Strange changes in blood glucose level

My cat Al is diabetic.

A week ago last Monday I took Al to the vet for a teeth cleaning. After
coming home, Al was lethargic and his appetite steadily diminished to
the point where I couldn't give him his insulin. I took him back to the
vet last Saturday and he was admitted to the hospital where he remains.

The diagnosis is pancreatitis. The doctors did an ultrasound and they
noticed a cyst on his pancreas, but the doctor believes it's benign.

Al has responded well to treatment and is once again eating. But there's
something very strange going on with Al's blood glucose level (bgl). The
vet has him on a dextrose drip. But Al's bgl drops markedly when he's
taken off the drip. The vet said there is the possibility that the cyst
is in fact malignant and actually be a "functional" in the sense that it
causes production of insulin. At this point the vet is somewhat at a
loss to explain this phenomenon.

Tonight or tomorrow Al will start getting prednisone. Apparently it
interferes with cell absorption of glucose and so the expectation is
that Al's bgl will increase. Of course then we're back to using insulin
to manage the diabetes.

At this point my biggest fear is that Al has cancer and that I'll have
to put him down, something for which I'm definitely not ready (is one
every ready?). Al is 13 and still could live for several years. I'd
appreciate some feedback on this one.

Thanks and keep your fingers crossed for my little buddy.

Richard

in article , Newsman at
wrote on 12/16/03 7:55 PM:

My cat Al is diabetic.

A week ago last Monday I took Al to the vet for a teeth cleaning. After
coming home, Al was lethargic and his appetite steadily diminished to
the point where I couldn't give him his insulin. I took him back to the
vet last Saturday and he was admitted to the hospital where he remains.

The diagnosis is pancreatitis. The doctors did an ultrasound and they
noticed a cyst on his pancreas, but the doctor believes it's benign.

Al has responded well to treatment and is once again eating. But there's
something very strange going on with Al's blood glucose level (bgl). The
vet has him on a dextrose drip. But Al's bgl drops markedly when he's
taken off the drip. The vet said there is the possibility that the cyst
is in fact malignant and actually be a "functional" in the sense that it
causes production of insulin. At this point the vet is somewhat at a
loss to explain this phenomenon.

Tonight or tomorrow Al will start getting prednisone. Apparently it
interferes with cell absorption of glucose and so the expectation is
that Al's bgl will increase. Of course then we're back to using insulin
to manage the diabetes.

At this point my biggest fear is that Al has cancer and that I'll have
to put him down, something for which I'm definitely not ready (is one
every ready?). Al is 13 and still could live for several years. I'd
appreciate some feedback on this one.

Thanks and keep your fingers crossed for my little buddy.

Richard

Fingers crossed. keep us posted.

Karen

in article , Newsman at
wrote on 12/16/03 7:55 PM:

My cat Al is diabetic.

A week ago last Monday I took Al to the vet for a teeth cleaning. After
coming home, Al was lethargic and his appetite steadily diminished to
the point where I couldn't give him his insulin. I took him back to the
vet last Saturday and he was admitted to the hospital where he remains.

The diagnosis is pancreatitis. The doctors did an ultrasound and they
noticed a cyst on his pancreas, but the doctor believes it's benign.

Al has responded well to treatment and is once again eating. But there's
something very strange going on with Al's blood glucose level (bgl). The
vet has him on a dextrose drip. But Al's bgl drops markedly when he's
taken off the drip. The vet said there is the possibility that the cyst
is in fact malignant and actually be a "functional" in the sense that it
causes production of insulin. At this point the vet is somewhat at a
loss to explain this phenomenon.

Tonight or tomorrow Al will start getting prednisone. Apparently it
interferes with cell absorption of glucose and so the expectation is
that Al's bgl will increase. Of course then we're back to using insulin
to manage the diabetes.

At this point my biggest fear is that Al has cancer and that I'll have
to put him down, something for which I'm definitely not ready (is one
every ready?). Al is 13 and still could live for several years. I'd
appreciate some feedback on this one.

Thanks and keep your fingers crossed for my little buddy.

Richard

Fingers crossed. keep us posted.

Karen

snip

The vet has him on a dextrose drip. But
Al's bgl drops markedly when he's taken
off the drip. The vet said there is the
possibility that the cyst is in fact
malignant and actually be a "functional"
in the sense that it causes production
of insulin. At this point the vet is
somewhat at a loss to explain this
phenomenon.

