Newly Diagnosed also w/DKA, Pancreatitis and UTI - Day 2

Status
Not open for further replies.
Emily and Baby

Emily and Baby

Member Since 2013
Previous post

Good morning,

Baby is doing much better this morning! I took her back to my local vet and got her a shot of Cerenia for her nausea. She already had an appetite stimulant shot yesterday that is supposed to last 3 days so she didn't get anything extra for that. They sent me home with an anti-nausea pill (cerenia) to start tomorrow after todays shot wears off. They also showed me how to do sub-q fluids and gave her 150 units/ml(?) this morning. She is eating cooked chicken breast with a bit of tuna water this morning and ended up eating quite close to her BG test but I didn't want to stop her. She's was at 259 before I gave her 1 unit of Levemir. I was able to find Keto testing strips and got her a huge assortment of different foods for her to try.

Is it correct that right now (depending on her numbers) I test at +1, +3 and +6? Or do I do more testing?

I will get a keto test done as soon as she uses the litter box to check for ketones.

Hopefully things are heading in the right direction! Thanks again for all the support last night; I was losing my mind! So grateful for everything and feeling less hopeless today from knowing there are such good people out there willing to take the time to help me and my kitty :bighug::cat:
 
She hasn't been eating large amounts at once, just snacking, all day but she is suddenly very hungry. She's eating Special Kitty shredded chicken in sauce and I will see what else she will eat, perhaps Temptations again like last night. She doesn't have any new symptoms (was wobbly, lethargic since yesterday). I have honey if needed and will test again in 10 minutes
 
I am very glad you got some subQ fluids into her and they gave you some to give at home. That’s great!
Also the Cerenia shot and tablets!
I’m very happy to hear she is eating much better for you. What a good girl …she must be feeling a bit better. That is fine if she is just snacking all the time.
52 is a safe number but as Levemir usually nadir later in the cycle, we don’t want her dropping too low earlier in the cycle
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
I am very glad you got some subQ fluids into her and they gave you some to give at home. That’s great!
Also the Cerenia shot and tablets!
I’m very happy to hear she is eating much better for you. What a good girl …she must be feeling a bit better. That is fine if she is just snacking all the time.
52 is a safe number but as Levemir usually nadir later in the cycle, we don’t want her dropping too low earlier in the cycle
Click to expand...
Yes, I am so happy too! The vet was great today and didn't hesitate to give me anything you had suggested and had a tech show me how to give fluids. Was so helpful to know what to ask for and to be listen to!
She hasn't been drinking much, would you suggest, if she still isn't drinking, that I give more fluids this evening or wait and see how she is acting?
That makes sense, I remember something similar with my cat that had diabetes. It was 10 years ago though and I feel like all the knowledge I had just fell out of my head!
 
I would only give the sub Q fluids once a day….what dido the vet say and how much?
I’m so glad the vet was helpful. That’s great!
Keep posting. I have to go out shortly to take someone to work but I’ll keep in touch as much as I can.

Emily and Baby said:
Her BGs are holding at 52 20 minutes after+5 test
Click to expand...
Keep offering the food and test again 20 mins.
If it drops under 50 rub some honey on her gums
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
I would only give the sub Q fluids once a day….what dido the vet say and how much?
I’m so glad the vet was helpful. That’s great!
Keep posting. I have to go out shortly to take someone to work but I’ll keep in touch as much as I can.
Click to expand...
The vet tech said 150 a day would be good, unless she was showing obvious signs of dehydration (neck scruff staying in 's' shape, pale gums) and that giving too much wouldn't hurt her?

Keep offering the food and test again 20 mins.
If it drops under 50 rub some honey on her gums
Click to expand...
Ok, she's having more temptations, seems to start then get distracted and stop, then start again. I will test again and give honey if under 50.
Thank you!!
 
Last edited:
Emily and Baby said:
Yes, I am so happy too! The vet was great today and didn't hesitate to give me anything you had suggested and had a tech show me how to give fluids. Was so helpful to know what to ask for and to be listen to!
She hasn't been drinking much, would you suggest, if she still isn't drinking, that I give more fluids this evening or wait and see how she is acting?
That makes sense, I remember something similar with my cat that had diabetes. It was 10 years ago though and I feel like all the knowledge I had just fell out of my head!
Click to expand...
I add 3tbs of water to my sugar kitty & non sugar kitty's meals. They never drink water although it's offered to them daily. The only time Panzer drinks water is when his numbers get high.
 
70 at +6.5. Do I continue testing every 20 minutes or increase time between? (+6.5 test took a bit longer to get done, meant to do it at +6.3)
 
Looks like she is surfing nicely now. What has she eaten in the last hour? Low carb?
How long since any high carb food?
I would test again in 1 hour to see she is not dropping again.
 
She has snacked on a couple temptations, a few chunks of chicken and licked at the sauce from the chicken and sauce. She doesn't have much of an appetite still, so I gave her a few temptations (maybe 3) about 30 minutes ago. Is it ok to just let her eat whatever she wants still? I have the A/D food but she isn't interested in that.
Test at +8 (in an hour) or an hour after her last test (+7.5)?
 
Emily and Baby said:
She has snacked on a couple temptations, a few chunks of chicken and licked at the sauce from the chicken and sauce. She doesn't have much of an appetite still, so I gave her a few temptations (maybe 3) about 30 minutes ago. Is it ok to just let her eat whatever she wants still? I have the A/D food but she isn't interested in that.
Test at +8 (in an hour) or an hour after her last test (+7.5)?
Click to expand...
I think test each hour while she is in green if you can. It would be good to get the data.
Also if you can put what she is eating in the remarks column of the SS that will be helpful to look back on.
Yes I would let her eat what she wants at the moment until her appetite improves. It’s important she gets as much food as possible.
Have you had any luck with the ketone test yet?
 
