be too concerned about that if it was a one off thing, but if it continues I'd talk to vet

 

Teary eyes are because soft tissue growth blocks the tear ducts, meaning no where for the tears to drain so it spills out of the eyes.

Growth in the pharynx/throat area is quite common. I've heard a number of caregivers of acros say their cat's voices seem to change. I think I've also heard of people saying cabergoline helped with that.

 

I would strongly urge you to consider starting Cabergoline. My kitty did extremely well on Cabergoline and his BG numbers and insulin requirements decreased dramatically. Best wishes to you both!

 

I just wanted to add that, yes, my acro baby Darcy’s voice definitely changed. He didn’t have as much of a meow as he used to before the acromegaly.

 

Same here…. But my cat also has hyperthyroidism so it could have been from that too. She still managed to get her point across…. When she really wanted to say something she sounded the Marge’s chain smoking sisters on The Simpsons. Lol

 

Leo had soft tissue growth in his mouth and throat. It greatly affected his ability to eat, as the growth continued. It was not resolvable, since removal would have included salivary gland removal.

I drove Leo for 2 days each way from Austin TX to Ft. Collins, Colorado. it was stressful. But the SRT gave him a good life extension. Wendy did a similar road trip for her kitteh. Yes, I know it is not a driving trip for you, but the trip could be worth it.