GA My Blue new diabetic

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Carolyn7

Member Since 2016
Hello all,
My intro may be a bit long but I need to share everything to get the best advice as possible. I thought everything was going fine but this last week things have gotten really crazy!
Blue was diagnosed just before Christmas. He had lost about 5 pounds in just a couple months and was always begging for food. When I took him to the vet and received the diagnosis they prescribed 2 units of Lantus 2 times a day. I changed food to Friskies pate with a little dry Royal Canin Glycobalance for him to munch throughout the day as he was use to free feeding all day. So the food change and Lantus seemed to be working fine. (I wasn't home testing as I didn't know the importance of it as my vet didn't stress it). I took Blue back to the vet on 1/9 for a glucose curve and after the glucose curve they upped his dose to 3 units 2 times a day. Things were fine for about a week and then everything went downhill. Blue would not eat or drink and looked absolutely horrible. He threw up a green liquid 3 times. So I took him to my vet at 7am the next day where they told me he was dehydrated and his temperature was at 90. They put him on IV to get him hydrated and kept him on a heating blanket to try to get his temperature up. They had me pick him up at 6pm and take him to the emergency vet. The emergency vet told me he had diabetic ketoacidosis. He stayed in the icu for 4 nights. He had a uti and his electrolytes and blood glucose were out of whack. I brought him home last night as they said he was eating and drinking and his glucose and electrolyte levels were much better. I have 2 antibiotics for him. They also put the insulin dose back down to 2 units 2 times a day. He wouldn't eat last night when we got home so I chalked it up to him just being upset from being in the icu all these days. Again this morning he wouldn't eat. I gave him one of the antibiotics but I didn't give him the other or his insulin since he didn't eat. It's 11:30 now with no eating or drinking only sleeping. Should I try force feeding him with the syringe or just give him time? I don't want him to be without the antibiotic or insulin too long. I need help. I don't want to lose my baby. He is 6 years old and I have had him his whole life. I am going to get a glucose meter later today and if you all have any other suggestions I will get that stuff as well when I am out. Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If Blue has had a DKA he MUST eat and if there is an infection he has to take his antibiotics. If he does not eat and the infection is not cleared up he could very well have another DKA episode, which as you realize is very serious. He must also have his insulin.

You DEFINITELY need to be home-testing. I would suggest you put a posting on the lantus forum and put the "911" icon in the title bar to get more input. He may need to go back to the vet, but I would like you to get more input.

This is the link for the Lantus forum:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/
 
Have you tried all types of foods to feed him..it really doesn't matter what as long as you can get him to eat...maybe some tuna juice ?
 
We tried cooked chicken breast and his regular food. My husband gave him 3 temptations treats just now and he ate them. I will try tuna juice now.
 
Anything you can do to get him eating. Since you are not home testing it is hard to say what dose you should give him but he NEEDS SOME insulin as well as his antibiotics. As long as you can get him to eat you should give insulin. If he will eat a "normal" amount give the 2 units...if he barely eats then still give him 1 unit and continue trying to get him to eat. If there is someone else there please have them go get a glucose meter. If you are in the US Walmart sells the Relion meter which is inexpensive. You will need the meter, test strips and lancets. There is information here on how to "poke" your kitty's ears to get a blood drop for testing
 
Also if you are going to pick up a meter get some ketodiastix as well...you use them to test the urine for ketones
 
I agree with Mary Ann. He must have food, his meds and his insulin.

Here is a video with how to assist feed him:
Here is a thread talking about how important it is to get insulin into a sick kitty.

Please get food and meds and insulin into him as quickly as you can, then go get a human glucometer and let people teach you how to hometest. Relions, Bayers, other human glucometers are good. Strips are cheapest for the Relions, probably.

DKA means he isn't getting enough insulin, isn't eating enough calories, and has an infection.
 
Hi Carolyn and extra sweet Blue! What a ride you've already had!