Ok, I'll test again at +7.5 and hourly until she's out of green.
Ok, I'll add that too. She's mostly just picking away so it won't be exactly accurate lol.
 
No, I work full time days but from home 4 out of 5 days a week with one day in the office which is less than 10 minutes from home. I can speak to my boss about the one day a week in the office and see if I can work only from home all five days on a short term basis.
 
Sorry, couple more questions, when should I do her first test after her PM shot? And after her first test, how often after do I test if her numbers don't go low?
 
Emily and Baby said:
Sorry, couple more questions, when should I do her first test after her PM shot? And after her first test, how often after do I test if her numbers don't go low?
Click to expand...
At the moment I would always get a +2 just to see how she is going. Then after that it will depend on what the BGs are. Sorry I can’t be more specific, but at the moment we are gathering data. She is not eating properly yet and the food is partly higher carb so the cycles will probably all look different.
The fact she has responded so well to the Levemir is very encouraging.
I really want to see if she has any ketones in the urine as I don’t know if we are going to be able to keep her on 1 unit for long. If there are ketones we don’t want to be reducing the dose and may have to feed her higher carb food to keep her on the 1 unit, to make sure she is getting enough insulin. We have to do this sometimes with DKA kitties to ensure they are getting enough insulin to stop the ketones.
How is she generally….is she walking any better, is she still lethargic? And how are her eyes?
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
At the moment I would always get a +2 just to see how she is going. Then after that it will depend on what the BGs are. Sorry I can’t be more specific, but at the moment we are gathering data. She is not eating properly yet and the food is partly higher carb so the cycles will probably all look different.
Click to expand...
No worries, I know it's not an exact science when she isn't eating consistently and low carb.
I really want to see if she has any ketones in the urine as I don’t know if we are going to be able to keep her on 1 unit for long. If there are ketones we don’t want to be reducing the dose and may have to feed her higher carb food to keep her on the 1 unit, to make sure she is getting enough insulin. We have to do this sometimes with DKA kitties to ensure they are getting enough insulin to stop the ketones.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure why she hasn't peed except if she is so dehydrated her body is keeping all the fluids it can? Is it dangerous for her to have 1 unit at her PM shot since she went a bit low today? She isn't interested in food much at all but has been snacking more on the temptations this evening over the chicken, which she was favouring earlier. Should I be trying to get a urine sample somehow?

How is she generally….is she walking any better, is she still lethargic? And how are her eyes?
Click to expand...
She's pretty sleepy and chill but seems a lot more comfortable and aware than she was last night. She is a bit clumsy but not nearly as bad as last night. Her eyes seem more normal too, last night she just starred into space, now she's actually closing them and napping. She's making bread on my lap right now and purring so she seems to be generally happier.
 
Emily and Baby said:
Should I be trying to get a urine sample somehow?
Click to expand...
If you put her into the kitty litter would she pee?
How long since she has peed?

Emily and Baby said:
Is it dangerous for her to have 1 unit at her PM shot since she went a bit low today?
Click to expand...
As she is following TR she has not earned a reduction. But dropping that low in the first dose does mean that once the depot fills the effect of the dose could mean it might drop the BG under 50 as the depot fills. But because she is only just starting to recover from DKA, we don't really want to reduce the dose if we can help it. It will mean you will have to monitor the BGs closely when they start to drop.
Getting a ketone urine test will help with decisions.

Emily and Baby said:
She's pretty sleepy and chill but seems a lot more comfortable and aware than she was last night. She is a bit clumsy but not nearly as bad as last night. Her eyes seem more normal too, last night she just starred into space, now she's actually closing them and napping. She's making bread on my lap right now and purring so she seems to be generally happier.
Click to expand...
That is encouraging she seems to be improving.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Sorry I went out thinking you wouldn't be positing until now about the shot. Anyway you made a good call.
Click to expand...
No problem! Whew ok, good. Sorry, my time changed by half an hour today. So I'll test again in two hours and keep offering food to snack on? I've tried like 12 different kind of food and he's just not having it lol.
 
Emily and Baby said:
No problem! Whew ok, good. Sorry, my time changed by half an hour today. So I'll test again in two hours and keep offering food to snack on? I've tried like 12 different kind of food and he's just not having it lol.
Click to expand...
Oh yes I forgot to factor in the 30 minutes!
When Sheba wasn't eating well, I froze the food and marked the carbs on it and used it at a later date to stop wastage
Emily and Baby said:
o I'll test again in two hours and keep offering food to snack on?
Click to expand...
yes please.
Its good she is eating some chicken
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Oh yes I forgot to factor in the 30 minutes!
When Sheba wasn't eating well, I froze the food and marked the carbs on it and used it at a later date to stop wastage
Click to expand...

Good idea! Unfortunately, I don't know what the carbs are as I'm in Canada and the food list doesn't have many options for Canadian food. Some of the foods are on the American chart, would they be the same in Canada and the Canadian one just has foods that aren't listed in the US? My other kitties are enjoy little blobs of the ones she isn't eating, they're in heaven right now with all the options! Lol.

yes please.
Its good she is eating some chicken
Click to expand...
She's snacking on the chicken breast and temptation off and on still. I think she has to poop but she's uncomfortable so she's currently wanting to hang out near the little boxes but is wary of them :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top