Administrator’s Note: Nothing is more inspirational than seeing how a beloved pet can rise above tragic circumstances and illness with the guidance and support of a loving owner. We are starting a series here in our blog called “Cases To Share.” These are true stories of our patients and their wonderful owners who are working hard to give them the best quality of life they can. We all can learn from each other and our experiences… if you have a story you’d like to share in our blog, let a staff member know or email us at admin@baybeachvets.com. Enjoy this wonderful story!

My name is Carolyn, and I am the adoptive mom of Leo, a gentle giant of a cat with acromegaly. 

When I first adopted Leo, I knew he had diabetes, and that he was in serious condition at a large public shelter in New Jersey.  The limited history provided was tragic, he’d been cast out and spent several years on the streets as a declawed stray, fed only by sympathetic neighbors.  The story broke my heart, and I adopted him after having seen just a picture of a very ill, buff-colored cat with beautiful golden eyes. 

Leo at a shelter in New Jersey, 2008.

Having already treated 3 other diabetics, I had a good idea what I was facing when I picked him up at on the 30th of November 2008.  When diabetes becomes unregulated, cats can lose much of their body weight, including muscle mass, but with good treatment, they can live the lives of their non-diabetic peers.  Leo amazed me when I met him, he was a good 2 feet long, and only a very malnourished 7 pounds.  The grim, unkempt appearance couldn’t conceal his joyous spirit, which shone very clearly in those golden eyes.  Cats convey much with their eyes, so it seemed to me he had a good chance and I was optimistic that he would be back to good health soon.  I made an appointment and took him in to see Dr. Thompson and thus began the journey that is Leo.

My primary plan was to introduce Leo to Dr. Thompson, and to investigate illnesses or conditions that may have been overlooked at the shelter, because several issues were worrisome in only a few short days.  Leo had loud, rasping breathing sounds, general weakness, parasites, a perpetual cold, ear infections and obviously painful dental issues.  One by one, Dr. Thompson worked methodically to alleviate Leo’s suffering, tackling each issue thoughtfully, until everything we could see had been treated.  Soon we were rewarded and Leo was showing astonishing improvement in health and appearance.  What perplexed us was that he was showing no improvement with the diabetes. 

Initially, we had hoped it was the vast quantity of food that Leo was eating that was causing his lack of response to insulin.  Leo was eating 4 to 5 times the amount of food my other cats were eating.  Constantly hungry, he tried to eat everything he came across, even if it wasn’t food.  We knew that as a stray, food had been scarce in his past life, and we hoped as he grew healthier that this would pass.  Even as he was gaining a pound or more a week, his appetite never waned and there was no response to the insulin.  Dr. Thompson ran blood tests, urine tests, fecal tests, and x-rays.  After the more common illnesses were ruled out, we started to look closely at some of the extremely rare insulin resistant conditions.  Dr. Thompson had never had a case of acromegaly before and while we knew it to be rare, Leo did have three major earmarks of the disorder.  He was very large, he was proving to be insulin resistant, and his breathing noises mimicked many of the documented cases of feline acromegaly.  So we sent his test to the University of Michigan and he was diagnosed with acromegaly in January of 2009.

Leo and his dedicated adoptive mom, Carolyn.

Acromegaly is a disorder of the pituitary gland, often caused by a benign tumor growing on the gland itself.  This tumor interferes with normal pituitary hormone production and causes an excess release of Growth Hormone.  In turn, this causes the liver to release another hormone, called Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1), which results in what essentially is observed as gigantism.  It is the IGF-1 hormone that is responsible for the resistance to insulin and other physical changes seen in Acromegalic cats.  These cats can show many combinations of physical symptoms including rapid growth, large frames, large heads, large feet and enlarged organs.  Not all acromegalics become diabetics and many actually show no physical symptoms for much of their lives.  This makes acromegaly a rarely discovered condition.   

Once Leo was diagnosed with acromegaly, we found ourselves free to treat the various aspects of his illness.  He got sparkly teeth and healthy gums during a dental procedure, his insulin doses were increased to help overcome the volume of IGF-1 being released into his body and various supplements have been added to help with his breathing and other issues.  As the days, weeks and now 5 months have gone by, Leo has gained good health, mobility, and a lot of weight – he tops the scales at a healthy 18 pounds.  His robust purring is legendary, and heard throughout the day as he spends his hours sunning himself on the porch, relishing a tasty meal and sleeping upside-down and halfway under the bed.  Never has a day gone by that Leo has not climbed into my lap and licked my face in what I imagine to be a very sincere  ”thank you“.

Leo gets some lovin' from Dr. Thompson.

Sadly, there are no current “perfect” treatments for the pituitary tumor, and Leo’s prognosis is not great.  Acromegalic cats often encounter heart disease and illnesses related to their enlarged organs.  Studies looking into treatments for acromegaly are being done, both in the United States and England, using radiation treatment and also various drugs.  It is my hope that one day I will be able to get Leo into a study so that he may have the chance to live the long and pampered life that has never been available to him before now.  Until then, Leo will be in the very capable hands of Dr. Thompson and all of the kind-hearted animal friends at Bay Beach Veterinary Clinic.

Leo, looking so much happier, at 18 lbs in May 2009.

Filed under: Cases to Share