Yes you MUST get food into him and if syringe feeding is the only way, then please start that. Baby food MEAT without onions - be sure to check ingredients...I think the favorite is Beechnut Stage II. Diabetic Ketoacidosis is caused by a combination of not eating, not enough insulin and infection/inflammation. You have all 3 going. He's burning body fat stores instead of being able to use the food without insulin. He also needs as much liquid as you can get into him. Tip for syringe feeding - put food in a blender, a 'bullet type' works best but a regular large blender will work. Make it as consistent as possible.

Definitely get some ketone test strips - you don't have to get the 'diastix', you can just get 'ketone' test strips. Any place that carries diabetic supplies carry those too - important item for human diabetics too.

Keep us posted! Prayers and hugs!
 
Meter - Walmart - brand 'Relion', model either the 'Confirm' or 'Micro'. Strips that go with those meters - they take the same strips. Do NOT get the 'Prime' model meter altho' it's strips are cheaper - they take more blood right now...
 
Here is another thread on how to hometest - lots of good advice there.

Here are some ideas about how to stimulate a cat's appetite.

Here is an information thread about DKA and ketones so you can understand what's going on. You may also want to get a meter that measures both ketones and glucose in the same drop of blood. The strips are more expensive, but in your situation it would be a good idea.

One step at a time, but DKA is a critical situation so you can't be complacent about it. The general advice here is that with DKA/ketones you must give enough insulin even if it means giving the cat high carb food in order to get enough insulin into the body.

I'm leaving in just a few minutes and going out of town for the day but others will be around that can also help. Mary Ann is already giving you good advice.
 
You could try an appetite stimulant. I've used cyproheptadine successfully but it needs a prescription. Baby food often works all meat no onion or garlic. Zyrtec is over the counter and works as an appetite stimulant although I haven't tried it. I think Tricia had used it for allergies so could tell your you what dose she had used and you could call your vet about trying it if open today. :bighug:
 
Did they tell you to give him subcutaneous fluids at home because that will also help him.

With a DKA cat, he must have his insulin and antibiotics so you have to find a way to get food and fluids in him. He needs more calories than usual so if you can find Iams Max Calorie food (it's low carb and high calorie and easy to syringe feed) or Royal Canin Recovery and get those extra calories in him, it will help.

The antibiotics could put him off his food so I'd also talk to the vets about something for nausea like ondansetron and perhaps also cerenia. They actually work really well together as they address nausea through different modalities. Unfortunately, I've found that many vets don't get that so if the ER vets don't help and you have a good relationship with your regular vet, maybe he/she can help.
 
I just ended reading all this.
If the kitty has DKA my advise is that he needs to be hospitalized, he needs IV fluids, insuline and specially tube feeding. Markies had that and tube feeding saved his life.
Im wondering if your cat was ready to go home. Hope you can update info on how he is.
Buy a lot of different type of wet food, try them all until you find one he likes. Add watter to the food, if he is not eating I would take him to the vet for tube feeding.
And obviously start insulin protocol.

Heling vines for your baby.

Silvi
 
Glad to hear you are getting a glucose monitor. Pick up some Ketostix at the pharmacy as well so you can monitor his urine for the presence of ketones.

You might offer him some rotisserie chicken (no skin) or some sliced turkey from the deli.

Your kitty needs calories and insulin to metabolize the calories and deliver energy to the cells. Any infection needs to be addressed and kitty needs to be hydrated.

Hang in there and hang in here. Many of us have DKA experience.
 
the vet may be willing to give you injectable antibiotic (not convenia) my brothers vet gave him pre filled syringes as his cat would not tolerate oral antibiotics and it is easier on the tummy since your already having issues with appetite --you have wise eyes on you so I will wish you the best and send healing thoughts...:bighug:
 
Carolyn7 said:
The emergency vet told me he had diabetic ketoacidosis. He stayed in the icu for 4 nights. He had a uti and his electrolytes and blood glucose were out of whack. I brought him home last night as they said he was eating and drinking and his glucose and electrolyte levels were much better. I have 2 antibiotics for him. They also put the insulin dose back down to 2 units 2 times a day. He wouldn't eat last night when we got home so I chalked it up to him just being upset from being in the icu all these days. Again this morning he wouldn't eat. I gave him one of the antibiotics but I didn't give him the other or his insulin since he didn't eat. It's 11:30 now with no eating or drinking only sleeping.
Click to expand...
It sounds like they may have released Blue too soon.
The best advice I can give you is to either take him back to the ER or take him to see your regular vet to get checked out ASAP.

