Clarky's in Crisis...Please Help!

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Barn Cats R Us

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Hi all,

Clark's been OTJ for 12 days now. I just found him the kitchen floor; rapid, loud breathing. He's conscious, but not responding to his name; basically he's in major distress. BG = 274...I don't know why. Should I give Humulin? It can't be the "higher" BG throwing him into this state...can it? He's acting hypo from the way I've heard it described. Help.

Deb
 
Oh crap.

Deb,
Any signs of injury? Something caught in his throat? BG makes no sense, but pain and stress make it climb.
How do his eyes and gums look. Gum color? Third eyelid showing?
 
Ketones 0.1
Gum's seem pale
Hind legs warm
If his pupils are dilating, it's not enough for me to pick up on with my bad eyes
Usual amount of urine in box
No defecation
Third eyelid(s) showing
He's responsive enough that he's now pissed that I'm messing with him
Not choking, or pawing at mouth or head
 
can you get him to a vet asap? Pale gums and third eyelid mean he's in trouble.
 
is his breathing still loud? eyes still not responsive? anyone that can drive with you?
 
agree. go! if someone can go with, that would be best
 
It's not hypoglycemia, and do not give insulin. Call the ER vet, give them the symptoms, and then please head in ASAP.

Good luck. Our thoughts go with you.
 
hit the back button on your browser....sometimes it will still be there.
 
He snapped out of it a little, and was sitting for about 10 minutes, or so, as opposed to laid out on the floor. Right now, he is laying on a cat bed in a normal cat position. Although his breathing is still rapid.

He's done this a million times before, while getting overdosed daily with Humulin. But if it previously had something to do with insulin overdose, why have an episode now? The only difference this time was his breathing was louder; but rapid just like all of the other times. He was more responsive this time than previously...as it used to take him HOURS to pull out of it. I think it's mostly over, but I'm on the other side of the house in my office.

9:01 PM: BG = 274
9:44 PM: BG = 220

Not a huge difference, but if BG is an indication of distress, it's better than nothing.

He just answered me when I said his name. He "murts", or "hums" when you talk to him. He doesn't/can't do that during an "episode". He just had a physical exam last week. She sneaked in the rabies vaccine when I wasn't paying attention...at least that's what the paperwork says. I had 4 cats targeted to hold off on rabies for a few weeks. She talked me into one of the four, which left three, and then she apparently did Clark on the sly...which left me with two to come in a couple weeks. I don't think the rabies vac has anything to do with it...but he is battling something and I didn't want any more crap in his body right now.

I wonder if it's a type of seizure? I just checked on him; It's 10:20 PM EST, and his breathing is "almost" back to normal...not quite.
 
I agree, at least call. If you don't want to call your vet, call the ER and just explain what happened.

I know that clark has had "episodes" before, and that he is FIV+. Can that somehow tie into this? I don't know exactly what FIV+ entails. Maybe whatever it is going on inside of him is somehow related or made worse because of it?

Like this for instance?
Respiratory Disease: Approximately 30% of FIV-infected cats have chronic upper respiratory disease with sneezing and nasal discharge. These symptoms may be due to chronic infections with feline herpes (rhinotracheitis) or calicivirus. In some cats, pneumonia can develop and cause coughing and difficulty breathing.
Maybe not the chronic snottiness, but the pneumonia part....something funky with his lungs...?
 
Thanks everyone for coming to my rescue.

He started eating about an hour ago ...it's over. No ER for him tonight, it's not an ER situation at this point. More blood work, ultra sound, kitty MRI, or something of that nature...maybe. Right now, I consider myself vet-less again. He's had recent blood labs. These episodes didn't start until the insulin overdosing; which may have triggered something in his poor FIV body. He's so sweet. Love him dearly; he's at the top of my favorites list...he used to be so funny before the FD dx...pretty much dog-like.

Clark came from a farm down the road (at that time). The other farm's colony pushed him off "their" farm as a kitten; I'm guessing an adult male did the pushing, and possibly infected him, or maybe he got it from his mom. Anyway, he came to "my" farm as a kitten, but had to fight to stay...so in the meantime, he had infected one of my dominant males (RIP). We had no FIV at the farm before him. I've always assumed he had about 10 years to live...I've tried to make them good ones. When I took him for blood labs in April, he was pretty much at the end of his 10-year lifespan (which, I guess, is presumptuous on my part), and I was just going through the motions, expecting a high white count, or something of that nature. Just hoping something would show up, to let me know what I was dealing with; ex-vet said maybe it's diabetes, before she even sent the sample out. She was right, and I was actually relieved that I didn't have to deal with yet another horrible cancer...just yet, anyway. Not knowing how to actually manage diabetes, two SQ injections, in my world, was a piece of cake. It was the exact 12-Hour spacing that was a pain in the arsh.

Carl: Thank you. You have a calming effect. Vet #2 listened to his lungs last week, so if it's pneumonia, she missed something big; not that I would be surprised. Yes, I'm sure he has herpes...many of them do (my clan, that is). His breathing has been more "junky" than normal, but he stopped accepting the Enisyl-F paste, a couple months before the FD dx in April/May. I knew there was trouble brewing when he started refusing the Enisyl-F, since he LOVED it, and had been on it SID to BID for years (for the herpes). He considered it a treat, and didn't like it when I would switch him to SID...but, "too bad for you", I always say. :) The FIV+ situation, from what I've always understood, requires antibiotics at the slightest hint of infection, since he might not be able to fight it off on his own. Other than that, I don't store too many details in my tired brain. I knew more about it years ago, however, we're getting closer to the time when it will take him out, so I should probably brush-up on it again. I still say the insulin overdoses did him no justice.

I'm rambling. I apologize. I just realized I haven't eaten all day. Nothing since yesterday...not one thing.

Thanks again.

Deb
 
Good. Clark is okay, so now, you must eat something. Thanksgiving leftovers are probably no good by now.....but find something. Chicken Soup, Cap'n Crunch, something good for ya!

Deb, I try. It works most the time. Tonight was kinda crazy, huh?

Eat, then sleep. dance 12 hours at a time. Beyond that, it isn't under our control.

Carl
 
Carl,

I'm eating "the turkey"...I hope it kills me. :lol:

My favorite restaurant put food together a "take-out" order, when I couldn't make the actual dinner reservation, due to Marilyn's surprise attack. Last night I had shrimp lejon, and lived to tell you about it!

I'll nuke the poor turkey an extra 30 seconds, and hope for the best.

Deb
 
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