Tumor on Cats Adrenal Gland

[RobC]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here and I was wondering if anyone else has this scenario with their cat as I was looking for suggestions.

First, we were lucky enough to find the most loving cat on the planet from an animal shelter about 4 years ago. He sleeps with us every night and is loved by everyone who meets him. We were told that he was 3-4 when we got him but when we took him to the vet they placed him around 6 (that was 4 years ago).

About 3 months ago I noticed that he was urinating a lot, super hungry all the time and losing weight. We took him to a local vet who told us he had kidney disease, as the test showed him with borderline kidney disease. We ordered special food but he still continued to lose weight fast, etc. We took him again to the same vet and they said that now they don't think it is kidney disease. They also tested for hyperthyroid, etc and it all came back negative. They did an ultrasound and saw a growth on his bile duct, but that vet said she wasn't a specialist and their equipment wasn't great. They referred us to a specialist. We then decided to take him to our old vet (who had more advanced equipment, etc.) and they also ruled out kidney disease and hyperthyroid. They called in an internal medicine specialist to do an ultrasound and found a tumor on our cats adrenal gland. At the same time they did an eight hour test for Cushing's disease and that seemed to come back negative. They haven't had many Cushing tests on cats as they said it was very rare.

After a week they called and told us that the tumor is in a spot where it might be difficult to operate but they can refer us to the specialist (the same who did the ultrasound) who can take out the cat's adrenal gland. The other option was that the vert can do another eight-hour Cushing's test on our cat (we just feel awful taking him because it is an hour drive to the vet and an hour drive back, AND he has to fast). At this point both of these options seem really bad for us. Our cat has been super hungry because our vet thinks he may only be getting 10-20% of the food/water he drinks. As for the surgery, I have read things that are not good about it with many cats passing away or passing away shortly after the surgery.

My cat is still super loving, still plays, eats a lot, etc. I was wondering if anyone here has had to deal with this and if so, are there supplements to give your cat? I looked on Chewy and other sites and there seems to be a few different ones.

Thanks for reading.

-Rob

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I'm so sorry

Are you considering avoiding the surgery?

Are you/have the vets suggested feeding him high protein, or high calorie food?

This article might have a little information about food, but it doesn't get at the root of his issue;

How To Get A Cat To Gain Weight – TheCatSite Articles

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I know of one member who dealt with one their cats having adrenal gland tumors - perhaps they might be able to provide some insight? Antonio65 - sorry to tag you, but thought you might be interested...

 

[RobC]

Hi!
I'm so sorry

Are you considering avoiding the surgery?

Are you/have the vets suggested feeding him high protein, or high calorie food?

This article might have a little information about food, but it doesn't get at the root of his issue;

How To Get A Cat To Gain Weight – TheCatSite Articles

Thanks for your response. At this time we are waiting to hear back from the vet on what to do. I do not really want to put him through surgery because from what I read online there doesn't seem to be a great success rate.

 

[Antonio65]

Hi R RobC ,
I have been tagged to your thread because I had a similar issue with the cat you see in my avatar.
I am so sorry for your cat, and I would like to ask you if the tumor the vet found during the ultrasound scan was near the adrenal gland, or if the adrenal gland was attacked by the tumor itself.
In my cat's case, the adrenal gland grew ten times its regular size and started producing a hormone, the aldosteron, in proportion to this size. This led to a huge amount of this hormone in the system, and this led to a depletion of the Potassium in her body. She became weak, unable to move, her muscle were without strength, she was going to die.
Your vet was right, Cushing's disease is very rare in cats, as a matter of fact my vets didn't advise the test either, because they weren't thinking of anything of the kind until they expressed the diagnosis of hyperaldosteronism.
The only option we had was the surgery to remove the adrenal gland that had gone crazy. The chances of a successful surgery were 50%, the cat could have died during the surgery, or right after it. It was really dangerous. But if we didn't go with the surgery, my cat would have died for sure.

My cat survived the surgery, she survived the three days afterwards, and she came back home where she thrived and got better in a very few weeks.

From what you say, your cat doesn't sound like he has what my cat had, because you say he's very playful and active, he eats and acts normally.
The doctor told you that the site is hard to operate, but the specialist should know their work well. Discuss the case with them and see what they can propose to you.
If I were you, I would go with the surgery, but you have to decide according to your thought.

I hope you have good news for us.
All the best.