Good luck! Update us when you can...
 
I think that is a very wise decision. Let us know if you need any help with the home testing. Sending many prayers his way.
 
WONDERFUL Carolyn! You can try your first test any time. Right now it will be food influenced but you will at least know in 'real time'. Don't get discouraged if you don't immediately get blood, be patient. 3 tries and quit for a break. Having a low carb treat such as chicken or baby food on a spoon/saucer regardless of success.

Go baby GO!
 
Congratulations on the assisted feeding. :) This is a victory for you both. My suggestion would be to begin the process of learning to test the BG level by reading here
if you haven't already.

When I first started it helped me to know that it's not painful for the cat because there are very few pain receptors in the ear. :cat:
I also didn't warm the ear long enough in the beginning so it was hard to get a drop of blood. We found that an old sock with uncooked rice inside - about a 1/4 cup - heated in the microwave for about 20 seconds really really helped. Always test it on your wrist like you would a baby bottle to make sure it's not too hot before putting it on the ear.
We also had a tough time in the beginning finding a vein to poke. A flashlight is a great tool to help in that department.
As far as the cat is concerned something really really yummy - low carb of course -needs to be connected to the testing process. This helps the cat learn that testing is good :cat: and makes it a little easier on you.
My cat loves the freeze dried chicken hearts he gets after testing. He knows and even "helps" us with reminders that it's time, if we ever dare forget.

With a little time, patience and practice you will be an expert very soon. I hope this is helpful. :)
 
It's great that you managed to get Blue to eat for you. If you feed little and very frequently it might be easier on his tummy and prevent problems with build-up of stomach acid.

I note that Blue likes Temptations treats. While not the ideal thing to give to a diabetic under normal circumstances, if you get desperate to help him eat try crumbling a Temptations treat over the top of a little food and warming it a little bit in the microwave; test it with your finger and it should be tepid. Stir it to make sure that there are no hot spots. The warming can make the food more palatable and with the crumbled treat on the top it should give it a stronger, more tempting aroma.

It is vital that Blue gets plenty of calories and insulin because of the DKA. If you can't keep Blue eating I strongly recommend you bring him back to the vets straight away. When you do speak to the vet (tomorrow morning latest) ask for a prescription for anti-nausea and appetite stimulant medications that you can administer at home. Medications like ondansetron (for nausea) and cyproheptadine (appy stimulant) are human medications so you should be able to get a written veterinary Rx filled at a regular pharmacy if your vet doesn't have any in stock. (NB - check Blue's liver status with vet in connection with use of cyproheptadine. Also, mirtazapine is another appy stimulant but it can induce serotonin syndrome. Again, if your vet prescribes this make sure that he checks for any other meds Blue is taking to make sure that there is no adverse interaction, especially drugs with serotonergic effects.) You may not need to use the meds but it is far, far better to have these medications to hand so that you can address any appetite problems without delay.

Fingers and paws crossed that Blue will keep eating for you.


Mogs
.
 
Congratulations on the assisted feeding! Hopefully Blue will now want to eat on his own but if he doesn't, don't hesitate to "assist" him with it again! I know absolutely nothing about DKA (although I did learn a lot by reading this condo) so I won't offer any advice. Just wanted to tell you to take a deep breath! This can be handled! The people on this forum are absolutely fantastic and will help you with whatever you need so don't hesitate to post at any time! :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Carolyn7 said:
Thank you all! Assisted feeding was a huge success! He ate well and I gave him his antibiotic and insulin. When should I test his glucose?
Click to expand...

Great news!!!

The key about testing is to always give a treat afterwards. Kitties will accept the testing if they learn it comes with a treat. We gave bits of cooked chicken breast for pokey treats. You'll have the hang of it in no time. One important thing to know is that as you poke his ear, it will stimulate the growth of more capillaries. At first you can poke and poke and not get blood. You're not doing anything wrong, there aren't as many capillaries there when you're starting, but within a short time you'll get blood with every poke. Give Blue a treat after a pokey session even if you don't get blood.

