DKA Tibby coming home, hopefully not too soon

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Marsha & Tibby

Marsha & Tibby

Member Since 2016
I'm going to pick up Tibby at 5pm. If his ketoacidosis had happened earlier in the week, I would be leaving him with the vet, but they will be closed for the weekend. He will be coming home with subq fluid (with added potassium), insulin, an antibiotic, and some cans of A/D. I already have BG testing supplies at home. He was not previously diagnosed or treated for diabetes. This ketoacidosis episode was also his diabetes diagnosis. Looking back now, I realize there were some signs that he should have a checkup, but I put it off because I'm not working right now (looking!) and my savings were depleted by cats with cancer, heart disease, and a urinary blockage. My regular vet will let me make payments. The emergency clinic will not, so home care it is. Even though I have cared for 2 diabetic cats in the past, I'm very nervous. I never dealt with ketoacidosis before, and what I've read so far is pretty scary.

Hello to Melissa & Popcorn (GA), and Kathy & Cashew (GA)! I recognize those names from when I was here before (1998-1999)!

Marsha & Shawn (GA); O.J. (GA) before him; and now Tibby.

O.J. was orange & white, Shawn was all orange, and Tibby is a gray tabby. All boys.
 
I have no experience dealing with DKA so I just wanted to wish you the best of luck! I know a member who recently (past few months) successfully nursed his cat through DKA at home, perhaps he might have some insight or tips. I will tag him. @Photorecon
 
Glargine/Lantus, 2 units. He got his first home dose less than 10 minutes ago, as he was eating. He ignored the A/D, and ate regular food, so other cats ate some of his A/D. Then I think he had a little nibble of the A/D for good measure.

Poor Tibby started to yowl about a mile and a half from home. He had to GO. He didn't make it. I heard the squirt, then got blasted with the smell. Tibby was upset about that too, and gave another yowl. He went straight for the kibble when I let him out of the carrier, but didn't eat any. After I cleaned up the stinky carrier, I got dinner and meds ready for everybody. Antibiotic & insulin for Tibby, prednisolone for Dosi, and urinary tract food for Binky. Now I get to take a break until it's time to test Tibby's BG. He starts subq fluid tomorrow, 150cc a day. His BUN & creatinine have come down quite a bit, but were still elevated at 100 and 3.3. Hopefully they will keep coming down as the subq does its job.

Marsha & Tibby
 
You sure have your hands full! Glad he's home, sounds like he's feeling pretty good too. If he's eating, drinking , getting fluids and his insulin, he should be fine.
 
Tibby moves from spot to spot on the main floor - except into his favorite bed, which I put on the floor for him with a fresh towel. Binky had claimed it while I was at the vet's. In its usual elevated spot, that is Tibby & Dosi's bed only. I noticed that if Tibby goes more than a few feet he has to sit down to rest. His back legs seem a little weak. Due to the low potassium maybe? There is potassium in his subq fluid, but he won't be getting that until tomorrow. I thought I had some Renal-K gel around here, but I must have tossed it. Brock didn't like that stuff, so he got his potassium as powder mixed with his food. (Brock passed on April 29 of this year).

Marsha & Tibby (who went back for seconds!)
 
I'm sorry about the passing of Brock :(

I wouldn't supplement his potassium other than the sub Q unless the vet told you to. It's so great to find a vet that will take payments. That is a rarity.
I wish you luck through the weekend. He needs food, insulin, fluids, and his antibiotics if there was an infection.
 
Brock was a handful by himself, but he had a very sweet and tolerant personality. All the vets loved him! He was feline leukemia positive, then developed Restrictive Cardiomyopathy with Congestive Heart Failure. His only symptoms were that he was eating a lot but not gaining weight, and seemed itchy around the head for no apparent reason. He did not have labored breathing even though a moderate amount of fluid was drawn off on discovery. Only 20% of cats with an RCM/CHF diagnosis survive a year, and Brock made it! He was getting 5 pills and 2 supplements (including the Renal-K). His heart had even improved on the echocardiogram. I brought his cardiologist a custom anniversary cake. Ten days later I was devastated when lymphoma claimed him. The beginning was very subtle, and it progressed rapidly.

This year has been rough. Noelle died of sinus cancer 3 weeks after Brock, and Binky was hospitalized for several days with a urinary blockage, but he is doing fine. And now Tibby.

Marsha & Tibby
(PS - Brock was the last of my 3 FeLV+ cats, who lived separately from the others)
 
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