jackie said:
Hi -
Carl - Her potassium was low at 3.6 (normal 3.9-5.3) and her chloride was also low at 109 (normal 111-125). They didn't measure her magnesium. What was your experience with Bob? How do you treat this and did it make a big difference?
Jackie
Jackie,
Bob's potassium was perfectly normal when he was diagnosed with diabetes. A few days later, he threw lots of ketones, and ended up staying at the vet for 3 days, diagnosed DKA. Blood work after that showed that his potassium was lower. It was 2.6 or 2.8, and when they sent him home, they also sent a bag of lactated ringers with potassium added to it, and I had to start giving him sub-q fluids every day. At first, it was 200ml a day. Then 100 every day, then every other day, then twice a week. In all, he got almost 40 treatments (4 bags, 1000ml per bag). After the 3rd bag, they checked his potassium and it was just above the low end of "normal", so they made me continue with one more bag. Unfortunately, the last time he got checked a month or so ago, it had dropped a little. My vet told me that "normal range" was from 3.6 to 5.something, and he was at 3.5.
I told my vet that I didn't want to give him sub-q fluids anymore, and would rather get a potassium supplement to administer.
The sub-q with added potassium did work, but I didn't see the point in continually pumping fluids into Bob when he wasn't in need of hydration, just to get some potassium into his system. He (and I) didn't enjoy the sub-q procedure. If I had to do it again, I would definitely get the smaller needles (22 g instead of 18g). The 18g are referred to here as "harpoons", and for good reason. They're huge! And it made me quesy, and made him squirm, when I had to poke them into his skin.
My vet told me I could go online and buy a potassium supplement without a prescription. I tried, and I can't. So I have to get a 'scrip, and haven't done so yet. There's something called "Tumil-K" and it comes as a paste or a pill. I am going to get the pill form, since the paste contains "sugar", I guess so kitties will actually eat it because potassium apparently tastes like ick.
All that said, if Argyle's Potassium is at 3.6 (and your vet says 3.8 is within the normal range, then it probably isn't low potassium that is causing problems. But it could be a result caused by some other condition going on.
Bob isn't really having any problems, but my vet is concerned that the low levels are being caused by "something", and if not treated, will get worse. When Bob
was really low, the evidence was muscle weakness. Weak enough so it was noticeable. A lot like neuropathy symptoms, but not as severe. Back leg weakness, but not walking "funny". He just wouldn't climb and jump like he used to, and wasn't very active/playful. That is better now than it was then. He's jumping up on the furniture and playing more.
Low potassium can cause muscle and heart problems. Oddly enough, so can high potassium. The heart is a muscle. One way (low) it has to work too hard, the other way (high)it can cause damage to the muscle. (That's what I was told by my vet)
Is Argyle lethargic, or not as mobile as she used to be? The only thing you've posted that causes concern was what you said in your other thread about her "hanging her head when she feels lousy". That is one of the symptoms of neuropathy, I think, but if you haven't seen other mobility problems, then it might be a symptom of something else, or just the way she lets you know that she feels bad.
Carl
