GA High Ketones - what now

I'm still trying to figure all this diabetic stuff out. I read how important it was to check urine for ketones. I bought some strips a few days ago. Yesterday the strip showed a trace but today it is showing large ketone levels (the darkest color both strips have). I ran out to the store and bought a different brand of test strips and it is also showing a large amout. He has been acting very quiet and lethargic today but no vomiting or any other signs of distress. I called my vet and they don't seem that worried but said to bring him in later today.

Is this a medical emergency? How bad are ketones? Can he recover from this?

 

We just switched to Lantus two days ago.

 

Yes, take your cat to the vet now. Trace ketones can be managed at home, anything higher can not. Good luck and keep us posted. Yes, he can recover with proper and quick treatment.

 

Thank goodness you tested for ketones. Definitely, this requires immediate vet attention.

Paws crossed for Bisbee!

 

Oh I hope all goes well.

 

I’m at the vets now. He doesn’t seem to concerned about it. He thinks Bisbee has a bladder infection so starting him on clavamox twice a day. He says he is a little dehydrated so giving him some fluids now then sending us home. Does this sound like the correct treatment plan? I’ve read stories on here about cats having to be hospitalized for days to get over this. Now I’m worried the vet isn’t doing enough.

 

Did he check for ketones?

 

No, he just went off what my urine strip showed. So he agrees there are ketones but says it doesn’t necessarily mean DKA (I think that is what he said). He thinks Bisbee will be ok if we start clavamox and do a little bit of fluids today.

 

I'm sorry, I don't have enough experience with this.

@Deb & Wink
@Bron and Sheba (GA)

See you both online but not sure if you're active.

 

Did he do a blood test?
It’s important to check the acidity of the blood and other things as ketones can lead to DKA which is much more serious

 

Did the vet send you home with fluids also?
You can learn to give subq fluids at home yourself.
Flushing out those ketones is very, very important.

Syringe some water into your cat if the vet did not give you fluids to give at home.

Please test again for ketones. ASAP. You need to measure with fresh urine and read the strip in 15 seconds, no longer than that. Did the test earlier today go longer? Even 30 seconds can be too much elapsed time.

Anything more than trace ketones CAN NOT be managed at home. Your vet should have kept Bisbee in the clinic, and retested for ketones AND monitored him overnight. Ketones reading at the highest level on the ketone test strip is very, very dangerous for your cat. Their electrolytes get out of whack and need close bloodwork monitoring to make sure your cat Bisbee doesn't have organ failure.

How is your cat's appetite? Is he eating enough? How much? How often?
Food is the second key to dealing with ketones. Feed him at least 1.5 to 2 times as much as he would normally need.

Ketones develop when a cat is not getting enough energy from their food, and they are burning up muscle and fat to produce energy for their body. Ketones are a waste by-product of that process, and can kill your cat.

@Chloe007 had a DKA only a few months ago. Tagging her so she can give you even more information.

 

If you are still at the vets ask for a blood test. If he insists on sending your kitty home, ask for some antinausea medication cerenia and ondansetron. Also ask for some subcutaneous fluids and the tubing and needles to set it up.
We can help you with that.
Ask the vet to check his heart to make sure he can have subQ fluids.
I think he should be hospitalised but make sure first this vet knows what he is doing.

 

Thank you guys so much for responding. We are home.

No, he didn't do any bloodwork or urine work. He also didn't send me home with fluids but he did tell me to try to mix water with his canned food. I tried feeding him when we got home and he wouldn't touch his food. Is it ok right now to feed a different type of wet food with more carbs (meow mix savory morsels was his favorite but I stopped letting him have it) or even some dry food, just to get him to eat something.

Yes, I read the first two strips at 15 seconds and they were as dark as can be. I will keep trying to get another urine sample. I just tried but he had no interest.

I do have Cerenia (for another cat that I have) but he isn't really acting like he is nauseated.

Thank you all for your help. I am just so concerned that he is going to get worse because the vet is acting like it is no big deal.

 

If he is refusing food he may be nauseated. At the moment food is like a medicine So feed him whatever he will eat. It doesn’t matter if it is high carb or dry.
He needs 1 1/2 time’s the normal amount he normally eats. Feed small amounts often.