There is a condition that happens frequently in ferrets called
insulinoma which is similar in that small tumors occur on the pancreas
and cause it to go into overdrive producing insulin, which puts the
ferret into a hypoglycemic state. This condition is treated with a
prednisone syrup (ferrets are hard to pill.)

Tonight or tomorrow Al will start
getting prednisone. Apparently it
interferes with cell absorption of
glucose and so the expectation is that
Al's bgl will increase. Of course then
we're back to using insulin to manage
the diabetes.

If the tumor is benign and your cats BG isn't going too low, I would be
inclined to leave things as is if it keeps your cat in a non-diabetic
state. It would be wise to use a glucose monitor and check your cats BG
levels at home maybe twice a week in case the tumor grows larger and
causes the pancreas to produce increasing amounts of insulin.
If your cats BG levels are going too low, you should be able to tweak
the dose of prednisone just enough to inhibit insulin production without
bringing your cat back to a diabetic state. This is exactly the course
of action taken when treating insulinoma.

Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

snip

The vet has him on a dextrose drip. But
Al's bgl drops markedly when he's taken
off the drip. The vet said there is the
possibility that the cyst is in fact
malignant and actually be a "functional"
in the sense that it causes production
of insulin. At this point the vet is
somewhat at a loss to explain this
phenomenon.

There is a condition that happens frequently in ferrets called
insulinoma which is similar in that small tumors occur on the pancreas
and cause it to go into overdrive producing insulin, which puts the
ferret into a hypoglycemic state. This condition is treated with a
prednisone syrup (ferrets are hard to pill.)

Tonight or tomorrow Al will start
getting prednisone. Apparently it
interferes with cell absorption of
glucose and so the expectation is that
Al's bgl will increase. Of course then
we're back to using insulin to manage
the diabetes.

If the tumor is benign and your cats BG isn't going too low, I would be
inclined to leave things as is if it keeps your cat in a non-diabetic
state. It would be wise to use a glucose monitor and check your cats BG
levels at home maybe twice a week in case the tumor grows larger and
causes the pancreas to produce increasing amounts of insulin.
If your cats BG levels are going too low, you should be able to tweak
the dose of prednisone just enough to inhibit insulin production without
bringing your cat back to a diabetic state. This is exactly the course
of action taken when treating insulinoma.

Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

wrote:
snip

The vet has him on a dextrose drip. But
Al's bgl drops markedly when he's taken
off the drip. The vet said there is the
possibility that the cyst is in fact
malignant and actually be a "functional"
in the sense that it causes production
of insulin. At this point the vet is
somewhat at a loss to explain this
phenomenon.


There is a condition that happens frequently in ferrets called
insulinoma ...

Megan

Thanks Megan. I'm going to run insulinoma by my vet and see what he
thinks. Thanks.

Richard

wrote:
snip

The vet has him on a dextrose drip. But
Al's bgl drops markedly when he's taken
off the drip. The vet said there is the
possibility that the cyst is in fact
malignant and actually be a "functional"
in the sense that it causes production
of insulin. At this point the vet is
somewhat at a loss to explain this
phenomenon.


There is a condition that happens frequently in ferrets called
insulinoma ...

Megan

Thanks Megan. I'm going to run insulinoma by my vet and see what he
thinks. Thanks.

Richard

Laura R. wrote:

circa Wed, 17 Dec 2003 01:55:38 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Newsman ) said,

At this point my biggest fear is that Al has cancer and that I'll have
to put him down, something for which I'm definitely not ready (is one
every ready?). Al is 13 and still could live for several years. I'd
appreciate some feedback on this one.

Thanks and keep your fingers crossed for my little buddy.


Cancer is not necessarily a death sentence. Wait and see what it
turns out to be, and if it *is* cancer, talk to a veterinary
oncologist. Where are you located (approximately)?

Laura

Washington, DC (exactly). I go to Friendship Animal Hospital
(www.friendshiphospital.com) and it's excellent.

Richard

Laura R. wrote:

circa Wed, 17 Dec 2003 01:55:38 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Newsman ) said,

At this point my biggest fear is that Al has cancer and that I'll have
to put him down, something for which I'm definitely not ready (is one
every ready?). Al is 13 and still could live for several years. I'd
appreciate some feedback on this one.

Thanks and keep your fingers crossed for my little buddy.


Cancer is not necessarily a death sentence. Wait and see what it
turns out to be, and if it *is* cancer, talk to a veterinary
oncologist. Where are you located (approximately)?

Laura

Washington, DC (exactly). I go to Friendship Animal Hospital
(www.friendshiphospital.com) and it's excellent.

Richard