Thomas, DKA boy diagnosed 12/12

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Coffees-and-cats

Coffees-and-cats

Member Since 2016
Thomas is HOME!

Thomas is now on 3 units of Novolin, twice a day. I have a ReliOn Micro Blood Glucose Meter for him. They sent him home with a 4 lb bag of Science Diet w/d and 4 cans with feeding instructions. Thomas ate every meal at the vet, even the first night when he was sooo sick.

They had me practice giving him his insulin at the vet. We gave him insulin at 8:30 there, and at 9:30 I tested his blood. It was 445. Oh, he's also getting Pepcid once a day at 9 PM.

Since being home he's seemed pretty okay. He drank a little water and looked around the house and poked his face into all of the empty dishes (haha.)

I wasn't able to find the ketone testing strips at Walmart but I was rushing to get his meter and stuff before I picked him up. They surprised me by letting him go a day early so I had intended to pick up his meter tomorrow morning. But I'm happy he's home and I can find the ketone testing strips tomorrow morning. Fortunately Thomas ALWAYS gets into the box and pees RIGHT at the front of the box so I think I should be able to test his urine. :)

I'm not totally sure how to fill out the chart? I put in a value for his evening dose and his test result from an hour after his dosage.

He's next to me on the couch right now, I guess it's time for a kitty massage.
 
Yay! Thank you! I checked through a few of the spreadsheets in profiles to see how it might work. I'm SO glad there was one here.

I can test him right now and post it! that'll be close to 3 hours (it's 11:15 here)

ohhh dear. That....did not go over well. He got VERY upset and I got an error message. I am going to give him a bit to calm down and try again.
 
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Coffees-and-cats said:
Fortunately Thomas ALWAYS gets into the box and pees RIGHT at the front of the box
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My kitty does this, too. :cat: I actually posted a funny post about my first experience testing ketones on this board a few days ago.

My Ozzy also had DKA about 2 weeks ago. This is how we found out he had diabetes.

Wishing your Thomas a quick and speedy recovery.

The folks on this board have been of tremendous help to me, I am sure they will be for you, too!

Good luck on this journey!
 
Thomas turned into a growling hissing mess and I think I poked him about a dozen times. I think I'm just going to have to let it go for now, I got two error messages on testing strips from not having enough blood and he's so upset and fed up with being manhandled.
 
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Coffees-and-cats said:
Thomas turned into a growling hissing mess and I think I poked him about a dozen times. I think I'm just going to have to let it go for now, I got two error messages on testing strips from not having enough blood and he's so upset and fed up with being manhandled.
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Some you lose. :( Be sure to take him back to the test station in a little while and just give him treats and fusses.


Mogs
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No, just 3 units twice a day. They said yesterday he was in the 200s all day.

I am at the pharmacy to get his insulin now. His bg this morning just tested "hi" on my relion meter. He is alert and hungry though and has used the litter box.
 
Yes, he was at the vet until 8:30 PM last night.

I just fed him and set the timer for 30 minutes to make sure the food stays down before he gets his first shot.
 
Did you check his BG before feeding Thomas?

If not, can you check it straight away before the food really starts to get into his system.

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Yes, before feeding I checked it and noted it down. I am sorta wondering if he got a fur shot last night even though the vet tech did it? I'm not sure.

I did get this shot in. For sure. his fur isn't wet and he flinched a little when the needle went in. He hates the blood testing MUCH more than he reacted to the shot, that's for sure.
 
Also can you please remind me of what you're feeding Thomas at the moment (including whether it's a wet or dry food).

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He was 574 this morning. I gave him 4 ounces of a can of friskies chicken and tuna dinner pate, which he ate entirely, and then administered 3cc of Novolin.

He used the litter box just now and peed and pooped, no diarrhea! I am picking up ketone testing stripes this afternoon, I forgot them at Walmart earlier.
 
You're doing great. Good news, too, on the appetite and litter box fronts. I'm glad the testing seems to be going a bit more smoothly today. :)

I recommend you test BG at +1.5 hours after the dose. Novolin N can drop numbers quite hard and fast in the early part of the cycle. Testing at this time is a good safety measure, especially when you're first starting treatment.

When you get the test result, post here. I'll try to check in to see how things are going and I'm also tagging Linda (@MrWorfMen's Mom) to ask her to look in if she is online.

:bighug:


Mogs
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Coffees-and-cats said:
Yay! Thank you! I checked through a few of the spreadsheets in profiles to see how it might work. I'm SO glad there was one here.

I can test him right now and post it! that'll be close to 3 hours (it's 11:15 here)

ohhh dear. That....did not go over well. He got VERY upset and I got an error message. I am going to give him a bit to calm down and try again.
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Hi from Elmo and I !!! Oh how I relate to this !! Been on this sugar journey 4 months and at first when I'd get ready to test him I could hear my heart beating in my ears!!!!! I promise, it WILL get better and easier. Just follow what these awesome kitty mommas say and you will be on your way. heck, you already are on your way !!!!
 