Encourage fluids
I think you should ring the vet up and ask for some subQ fluids to give at home. And while you have him on the phone ask for ondansetron as well. Cats with ketones are often nauseated and they must eat to get rid of the ketones

 

I see you just swapped to Lantus insulin. What were you in before?
It is really important that you don’t skip any shots. Insulin is as important as food in the fight against ketones and DKA.
If you feed some higher carb food we can increase the dose of insulin. do you have plenty of test strips and are home to monitor him.?
when is the next dose due?

ETA I see you were using Vetsulin before, and only swapped over two days ago. This could be where the problem started. Lantus is a depot insulin and takes a few days for the depot to fill, whereas Vetsulin is an in and out insulin and the full effect is with each dose.
if the ketones don’t reduce quickly we might be better going back to Vetsulin until the ketones resolve. Let’s see how the next few hours go.

 

Hi Bron I looked back at her first thread , you beat me to it lol, I figured I would post it for her for everyone to see the amount of vetsulin she was giving
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...1-20-frustrated-that-numbers-are-high.228633/

 

I have a call into the vet asking for subQ fluids and zofran. Hopefully he will call me back soon.
How often should he be getting fluids? He just had them at the vets?

Yes, we just switched to Lantus.

 

Ask for ondansetron as well for the nausea in case the cerenia doesn't help

 

Thanks for that link Diane. I see that Bisbee had a trace of ketones at diagnosis So he is prone to them.

Sub Q fluids can be given daily if needed. Usually around 100 mls. The vet may have given more at the surgery ... they often do.
When is the next dose of insulin due?

I’m going to tag @Sandy and Black Kitty about the insulin and what she thinks about swapping back to Vetsulin while the ketones are so high and in the picture. Not sure if she is around at the moment.

 

Zofran is another name for ondansetron

 

You are welcome Bron

 

Lol thank you I didn't know that

 

His next dose of insulin isn't for another 5 hours.

 

I would call the vet again and tell the receptionist that you need him to call you back before he leaves, you don't want to chance him getting worse and have no fluids or nausea meds

 

Thanks.
Have you tried feeding him some of the dry food he used to love. If that is all he will eat at the
Moment that is ok. Eating anything at this point is the most important thing.

 

He won't eat. I've tried his favorite wet food and even his favorite dry food. He won't touch it.

I just got off the phone with the vet. He is going to have be do 1/4 to 1/2 of a 4mg dissovable zofran every 8 hours. He also said I can pick up a bag of fluids with tubing and needles. He said to him him more fluids in another 4 hours then twice tomorrow.

I was able to get another urine sample and it went to the darkest color again at 15 seconds.

 

I've never given fluids. Is it hard?

 

Can you afford to take Bisbee to an emergency 24 hour vet? Is your vet open 24 hours?
Will you be getting those supplies, the zofran and the fluids and tubing and needles tonight, before your vet closes? Sounds like yes from what you said in your reply above.

It's super important that you do get those fluids AND food into him.

You need to force feed him if he won't eat on his own after the Zofran.

 

Yes, I will be getting the fluids today.

 

Here is a video.
How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids (Video)

Hardest part, is getting your cat to sit still and not pull the needle out, before you finish giving the fluids.

You also need to give the subq fluids in a DIFFERENT place from the insulin shot. As far apart as possible from where you have been giving the insulin.

Did your vet give the fluids in the scruff?
Do you give Bisbee the insulin in the scruff? Or elsewhere?

 

Have you given a cerenia tablet ? I'm sure he is nauseated.
Cerenia and zofran can be given together so I would give a cerenia now if you haven't already done so.
How much does he weigh?
We have to get him to eat. You may have to start syringe feeding as Deb mentioned.
I would not give more SubQ fluids before the other fluid has had a chance to be absorbed....can you ask the vet how much fluids he gave.

I agree on thinking about an ER vet if there is one available or another more interested vet if you can afford it.

 

I think you should really take Bisbee to an ER vet that can monitor overnight. A full blown DKA can not be handled at home and since your vet didn't do any bloodwork, we have no way to know if his electrolytes are off which is very important to know.

 

I agree. It will be much easier to treat now as only (hopefully) ketones, than to treat DKA.

 

How are things going Kirsty?
Has Bisbee eaten at all?
Have you thought about taking him to th ER or another vet?
What is his BG?

 

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I went to the store to get some different cat foods, then to the vets where I picked up the bag of fluids, then I was on the phone with my mom filling her in on what is going on.

