GA Cat with diabetic ketoacidosis, critical condition.

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ilovemissy

ilovemissy

Member Since 2015
Missy is a 9 year old Norwegian forest cat. We found her very weak Saturday morning. She refused to eat, only lay on the floor. We took her to the vet hospital the same day, and the vet said she's got DKA and was in a critical condition. She was hospitalised at once.

Missy became even weaker on Sunday, with high value of blood sugar (above 20) and the insulin treatment did not work on her. She refused to eat. Blood sugar went a little bit down during the day (we stayed with her in several hours and that may calm her down. She's a very nervous cat and doesn't like other cats or vets). The blood test in the evening showed that she's got high value on white blood cells, and she had a feber. The vet said she may have infection.

she's got antibiotics during the night and on Manday the feber was gone. The blood sugar level was stable at 12-13, but she refused to eat. She was seriously dehydrated, and lack of kalium. She was happy to see us when we visited her. She even tried to turn her belly to us but she was too weak to do so. We were with her in about three, four hours. Before we left she was so weak that she could barely lift her head.

On Tuesday (yesterday) Missy was operated with a tube so that she could get some food. They found the volum of liver is large but no cancer detected. Still lack of kalium, very weak, stable blood sugar, pH value was critically low.

The vet called us today and said that the prognosis was not good. She said that the condition was "only marginally improved" but critical. Missy is very weak, and lack of kalium.

I love my cat so much and I can't bear the thought that she dies. It's painful to see her like that.

Any advice is appreciated.
 
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Hello, I'm so sorry Missy is ill. I don't have any experience with DKA so can't offer any advice, but wanted to let you know you are both in my thoughts and prayers.:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
So sorry to hear your beloved Missy is so ill, it must be heartbreaking for you. I don't have any experience with DKA, either, but also wanted to let you know I'm praying for Missy and you, and sending strength and healing vibes. Please keep us posted about her treatment and progress!

Hugs,

Lucy :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
We feel your heartache and overwhelming anxiousness. I wonder if the large liver means Missy has fatty liver "hepatic lipidosis" from not eating. Hopefully they are getting some food into her with the tube. I also have no experience with DKA but my cat had hepatic lipidosis several years ago and recovered. I am so hoping for a recovery for dear Missy.
a big hug to you
Carol
 
Thank you all so much for your support. It means a lot for us.

We are back now from the vet and here are some updates:

Missy was more awake than in the last days, she even tried to stand on her feet and walk.

But the prognosis is worse: before yesterday the vets said something like 50/50 chance to recovery, now they expressed like less probability that she can make it. The reason is that the liver is damaged, her overal condition is not good, they detected abnormal values for kidney functions, and it's difficult to regulate the glucose level.

The vets are going to keep Missy to Friday, treat her and observe if anything would help. If until then she's not gotten better, they suggested to give up.

Missy was obviously mad at us today. She turned her back at us several times and tried to walk away. She must have been so scared and sad and hopeless, she has to go through all this alone while we are not there for her.

I would never give up on my baby cat even though the chance is little. We pray for a miracle.

Thanks again for your support.
 
I'm so sorry to hear your dear Missy is not doing well. I understand you feeling like you are not there for her but you are doing everything you can. She is getting the care she needs to hopefully rally and recover. There have been many cats with DKA recover fully so don't lose hope. When you visit next time, take something with your scent on it to leave with her. A little touch of home will help calm her and make her more comfortable in the strange environment. Sending healing vibes!
 
Thanks for the tips. And your support means so much. It's heartbreaking to think about a life without my baby girl, but we don't dare to hope too much...
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I'm so sorry to hear your dear Missy is not doing well. I understand you feeling like you are not there for her but you are doing everything you can. She is getting the care she needs to hopefully rally and recover. There have been many cats with DKA recover fully so don't lose hope. When you visit next time, take something with your scent on it to leave with her. A little touch of home will help calm her and make her more comfortable in the strange environment. Sending healing vibes!
Click to expand...
I agree with MrWorfMen's Mom. Years ago, I had a cat with a severe case but he did recover and lived many years after that. We did take him my husband's undershirt with his scent on it and visited every day with a tape recorder to play his favorite music and gently brush him. The vets told us he was much more responsive after we were there. Thoughts and prayers to you and Missy.
 
Thanks for support. We asked the vet to put our shirt around Missy but they politely refused it, since they want to control the hygiene in that room whre several cats rest.

We are going to spend as much time as we can together with her.

I wonder if there are many survivors from DKA with hepatic lipidosis?
 
I'm sorry to hear Missy isn't doing well. It sounds like they're aware and addressing dehydration and lack of kalium (potassium). I'd also be concerned with fever and the white blood cell count. I hope they're able to find the source of the possible infection and then give her the appropriate antibiotic.