 

[Antonio65]

Hi. I know of one member who dealt with one their cats having adrenal gland tumors - perhaps they might be able to provide some insight? Antonio65 - sorry to tag you, but thought you might be interested...

Thanks for tagging me, or I would have missed the thread. In the last few weeks I'm not too present on TCS due to some family issues. But I happy to contribute when asked.
Thanks!

 

[fionasmom]

Yes, it is rare in cats. I have had two Cushing's dogs, one currently still living, and it is a condition for which you have to do something, unfortunately. It does not get better on its own and does not plateau. Eventually there are side effects that will affect quality of life. You may have already done some reading, but if not, take a look at these articles as they will give you a run down of the condition.You will notice that there are a lot of ins and outs with Cushings. Medication might be brought up if the vet wants to use that prior to surgery, so be informed about that as well. Don't try to cure it with any homeopathic supplements.

I did not have surgery on either dog and in the canine world it is not usually done. However, I am in no way suggesting that you not have surgery for the cat if it is the best option as Antonio65 has explained. However, have a specialist surgeon perform the surgery as it is very precise. Don't let a regular vet take a swing at it. As for the negative test, in dogs up to 15% of initial tests come back negative.

The initial testing for Cushings is probably strenuous for the animal, I agree, and if you treat only with drugs there are follow up tests for the remainder of their life. My dog is having his umpteeth ACTH stimulation test on Wednesday to make sure the meds are at the right level. If the levels are not correct the animal has a chance of going into Addison's disease which is a whole other ballgame.

Both of my dogs were completely normal in their behavior, just as your cat it. They were however very hungry, thirsty, urinating a lot which are three classic signs. The first dog lived two years with the condition. It was about 20 years ago before an improved medication for dogs was used. The current dog has had it for 6 years with an amazing vet and the newer medication. Neither ever developed diabetes.

I am sorry that you are facing this. While Cushings is not cancer, I personally hope that round two is the last time that I will have to face it with an animal. Please post what you decide to do.

The feline facets of Cushing's disease

Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's Disease) | International Cat Care

 

[RobC]

Thank you for the wonderful messages. After dinner I will share this thread with my wife.

 

[RobC]

I wanted to reply to this thread as it has been quite some time since I gave an update. Sorry if this is long..

My cat is still losing weight and I am getting very scared. We opted not to do the adrenal gland surgery as an internal medicine specialist was not 100% sure that the tumor was even the issue with the cat losing weight. Right now he is down to 7.5lbs.

They want to put him on a special diet. We tried the Purina special food and then the Hill's Prescription Diet z/d Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Canned Cat Food, which he did not eat. I just placed an order for the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Selected Protein Adult PV so I am hoping so bad that he actually eats it. They also had me order Mirataz ointment which I guess you are supposed to put on your cats ear to make it hungry? The problem is my cat eats like a machine and is ALWAYS hungry and still losing/not gaining weight. They are also suggesting melatonin and a medicine called Lignans.

They want to take 6 weeks with this and see if that will help before trying something else.

I am so scared because I want it to work and I just want him to live a happy life. I feel that if he can gain weight he will be good. He is still playing, loving, etc. Has anyone else had anything like this?

 

[RobC]

I forgot to mention.. the reason for the stuff above is they think it might be malabsorption. Has anyone had a cat with that issue?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am sure adrenal gland tumors are different in humans than in cats, but I have an adrenal gland tumor (ID'd over 5 years ago) that I was told was posing no issues. I think there is something else going on. Since he is still playing and loving, etc. this might be some sort of food absorption issue, as in something like a B-12 deficiency that can lead to loss of weight because the body doesn't absorb food efficiently. Has the vet suggested giving him B-12 shots? My husband has to have them, and he is barely able to maintain his weight. He also eats non-stop.

Get him the shots, and feed him whatever he wants, and ask the vet to continue to pursue possible causes. Perhaps, getting a vet university involved could be something your vet could look into?

EDIT: Just saw your second post - yes! check about the B-12 issue, please!!!

 

[fionasmom]

Lignans is a natural compound made of things like flax which are helpful in controlling hormonal issues, if we are talking about the same product.

I certainly agree with not having unnecessary surgery. The cat does need to eat so if the prescription food is not working continue to feed him whatever he wants. Mirtazapine is usually given to cats who won't eat, so I guess it was given to yours because it might have made him eat the prescription food? Cushings meds in cats are out there, as the one article suggested but I would try for the consult with a university hospital where there might be an endocrine specialists as well as an internist.