tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020386515354656609.post4202701448431617410..comments2024-03-19T15:11:11.769-04:00Comments on Insights into Veterinary Endocrinology: Q & A: Best Treatment for Hyperaldosteronism in Cats?Dr. Mark E. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10804290441832222507noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020386515354656609.post-16487038286970595892014-09-18T08:51:06.524-04:002014-09-18T08:51:06.524-04:00Sorry for my delay in answering. First of all, you...Sorry for my delay in answering. First of all, you have to first make a diagnosis of hyperaldosteronism (Conn's syndrome) before you do any surgery. You haven't even measured aldosterone!<br /><br />Second, you do NOT was to aspirate the adrenal.<br /><br />Thirdly, it's more difficult to do laparoscopic-based adrenalectomy in cats than it is is dogs, and I generally don't recommend that approach for cats.<br /><br />Bottom line- talk to your vet about making a definitive diagnosis so you can decide on proper medical or surgical treatment.Dr. Mark E. Petersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10804290441832222507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020386515354656609.post-29047767746473818992014-09-05T18:02:55.847-04:002014-09-05T18:02:55.847-04:00Dr. Peterson,
Would you please comment on "Un...Dr. Peterson,<br />Would you please comment on "Unknown's" 7/26/11 post about the laparoscopic-based adrenalectomy performed by UC Davis on her cat? Is this commonplace now? How much risk does it carry?<br /><br />I have an 18 yr old cat with a right adrenal gland of 8mm and a hyperechoic appearance on u/s. IDEXX recommends fine needle aspiration, but vet believes that would be too risky because of the vena cava proximity. I'm told standard removal surgery would also be very risky. But if there is a local surgeon who could do it by laparoscopic means, we might would consider.<br /><br />Other than CKD (creatinine 2.8), this old cat is very healthy, so the adrenal issue is quite depressing.<br /><br />His sodium (148), BP (152) and magnesium (1.9) are normal. <br /><br />Serum potassium was 3.8 on Aug. 8. Today it was 3.9, despite getting 2mEq of potassium gluconate BID for the last 2 wks!!! I guess this means he likely has hyperaldosteronism.<br /><br />The reason for the K supplementation was due to a rear leg weakness incident on 8/17. Chest X-rays, heart echo, BP, EKG, abdominal X-rays and abdominal ultrasound were performed. Everything was normal except the enlarged adrenal gland. Could have been TIA, vet said, but physical exam did not indicate it. <br /><br />The vet did not think a K level of 3.8 just 10 days earlier would be low enough to cause rear leg weakness. But since we had nothing else to go off of, we opted to start supplementation and retest today. The weakness, BTW, went away within 3 days of starting supplementation.<br /><br />Thanks tons!JoJohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12211489410459808413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020386515354656609.post-10606493008666493382012-11-01T06:52:25.416-04:002012-11-01T06:52:25.416-04:00Thank you for sharing this. My cat is 15 and I'...Thank you for sharing this. My cat is 15 and I'm going for an ultrasound to determine the cause of the hyperaldosteronism.foodfitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04069280854822693259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020386515354656609.post-4005976880583842612011-07-26T03:57:12.223-04:002011-07-26T03:57:12.223-04:00My 9 year old female cat with Conn's had a lef...My 9 year old female cat with Conn's had a left adrenal gland mass removed last week laparascopicaly at the University of California/Davis. She appears to be recovering very quickly with no complications. The minimally invasive surgery is fantastic. I hope it becomes widely available for this type of tumor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com