I do have an emergency vets near by but am really hoping we don't have to go because money is an issue. A few months ago I had to take another kitty to the emergency vets because of anal gland issues and it was over $3,000 and with all the appointments that led us to discover Bisbee's diabetes we spent close to $2,000 on different lab work, xrays, etc, so money is tight. I will watch him very closes and if I see he is going down hill I hill have no choice but to take him in.

I gave the clavamox and zofran about an hour ago. I did get him to take a few licks of some wet food and about 6 pieces of dry food. I was also able to syringe feed him about 15ml of very watered down wet food. I will continue to push foods and liquid.

Thank you for the post about how to give fluids. I'm a little worried about it but I am confident that I can figure it out with everyones help.

You guys have been a tremendous help. I wouldn't have even know about testing for ketones if it weren't for this group.

I will go take a BG reading now.

 

Thanks for the update. Keep offering food. Dry is fine at the point.
Did you find out how much subQ fluids the vet gave today?

 

The vet gave 100 ml in the scruff. I will give him his insulin tonight in a different spot.

He weighs 9lbs (a year ago he was 13lbs).

Please let me know if I forgot to answer any of your questions.

 

The vet wants me to give another 100 to 150 mls in about 2 hours. The stuff the vets gave him he absorbed very quickly.

 

Are you going to be able to monitor the BG tonight? And have plenty of strips? Do you also have honey or karo if needed?

 

Then he was probably more dehydrated than the vet thought.

 

Has the lump where the fluid was given gone?
I don’t think I would give more than 100 mls.

 

I have spoken to @Sandy and Black Kitty and she recommends giving the liver shake are you able to get those ingredients and start that?
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30432/

also this on how to stimulate appetite
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/suggestions-on-how-to-stimulate-kittys-appetite.130770/

 

I just tested and he is at 213. Yes, I have lots of strips and will continue to moniter.

This whole thing has been so stressful. I'm almost 2 months into it and still haven't been successful finding the right dose. In the last month I've only had it below 200 a handful of times. I was so excited when the new insulin (lantus) got here but now my baby is worse off. Yes, I have honey but I've never had a reading anywhere near needing it.

Yes, the lump is completely gone. It was gone by the time I got home. I will aim for 100ml's tonight.

 

Thank you for the information in the links above. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the ingredients for the liver shake, but maybe I can get to the store first thing tomorrow.
It is amazing how when one of our fur babies gets sick everything else gets put on hold. My human kids just informed me that they are very hungry and that I forgot to feed them lunch. I guess I better go make some dinner. I will update later.
Thank you all again for your help and guidance.

 

Thanks for further update. Do you have any higher carb food we can give IF we decide to increase the dose of insulin?
Has he eaten any more food? Please keep offering food.
Yes it’s easy to forget other things!

 

Kristy,
I have just been in contact with @Marje and Gracie and she says that you need to take Bisbee to the ER, that Lantus works too slowly with ketones that large and that it’s too hard to treat at home. She said to check into Care Credit or one of the other financial
Links. I will also tag @Chris & China (GA) as she is involved with DCIN.
I agree completely with Marj.......it would be much better to go now before it all gets much worse.
He needs to be on an IV drip and a fast acting insulin to get rid of those ketones and he needs his blood electrolytes checked to see he’s not in DKA.

 

The fact that he has an infection (or so the vet presumes which is not good), he has large ketones, he isn’t eating/drinking, and his BG is elevated, etc are all a recipe for DKA.

I know you are worried about costs but he needs to be in the hospital (ER). We are not vets but we know when you can’t deal with something at home. Sending many well wishes for him.

Here is the post with links to financial resources.

 

Kristy,
How are things going.?
Have you made any decays to what you will do?
How is Bisbee?

 

At this late at night, I'm not sure I can get ahold of anybody and I'm also not sure if we're still able to help with emergency costs due to lack of donations.

Here is the link to the Emergency Assistance information in the meantime.

I wish I could offer immediate help.

 

Kristy how are things with you and Bisbee?

 

Sorry I haven’t updated sooner. It was a very long night with a lot of waiting. Yes, I took him to emergency vets. Basically they told me that he needed bloodwork, urinalysis, and hospitalization. They said he will probably be hospitalized for 48 hours. Unfortunately I don’t really know the results of anything or how he is doing. I left the ER office at 3:30 came home and crashed. I just woke up and called for an update. Just as the doctor started talking he said “I have to go, there is an emergency. I leave here at seven so the vet who is taking over for me will call you when she can.” So at this point I’m just waiting and don’t know much.