Okay, I couldn't test at +1.5 because he got upset and I got upset and so I made the executive decision that a group nap was in order. haha. I announced it was time for Night Night and headed for bed and all three cats followed me and got into their favorite places. We slept for a while and then when I got up Thomas followed me down to the kitchen and I tested him.

His +3 was 448. I know it's not ideal but it's headed in the right direction and he is much more alert today.

About to go get his ketone testing strips and some chicken breasts so I can boil the chicken and have it on hand for a nice treat for him.
 
Thanks for the update. Considering where he started that's not too bad. Can you snag another test at +4 or +5 ? He should drop more and maybe he's just a slow starter.
 
Yeah, I will do another at +5. I did get the last check done in ONE poke so we're improving on that front. I think he's stressed from the vet and the whole hospital experience. I know I am.

Thank you! :cat:
 
I'm sure Thomas is still somewhat stressed from the hospital and just the energy recovery takes. Glad to hear the testing is getting easier. Learning to do testing, give shots, and worrying about the little critter definitely takes its toll! Just remember to keep taking deep breathes. It gets easier everyday. :bighug::bighug:
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
His +3 was 448.
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That's fine. With new starters we worry about numbers going too low. Also because your earlier BG readings were done at the vets there is always the risk that they may be somewhat elevated due to stress so its safer to be that little extra-vigilant when starting home treatment.

I've not used Novolin N but from what I've seen from a few other kitties spreadsheets the action of this insulin tends to drop numbers relatively steeply and quickly in the very early part of the cycle (hence the suggestion to start checking BG from +1.5 hours after dose). It then seems to hold numbers down for a few hours and then they rise again anywhere from around +6 hours after the dose (but they can be sometimes held down until +8 - even +10 in some cycles).

Here is a link to a spreadsheet for one of our kitties, Shaak Ti, who was treated with Novolin N earlier this year. Her mama, Cathie (@Cathie and Shaak Ti ), did wonderful work with her and Shaak achieved remission earlier this year. :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15XT600sV2DrdmnyBj9Mhe4Wm9-hfMafVjJ56n09sIrk/pubhtml

It takes a little while to start getting a feel for the spreadsheet information but once you do it can be really helpful to look at the spreadsheets of other kitties as well as your own kitty's data. The colour coding in the spreadsheets help a great deal when trying to learn the pattern of a kitty's response to the insulin they're receiving.

I hope Thomas enjoys his yummy home-cooked chicken treats! :)


Mogs
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I got his +5 in one poke! And it's 321! Very happy with this.

I printed out the list of low carb wet cat foods and I'm headed to get a few cans and pick up the ketone testing strips. I think Thomas was a little relieved when I left the house, to be honest. He was curled up on one of my sweatshirts when I left. haha.
 
Excellent stuff! Signing off for the night (not feeling well) but I'll check in tomorrow to see how you're both doing.

Great job on the BG testing today. :cool:


Mogs
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First of all, thanks for all of the advice you've all been giving me.

Quick question, and it's not an emergency it's just been nagging at me....how do you tell if a cat's water intake is excessive? I feel like since Thomas has ALWAYS drank a lot of water it's going to be really difficult for me to tell what's "too much." And since I have multiple cats and a water fountain knowing precisely how much water they're going through is impossible.

I did get the ketone testing strips but of course he hasn't peed since I got home with them (unless he did it when I was in the shower, which, I mean, PROBABLY right?) so I'm just stalking him with these waiting for him to go. haha. What a life.
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
First of all, thanks for all of the advice you've all been giving me.

Quick question, and it's not an emergency it's just been nagging at me....how do you tell if a cat's water intake is excessive? I feel like since Thomas has ALWAYS drank a lot of water it's going to be really difficult for me to tell what's "too much." And since I have multiple cats and a water fountain knowing precisely how much water they're going through is impossible.

I did get the ketone testing strips but of course he hasn't peed since I got home with them (unless he did it when I was in the shower, which, I mean, PROBABLY right?) so I'm just stalking him with these waiting for him to go. haha. What a life.
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It would be hard for you to judge water consumption if you have several cats sharing a fountain. It's easier if the water is in a bowl, even a shared bowl, and you see its level going down faster than usual. That would likely be from the diabetic kitty drinking more.

If Thomas has a good peeing position in the litter box and isn't too shy about you observing him you can try putting a long handled kitchen spoon (shallow is better than ladle shaped) under his backside to catch a little bit of urine to test for ketones. It doesn't take much. Check the test strip box for instructions on how long to wait after dipping the strip before checking the colour against the guide on the strip container.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
It would be hard for you to judge water consumption if you have several cats sharing a fountain. It's easier if the water is in a bowl, even a shared bowl, and you see its level going down faster than usual. That would likely be from the diabetic kitty drinking more.