Several years ago my Alex had severe liver disease in conjunction with an acute renal crisis... not DKA. However, the treatment for liver disease is basically the same. In addition to administering subcutaneous fluids for hydration here's a few things that helped her immensely:
  • Denamarin is a supplement for dogs and cats containing S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and silybin. "Administering SAMe (S-Adenosylmethionine), which is found in Denamarin, has been shown to markedly increase liver levels of glutathione,1,2 an important compound for liver health formed when SAMe is metabolized. The SAMe in Denamarin has also been shown to help protect liver cells from cell death3,4 and may help cell repair and regeneration.5" For optimal absorption, tablets should be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before feeding, as the presence of food decreases the absorption of S-Adenosylmethionine.
  • Another is Ursodiol. It has not yet been approved for use in cats, but many vets have been using it successfully here in the US for several years now. Ursodiol is available as the brand name drugs Actigall and Urso. It's available in a capsule or tablet, but my vet had it compounded into a chicken flavored liquid for us.
  • Food. Food is like medicine to the liver. Since Missy has a feeding tube it shouldn't be a problem to get her to eat at least her normal amount plus about half of that everyday. If possible, feed her foods with lots of calories!
I credit these three things to Alex surviving liver disease.

Alex also survived DKA a few years prior to her bout with severe liver disease and an acute renal crisis. She was hospitalized. The vet had her on IV fluids to hydrate and balance her electrolytes. She was given frequent doses of Regular insulin every few hours to control her blood glucose. Feeding was also a factor. She didn't have a feeding tube, but was syringe fed every few hours round the clock.

Please ask your vets to look into the use of Ursodiol and Denamarin for liver disease. In my opinion, they saved Alex's life.

Good luck! Sending positive thoughts for a speedy recovery!
 
Jill & Alex (GA) said:
I'm sorry to hear Missy isn't doing well. It sounds like they're aware and addressing dehydration and lack of kalium (potassium). I'd also be concerned with fever and the white blood cell count. I hope they're able to find the source of the possible infection and then give her the appropriate antibiotic.

Several years ago my Alex had severe liver disease in conjunction with an acute renal crisis... not DKA. However, the treatment for liver disease is basically the same. In addition to administering subcutaneous fluids for hydration here's a few things that helped her immensely:
  • Denamarin is a supplement for dogs and cats containing S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and silybin. "Administering SAMe (S-Adenosylmethionine), which is found in Denamarin, has been shown to markedly increase liver levels of glutathione,1,2 an important compound for liver health formed when SAMe is metabolized. The SAMe in Denamarin has also been shown to help protect liver cells from cell death3,4 and may help cell repair and regeneration.5" For optimal absorption, tablets should be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before feeding, as the presence of food decreases the absorption of S-Adenosylmethionine.
  • Another is Ursodiol. It has not yet been approved for use in cats, but many vets have been using it successfully here in the US for several years now. Ursodiol is available as the brand name drugs Actigall and Urso. It's available in a capsule or tablet, but my vet had it compounded into a chicken flavored liquid for us.
  • Food. Food is like medicine to the liver. Since Missy has a feeding tube it shouldn't be a problem to get her to eat at least her normal amount plus about half of that everyday. If possible, feed her foods with lots of calories!
I credit these three things to Alex surviving liver disease.

Alex also survived DKA a few years prior to her bout with severe liver disease and an acute renal crisis. She was hospitalized. The vet had her on IV fluids to hydrate and balance her electrolytes. She was given regular doses of Regular insulin every few hours to control her blood glucose. Feeding was also a factor. She didn't have a feeding tube, but was syringe fed every few hours round the clock.

Please ask your vets to look into the use of Ursodiol and Denamarin for liver disease. In my opinion, they saved Alex's life.

Good luck! Sending positive thoughts for a speedy recovery!
Click to expand...
How very nice of you to share all this valuable information.
 
Many prayers for you and your Missy.

Our Smokey had liver hepatitis, she was prescribed the meds that Jill and Alex mentioned. She refused to take the Denamarin, but was on Ursodiol for years and her lypase numbers came down significantly and stayed down. It also seemed to help lower her fPLI for pancreatitis.
 
I asked for my cat to have my scent in the kennel when she was in for a procedure that was going to be delayed many hours from when I took her. I got permission to keep her in her carrier and put my scent on the top of the carrier. I don't know that they would allow you to do this as they may need more access to her but would think they could at least let you put the clothing on the bottom of the kennel, which would be above her. Worth asking. It does help them feel more peaceful I believe. Hugs to you.
 
Dear everyone, thank you. Missy lost her battle today and the vet decided to put her into sleep because she was in such a pain. We were not there with our baby girl when it happened, but she's now free of pain and sorrow.

It's painful for us, and it will take a long time to recover. Missy was such a beautiful, loving, smart and sweet girl. She gave us eight years and five months of her life, without demanding anything in return. We are thankful that we had the chance to have her, and all the moments we spent together.

It was fantastic here, knowing so many people actually cared for us and supported us. Missy and we appreciate it. Thank you.

My sweet baby girl is now with my father. I know that her granddaddy is going to take good care of my baby girl.
 

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I'm so sorry to hear your beautiful Missy lost her battle. You did all you could and she knew how much she was loved. You were her guardian angel and now she is yours. Fly free Missy! :bighug::bighug:
 
I am so very sorry for your loss, it's so painful to lose a beloved family member. She will live on in your heart forever, happy, healthy and pain-free. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Fly free, beloved Missy. cat_wings>o
 
I'm so so sorry to hear about Missy. She will always be with you and she knew how much you loved her. Fly free, dear Missy.
 
So very sorry. :bighug::bighug::bighug:Missy will send you a sign from the Rainbow Bridge.:rb_icon: May she rest in peace.
Fly free little one for you are so loved.cat_wings>o
 
My condolences to you.may dear missy rest in peace.we are all here for you if you need someone to talk to in the dark hour.hugs
 
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