This vet did seem very concerned with his weight loss, which I’ve brought up to my vet multiple times. My vet keeps telling me that once we get his blood sugar in control then he will start to put on weight. Since we started insulin he has continued to lose weight. This doctor thinks there is another condition going on that is aggravating his diabetes. He says that his numbers aren’t terrible and that he should be gaining at this point or at least maintaining his weight. He wants to do an ultrasound but it wasn’t included in last nights estimate because he said they have a traveling person who comes in once a week to do the ultrasounds. Someone from the office is supposed to call later today with that estimate and to figure out the timing to get it done. Hopefully I will hear back from his office soon with an update.

 

I'm so glad to hear he's at the vet and being treated more seriously.

 

Please keep us updated, sending positive vibes that they get to the bottom of this

 

Kristy

I’m so glad you took him to the ER and they kept him. I hope he improves quickly with treatment. Please let us know how he does.

I took the 911 down off your thread as it is no longer needed and I know you are juggling a lot of fireballs right now.

 

Kristy,
Thank you for the update. I’m glad Bisbee is in hospital getting the care he needs. I hope you hear back soon.

 

@Kristy & Bisbee ….any new news about Bisbee?

 

It has been a long and emotional day with ups and downs. This morning the vet said there hadn't really been much of a change, then the vet in the afternoon said that she was starting to see some improvements which got me super excited, but I just got off the phone with the vet tech who first saw Bisbee last night and he flat out said that he doesn't "see any improvement" and that Bisbee is in the same condition as when I brought him in. He is still very lethargic and has no energy.

They say that he hasn't eaten anything since 1 teaspoon of tuna at 9:15 this morning. The put a freestyle libre on him and he has been pretty much staying between 240-260. They took him off lantus and are using Humulin R.

His kidney levels are normal but his liver enzymes are off. There is protein and blood in the urine. They also said his Bilirubin is higher than it should be (not sure if that was blood or urine).

I asked if his ketone levels had come down at all. He said they only run those about every 24 hours. He has is schedule for tonight around 10:00 pm.

I need to make a decision if I want to add on the ultrasound. The traveling guy will be there tomorrow moring and Thursday morning. My bill so far is $2,700.00. I'm just worried that I can approve it and spend another $500 to get it done, but that he might not pull through this. With the fact that we haven't seen any improvement even though his first dose of fluids and amoxicillin was close to 30 hours ago.

 

It is so tough right now not being able to see Bisbee or even talk to the vet in person. Everything is being done over the phone.

 

Kristi....I'm chatting with the director of DCIN about the possibility of helping you and she's asking some questions. She's forgotten her sign on information for here so she's talking to me on Facebook.

Can you tell us what meds he's on now? Did they do a culture on the urine?

He should be having zofran, pepcid, ciproheptadine,,IV fluids, amoxi or clavamox.

 

Hi Kristy - I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. My cat was hospitalized for several days with DKA and one of the most important things is that he gets food. They were hesitant to syringe feed her because they didn’t want her to become food averse and need a feeding tube. After talking it over with them, I decided to insist they syringe feed her. If she didn’t eat, she’d need a tube and have to have it put in when she was very ill. If they syringe fed her and she didn’t want food on her own after, well, at least I was making that decision for a cat who had a fighting chance due to the nutrition. I think syringe feeding saved her life, she did not improve until they did that. Is the ER vet willing to try that to get Bisbee some food in his system? Or at least try a more aggressive approach than offering tuna.

Also: I remember Noodles bilirubin being through the roof because she wasn’t eating — it affects their liver function.

 

Kristy, you are on an emotional roller coaster right now. Hang in there.

Humalin R is a very fast acting insulin. That should help to bring Bisbee's blood glucose down quickly. But he needs the blood ketones flushed, and subq fluids help with that.

They need to force feed him. Syringe feed him, get some food into Bisbee. ASAP. Or are they doing a glucose drip for nutrition?

So they can't do a simple ketone urine strip test more than once a day? Or are they checking blood ketones?
There are hand held meters that can test for blood ketones. Test strips for the blood ketone meters cost about $1-2 each. Test only takes a minute or 2 to do.

Or there are the less expensive ketone urine test strips. You'd think that a vet clinic would know how to express a bladder and get a little bit of urine out onto a urine ketone test strip.