Let us know how he's doing when you have a chance.
 
Last time it showed her logged on was 10:28 PM last night. Wonder if she had to take Blue back to the ER??
 
Carolyn7 said:
Hello all,
My intro may be a bit long but I need to share everything to get the best advice as possible. I thought everything was going fine but this last week things have gotten really crazy!
Blue was diagnosed just before Christmas. He had lost about 5 pounds in just a couple months and was always begging for food. When I took him to the vet and received the diagnosis they prescribed 2 units of Lantus 2 times a day. I changed food to Friskies pate with a little dry Royal Canin Glycobalance for him to munch throughout the day as he was use to free feeding all day. So the food change and Lantus seemed to be working fine. (I wasn't home testing as I didn't know the importance of it as my vet didn't stress it). I took Blue back to the vet on 1/9 for a glucose curve and after the glucose curve they upped his dose to 3 units 2 times a day. Things were fine for about a week and then everything went downhill. Blue would not eat or drink and looked absolutely horrible. He threw up a green liquid 3 times. So I took him to my vet at 7am the next day where they told me he was dehydrated and his temperature was at 90. They put him on IV to get him hydrated and kept him on a heating blanket to try to get his temperature up. They had me pick him up at 6pm and take him to the emergency vet. The emergency vet told me he had diabetic ketoacidosis. He stayed in the icu for 4 nights. He had a uti and his electrolytes and blood glucose were out of whack. I brought him home last night as they said he was eating and drinking and his glucose and electrolyte levels were much better. I have 2 antibiotics for him. They also put the insulin dose back down to 2 units 2 times a day. He wouldn't eat last night when we got home so I chalked it up to him just being upset from being in the icu all these days. Again this morning he wouldn't eat. I gave him one of the antibiotics but I didn't give him the other or his insulin since he didn't eat. It's 11:30 now with no eating or drinking only sleeping. Should I try force feeding him with the syringe or just give him time? I don't want him to be without the antibiotic or insulin too long. I need help. I don't want to lose my baby. He is 6 years old and I have had him his whole life. I am going to get a glucose meter later today and if you all have any other suggestions I will get that stuff as well when I am out. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

He had to eat or he will get Hepatic Liver which can be fatal. Get some food in him.....it can happen in one day.....if he won't eat get him to the vet.
 
Squeaky and KT said:
WONDERFUL Carolyn! You can try your first test any time. Right now it will be food influenced but you will at least know in 'real time'. Don't get discouraged if you don't immediately get blood, be patient. 3 tries and quit for a break. Having a low carb treat such as chicken or baby food on a spoon/saucer regardless of success.

Go baby GO!
Click to expand...
Thank you! I will try soon
 
Hello all.
I decided to let Blue cross the rainbow bridge today. After seeing him suffer so much these last weeks I felt it was the right thing to do. I just wanted him to pass smoothly in my arms. My heart is broken but I know Blue's spirit will help me heal. Thank you all for your help and encouragement. I truly appreciate each and every one of you!
 
OH Carolyn...I am so so sorry to hear that Blue had to cross the bridge. You made the hardest decision any petparent has to make and it was done with love. Hold your special memories close to give you peace and strength at this sad time. Blue will always be close for he will remain in your heart forever.


:bighug::bighug: :bighug: :bighug:
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
OH Carolyn...I am so so sorry to hear that Blue had to cross the bridge. You made the hardest decision any petparent has to make and it was done with love. Hold your special memories close to give you peace and strength at this sad time. Blue will always be close for he will remain in your heart forever.


:bighug::bighug: :bighug: :bighug:
Click to expand...
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
 
Oh Carolyn, I'm SO sorry it was Blue's time to cross. BIG HUGE loooooooong hug. Remember, he's not gone, you just have to hug him differently.

Soar high on your new angel wings sweet boy....landing softly back in Mama's broken heart...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top