Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the aftereffect

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Martica and Fred

Martica and Fred

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Long story,I had a vet tech cat sitter watching Fred and I came home and he didn't respond when I arrived, went up to him, etc. Looked all glassy-eyed. I knew something was wrong and took his BG immediately and he was 24. Went into karo syrup mode and started feeding him. In 15 min he was 35 and another 20 minutes 105...then for the next few hours was in the 300s, stayed there...I didn't give him a shot until he was 525 at around +18...and then only .5 unit of Lantus.

It's now been 1 1/2 days, around 36 hours and he's barely eaten. He was NOT doing well yesterday, very tired, not alert much at all. This morning same thing. Tonight he's a little better, I've gotten a bit of food into him, not much. His head his perking up but in general he's not wanting to eat, although he is drinking. He is terribly dehydrated, more than normal, not sure why.

At the moment he's resting peacefully, but I'm just wondering if his body is starting to shut down. My poor little guy has just bounced back from one thing after another. For those ofyou who have read my recent posts, his breathing is much better, there is something there--and looked like fluid on the lungs in an xray 3 weeks ago, but it seems to be better. He's not on Lasix, stopped one weak ago when he suddenly stopped being able to walk--thinking it might be the dehydration/potassium. I did not get a new blood test because he'd only had one the week before. He's lost more weigh this past week, my poor little guy is 6 1/2 pounds I bet...at his obese peak he was 18.

Anyway, I know it's unrealistic for hiim to get totally better. I don't think he's in pain, but he's sure tired and weak. Anyway, for now just thinking minute byminute....I have no idea how long he'd been at a low hypo....for any of you that have had one out there...what were the aftereffects?
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

I dont know about the hypo stuff never had one.But may I say blessings and prayers go out for your brave little warrior. Sendig some for his mommy too. Bless your heart.
jeanne
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

You've mentioned on a couple of posts about possible low potassium. Has his potassium been checked? Low potassium will lead to lethargy, his being tired and not alert. When Tucker's potassium goes too low he wants no food and is barely able to lift himself up. Dehyrdation could mean Fred lost quite a bit of potassium.

Are you planning a vet visit?

I'm not an expert on hypos, the few times we've gone low here, there's some insulin sensitivity for a bit, but not the symptoms you are noting. Do you have any idea how long he may have been low before you got home?
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

I don't have a vet visit planned although I guess that I should, only thing is, I feel like the vet is going to tell me to put Fred to sleep. He is very dehydrated right now and drinking a bit. His eye infection seems to be back, in one eye...and I just saw mucus again on his diaper, no blood, but quite a bit of mucus. Poor little guy is breaking down. So he is just not eating today but he actually tried to walk to the kitchen (he can't walk, I have to holdhim and help him step) but he clearly had the will. So I set him down in there but then he didn't want to eat.

And he is def. trying to tell me something as he has tapped me with his paw several times, and sort of hard...usually it means water or food or something...but not now. He is pretty alert too. He's also making a weird sound every now and then, sort of like a burp. His breathing is pretty good though...:(

I do feel like he's dying, althugh slowly and not in pain, just probably not comfortable. But mentally he's sort of there, he's just weak. He is very skinny and very dehydrated. But he is sort of happily sitting on my lap right now with a warm heating pad on top. I can tell he is happy, not because he is purring, he hasn't purred since Sunday morning...but because he has his half-moon eyes and his head is perky. His bg has been pretty good. I've kept him on the 1/2 dose of insulin and seeing as he's not eating hardly, that's obviously the way to go.

I was just reading about interstitial cystitis and the vet tech who wasbaby sitting him yesterday during the hypo episode just called dto see how he was, she is going to come over and check his bladder. I have no idea how long he was in a hypo for...The night before he had been 300-something and he had a slightly smaller than normal dose of 1- unit. He had been eating too, a bit over the night...the thing is...I actuallyl left fred that night--for 22 hours--the first time I've left him in 2.5 years...and I've only left hiim up to this point 1 time in 5 years--and that was 2.5 years ago. Well I went to the RogerWater's The Wall concert, flew form NYC to DC...this had been planned since we bought the tics in March and of course I was playing it day by day,...but he was good when I left and I had a vet tech stay with him...anyway more later..
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

The short answer to your question is this: When cats hypo, they feel pretty much like freeze-dried dog doo afterwards. ECID, so I can't tell you how long Fred will feel bad strictly as a result of the hypo. I can tell you that when B.K. had a hypo in early evening and I got it resolved, he didn't feel decent until the next morning.

Unfortunately, there is no telling what permanent damage, if any, the hypo did. Fred may have had a seizure or other event before you got home.

It sounds to me like Fred really needs to see his vet. I know you are concerned about what the vet will recommend, and I don't blame you. However, the decision to PTS is one you have to make, not the vet.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

hi
thanks for that, well good to know they feel like crap afterward...he was not alone, so he did not have a seizure...the vet tech was with him every minute I was gone and I was checking in by phone and had her tell me the bg number at midnight Sunday night...and I told her the dose to give (slightly less and I had measured the syringe out myseolf in advance so it wasn't a measuring error). So I arrived back at 11:30am so time time in the few hours before then he was dropping. She had not blood tested that morning..but she was with him, giving him water, feeding him, etc. ..although looks like he had not been fed hin a couple of hours when I got home...she had actually stayed up all night feeding him too (intermittinegly). So I don't know. She just came over tonight, said his bladder is empty. He is really dehydrated, we both gave him water in the syringe and she gave him food. So he's feeling ok, but still very dehydrated. She said the corn syrup could have made him dehydrated...interesting...anyway....I think we are going to bed now. Tomorrow is another day. Luckily I don't have to leave at all tomorrow and can work from home.