 

@Deb & Wink I wonder if they are only testing for ketones when they do bloodwork. Noodle had 1-2 CBCs run a day when she was hospitalized (my bank account still flinches...), but they checked her BG more often I think and probably her ketones too. Maybe with Bisbee on the Libre they’re not testing his BG so not doing ketones at the same time like others might?

 

Yes, maybe. But ketones need to be checked more than once a day, if Bisbee is still really high with the ketones. You don't need a CBC to check for ketones. Yes, you do need the CBC to check the electrolyte levels. But why only check for ketones once a day? Perhaps they have forgotten the need, since they are using the Libre freestyle to check the BG levels?

Plus, he needs to be fed. Desperately. Why aren't they feeding him? would be one question I have if I were Kristy.

 

My heart is aching for your Bisbee and you Kristy
I hope you push for what Deb said to force feed him and check for ketones way more often and cubs fluids
I just get so upset when I hear about a sick kitty. You have to light a fire under their a*s
Praying for some better news for your kitty

 

It’s quite normal for them to take a ketone kitty off their basal insulin and use a bonus insulin like R. I hope they can get him to eat but I would ask if they will let you come in, in a mask and gloved, and put you in a private room with him so you can try and get him to eat. It’s possible his liver enzymes are off if he hadn’t eaten. Yes, there are other reasons why they could be but I wonder.

Sending more prayers.

 

Chris - Right now the only meds he is on is Clavamox. They are using Humulin R for insulin and doing sub-Q fluids. They have not done a urine culture. Last night the vet did say that he thinks Bisbee could have a vitamin B12 deficiency. He wanted to do a Cobalamin Folate test but after finding out that they have to send it out and we wouldn't have results right away and that it was $277 I opted out of doing it. The vet was okay with just assuming that he does have a B12 deficiency and he said that he will give him B12 in his fluids along with an appetite simulant. I will double check with him tonight and see if he followed through with that.

Patricia & Deb - I get to talk to the vet in an hour from now. I will push for syringe feeding. I'm not 100% positive but I'm pretty sure the ketone test they are doing tonight is just another dipstick urine strip. I was so frustrated last night when I found out that they charged me for a $97 for urinalysis that used urine from a sample that I brought in and one dipstick test strip. I sure thought I was going to get more information, but it was the same urine strips I had been using at home and didn't tell me any more information than what I already told them. I bought 50 strips for around $25 so I agree with you that they should be able to test more frequently than every 24 hours. I'm really starting to second guess if they know how to treat a cat with DKA.

Marje - I will definitely ask if I can go see him! Hopefully they will let me. If he does pull through this I'm a little concerned about how to transition him back to Lantus being that it takes awhile to build up and switching him from Vetsulin to Lantus last week could have played a role in all of this. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there. On a side, your Gracie is adorable. I also have a Gracie but she is white and gray.

 

I finally was able to talk to the vet around midnight when he had a break between emergencies. Unfortunately, it isn't looking good. There has been no improvement at all in his eating energy level. His ketone levels are still high and there is still glucose in his urine. His BG ran between 220-240 most of the day but they did get two readings in the 190's during the evening but then it went back up. I was very happy to hear that they are doing more than what has been relayed to me. I asked about syringe feeding and he told me that they offer food every four hours and if he doesn't eat then they syringe a little in him. When I asked about giving anti nausea medicine he said they already have been giving him something. He also was given something for the b12 deficiency and has been given two different types of appetite simulators.

He still feels there is something else going on because Bisbee hasn't put any weight back on since we started treating his diabetes in early April. He thinks something else was going on first like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lymphoma, pancreatitis, etc. He painted a very bleak picture. He didn't bring up the ultrasound so I asked if that was still something he thinks should be done. At this point he doesn't think it needs to be done. He said the treatment for a lot of the stuff they would be looking for would require the same treatment plan that we are doing but it doesn't seem to be working in Bisbee. He said if they found a tumor or something that required surgery or further diagnostics that Bisbee probably isn't strong enough to do that right now. He flat out said "I don't think it will turn out well whether we do the ultrasound or not do it. He has deteriorated to the point that return will be hard." I asked what would you do if it were your cat and he said "start thinking about euthanasia ." He said I can come in anytime throughout the night to do it but he also said that if I wanted to give him some more time to turn around then that would be okay also.

I don't think I'm ready to give up yet. I read that some cats are hospitalized for 4 or 5 days to get over this. I'm hoping the vet is wrong and that Bisbee just needs more time. I asked him to increase the frequency of syringe feeding throughout the night, which he agreed to do. I also made it very clear to him that if Bisbee take a turn for the worse or is in any pain, to call me no, matter what time it is and that I would come down and agree to euthanize him.