If Thomas has a good peeing position in the litter box and isn't too shy about you observing him you can try putting a long handled kitchen spoon (shallow is better than ladle shaped) under his backside to catch a little bit of urine to test for ketones. It doesn't take much. Check the test strip box for instructions on how long to wait after dipping the strip before checking the colour against the guide on the strip container.
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Thomas generally goes into the litterbox, squats, and immediately pees with his butt next to the front, so at least that's not a problem. haha. I would switch to a bowl but the running water sound compels my other male cat to drink more water than he did in a bowl and since I'm terrified of crystals I guess I'll just have to learn. I can already tell by cleaning the litterbox today that Thomas is urinating a lot less than he did with DKA.

That's a GREAT tip about the spoon. I'm going to label an older one as "NOT FOR COOKING" and try that as soon as he pees. Peeeeeee Thomas.
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
Thomas generally goes into the litterbox, squats, and immediately pees with his butt next to the front, so at least that's not a problem. haha. I would switch to a bowl but the running water sound compels my other male cat to drink more water than he did in a bowl and since I'm terrified of crystals I guess I'll just have to learn. I can already tell by cleaning the litterbox today that Thomas is urinating a lot less than he did with DKA.

That's a GREAT tip about the spoon. I'm going to label an older one as "NOT FOR COOKING" and try that as soon as he pees. Peeeeeee Thomas.
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Yes, my pee spoon lives near the litter box now so there's no danger of it getting back into the kitchen. :) Sounds like Thomas positions himself just like my guy to pee. Makes it easy to use the spoon.

I agree that you need to use a fountain if one of your kitties needs to drink more. Teasel is prone to cystitis and I find that adding warm water to every wet food meal to make a sort of stew has helped a lot.
 
Thomas is eating, his glucose is ok, and using the litterbox fine but he just seems a little....sad. I am thinking this is probably some depression from the hospital stay? He's pretty alert and walking around, etc, but he doesn't seem very interested in me and I haven't heard him purr in days :( I have been trying to give him space while still stroking him as I pass by, etc.

anyone have any thoughts?
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
Thomas is eating, his glucose is ok, and using the litterbox fine but he just seems a little....sad. I am thinking this is probably some depression from the hospital stay? He's pretty alert and walking around, etc, but he doesn't seem very interested in me and I haven't heard him purr in days :( I have been trying to give him space while still stroking him as I pass by, etc.

anyone have any thoughts?
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A DKA episode wipes them out and they can take a while to feel normal again. When Teasel had his it was 2-3 weeks before I felt he was back on track, maybe a bit longer. If he continues to eat well, stay hydrated, pees and poops and you test for ketones it should be fine. :)
 
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My kitty also had DKA a few weeks ago (nice way to find out your kitty has diabetes, huh?!) and it took about a week for him to start slowly acting somewhat normal again. We really started to notice improvement when he finally came off all the meds he was prescribed (except for the insulin of course). It has only been 16 days since we brought him home and he has been doing wonderful for the last week. Today he is tearing around the house and leaping in the air after his favorite toy. First few days all he did was sleep and looked very sad just as you described your Thomas. He will start getting better soon, he just needs some time.

I am watching your tread because you are so closely resembling exactly what I went thru just a little over 2 weeks ago. Seems so long ago now but it really hasn't been. The folks on this board have been amazing and I have learned so much.
Hope your little Thomas boy starts feeling much better soon! xo
 
Thank you both so much. I have a friend visiting this weekend who Thomas loves so I'm hoping since she won't be dosing him maybe he'll cuddle up and love on her.

It looks like his nadir right now is between 4 and 5 hours ago I'm going to be testing around then (and before feeds) and try to give him a little break from all of the pokes. Of course if I notice weird behavior I'll test as necessary, but I want him to rest and get back some strength.
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
Thank you both so much. I have a friend visiting this weekend who Thomas loves so I'm hoping since she won't be dosing him maybe he'll cuddle up and love on her.

It looks like his nadir right now is between 4 and 5 hours ago I'm going to be testing around then (and before feeds) and try to give him a little break from all of the pokes. Of course if I notice weird behavior I'll test as necessary, but I want him to rest and get back some strength.
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It would be very helpful if you could go into your signature and add details about when Thomas was diagnosed, what insulin you're using, what glucose meter you're using, what you feed him, etc. It saves people having to ask the same questions when they look at your thread. :)
 
Coffees-and-cats said:
I'm hoping since she won't be dosing him maybe he'll cuddle up and love on her.
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I totally get this. My hubby hasn't been doing any of the ear pokes or the insulin and I swore my kitty was going to end up loving on him more...but really ...it wasn't true. As soon as he started feeling better, he loves me just the same. Your Thomas will be cuddling and PURRING with you SOON! :cat: Can you post a pic of your little guy so we can see how adorable he is? I love seeing the cute pics of everyone's kitties on here!
 
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Coffees-and-cats said:
try to give him a little break from all of the pokes
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I get this too! I gave Ozzy a break from ear pokes for two days last week because I knew I was going to do a curve on him the following weekend (LOTS of pokes for 2 days straight) and wanted to give his ears a break. He was tolerating a very low dose of insulin already so it all ended up ok. Wouldn't recommend while switching up doses though.
 
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