I just was a bit reluctant to get his blood tested again because he's so fragile..and we just got it done 2 weeks ago. But we'll see.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

please bring him in. yes dehydration can certainly be an aftereffect, as well as looking wrung out, but he may have gone even lower than the 24 you caught so i'd bring him in just to be sure. at the very least i'd guess he needs fluids, tho the vet will need to decide that based on his condition.
if you can learn to give fluids at home they help so much when a cat is plain old feeling punky. i give them to my cat cleo and learned right when she was diagnosed with diabetes so i'm sure if i learned how then anyone can do it too.
i haven't seen a cat not eat after hypo, so i'm expecting that something else may be going on.
sorry you are going thru this and your kitty isn't feeling well. praying that the vet can intercede and get him back on track. (((Hugs)))
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

If he is dehydrated, why aren't you getting him subq fluids? You can get the vet to start and you do at home, or the vet tech you use should be able to show you.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

I'm by no means an expert here, but dehydration makes Buddy feel LOUSY. He had a short bought of stomach virus and sub-Q was the regimen to get him through. I third the sub-Q at the vet, suggest it gently and see what the vet thinks.

Tony
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

I really hope Fred is doing better.
@ Jen, Fred has heart issues so she has to limit his fluids(if I remember correctly).
Please let us know how he is.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

Hi everybody
Jill thanks for remembering...yes, Fred was in cardiac heart failure after fluids back in January so I stopped giving them to him then. He had an xray 2 weeks ago that indicated fluid in the lungs or chest and so I'm really afraid to give them to him now, although I've thought about it. He has not eaten on his own now in 2 days, since the hypo...although he has had some water on his own a little while ago--other than that I've syringed him a little food and water which he's not resisting, but he's not eating on his own.

He is very very dehydrated. What's so hard about this is that I've seen him bounce back SO MANY times, esp the past year...so I don't know if this is something that I should go to extra lengths to treat, or whether it's just too much for him. I'm too scared to give him the fluids although I did keep a bag (gave the case I had away once I knew I wouldn't give them anymore). He has been lying around all day, a bit restless, but also resting...and meowing at me periodically, which is very strange--he has also been tapping me occ. with his paw. He is trying to tell me something and I don't know what.

Two cat communicators have said he's not in pain, or in a little pain, but not much, but is just tired and is worried about me, etc. So I don't know what to do. My little guy looks pretty terrible...he is down to 6 1/2 pounds, maybe less after 2 days of little food..and this from his obese peak of 18...I'd say his ideal is 12/13....His eye infection has returned....like in the past 2 days only, basically since the hypo and so he has a bunch of gunk in one eye. He's getting lots of eyd drops plus started giving him the antibiotic eye drops again.

Anyway, this whole 'you'll know when' to put hiim to sleep. I don't know. I have no idea how I know. I would rather he die on his own, I don't know if he's dying or just tired, but the not eating or drinking, well that's a first, thru all his diseases he's certainly had an appetite. Anyway, just not sure what to do. He is alert though which is what is throwing me off, he aware of me being around him and meows when I walk away. A little teeny meow.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

Marticia, I understand your concern about going to the vet, but I think that is what Fred needs right now. He's dehydrated, has an infection, and isn't eating. Given all that and his health history, I think his vet needs to at least get a call from you. I know that isn't want you want to hear, but there just seems to be alot going on that isn't easily sorted out.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

I just wanted to say that I am so sorry for all the anguish you are going through Martica. I hope and pray the answers will come for you soon and that you will know what to do. Fred sounds like such a brave kitty who loves his mama very much.

Hugs to you and Fred.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

Well I called the vet earlier and my vet is not there today, back tomorrow. The one I don't like--no empathy and ignored Fred's bladder issue 2 weeks ago is there, so I def. don't want to see her. The other there today I don't know. He is still meowing at me on occasion, I don't know why. I gave him some more syringe water but he def. needs a lot more. I'm afraid that if I take him to the vet they are going to tell me to put him to sleep. I would rather we do it at home. I just don't know what to do. I would rather not do it at all. He's quite alert--in between resting--head up, tapping me with paw, occ meow...so it's all very confusing....:( He's not really 'sleeping' though. he keeps trying to 'get up' while I"m holding him, not sure where he is trying to go. He can't walk and I held him up to see if he would go in any directio and he didn't.
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

Martica, are there any mobile vets in the area that might come and take a look at Fred?
 
Re: Fred had a hypo yesterday: BG 24....what are the afteref

your vet cannot make you put him to sleep, so put that worry out of your head. there are almost always multiple options on how to treat so focus on that.
no, i wouldn't give fluids without a vet check up. he may want to run tests first to make sure about fluid elsewhere and he needs to check his heart/lungs/chest, etc.

also probably important to say you don't give fluids right after a hypo because it can cause numbers to go lower. but later, when numbers are higher because of a bounce, that's when fluids can be helpful if the cat is feeling dehydrated and punky. it's always important to know whether anything else is going on, tho, because that can affect whether vet advises fluids. (that's why earlier i said: "tho the vet will need to decide that based on his condition.")

i'd bring him in or find a different vet if the bad one is in. he really needs to see one.

they can definitely feel awful the day after a hypo, so i'm hoping fred's starting to feel better by now.
 
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