For those of you that have been through this. How long was it before you saw improvements? Do you think he needs more time or should we already have seen some slight improvements at this time. He was perfectly fine on Sunday. On Monday he didn't come for breakfast which I thought was strange so I found him. I got him to eat with some encouragemen and coaxing from me. I was finally able to get urine around noon and discovered the ketones. I took him to my regular vet who gave fluids around 2:30. I gave him fluids again around 9:00. He has been in the ER since about 11:30 Monday night and there has been no change.

 

I’m so sorry things are not better. I have not had a DKA kitty but I have seen many here. And many are told a bleak picture by the vet. . I would not give up yet. Vets talk about euthanasia far too soon in my experience. We have had cats here recover from DKA that the vets did not think would pull through many times.
He has only been There for a short time so far. They often don’t make much or any progress in the first 24 hours.
You are his advocate. Don’t be talked into anything you are not comfortable with.
I would give him a few more days to turn the corner. It’s a horrible illness and it takes time for the cat to get on top of it.

 

Hi Kristy. I just copied this that I found that someone had posted, maybe this will help you some when it comes to the cost , Prayers for Bisbee




Look into this,
CareCredit is the best. I am so grateful to have mine. We originally applied for it when my husband needed dental surgery, but it turned out we didn't need it. Now I use it for the kitties exclusively. Any medical charges go on that card. If you charge $200 and above, you have 6 months to pay it off WITHOUT INTEREST. So it's same as cash. You can spread out your payments so it's easier for you to manage. If you charge over $500 (I believe) you get 12 months to pay it off without interest - if you pay off the entire amount during that time. The interest is pretty high afterwards, but it's very convenient for large ticket items like dentistries, that way you can manage it easier and there's really no catch. And you can apply online. LOL, I know I sound like a CareCredit rep but I can't sing its praises enough. Working at a vet hospital I have seen how it has helped people get their pets the care they need without too much worry. Good luck. I'm sorry you're dealing with all of this!!!!!

 

Prayers for Bisbee sigh.

 

@Kristy & Bisbee

I'm still so sorry you're going through it. Noodle's experience was 5+ years ago now, but she was in the hospital for 5 days, she'd probably been declining for a while, though, it just hadn't registered to me what was going on. She did not show improvement until they began syringe feeding her (maybe day 2 or 3?). I know when she was there she was on IV fluids and anti nausea meds at the very least, we went home with anti nausea (cerenia), appetite stimulant, and medication to help her liver heal. She lost a LOT of weight while she was untreated and I was feeding her at least 2x what she'd normally get once we got home.

Since they're already syringe feeding her, would they commit to giving her as much as possible vs a "bit" when they attempt? Noodle did start eating on her own after a day (ish) when they got her started with syringe feeding.

Have they tested for pancreatitis? It can be done with a blood test instead of an ultrasound and would indicate being a lot more aggressive with anti-nausea (most here treat with cerenia + odenestron/zofran) and supporting with pain medication like buprenex, too.

 

I'm heart broken to say that this is the message I was hoping I wouldn't have to write. Bisbee is no longer with us. When I called for his morning's update they said that he was declining fast and that his body was starting to shut down. They said they did everything they could but there was really not much left to do because he didn't show any signs of improvement and continued to decline. He was also becoming more and more jaundice so they said his liver was shutting down.

Looking at our itemized bill it looks like they tried to give him a fighting chance but it just wasn't in his cards. He had to many things going against him. Here is what the they did and what they gave him- syringe feeding every hour throughout last night, IV fluids, IV Fluid Bolus, vitamin B12, vitamin B complex, dextrose, KCI, Rebound Recuperation Formula, Cerenia, Mirataz, Entyce, and Humulin R.

I was worried that I was giving up on him to fast but when I saw him I was at peace knowing that it was time.

Thank you guys so much for your support, guidance, and kind words. It is amazing what I have learned from this experience. When he was first diagnosed with diabetes I was overwhelmed and scared. I spent hour reading over sticky notes and different threads about dosage, types of insulin, home testing, charting stuff on a spreadsheet, how to feed a low carb diet, ketone testing, cheapest place to order Lantus and so much more. Thank you all for taking the time to help educate us that are new to this because my regular vet sure wasn't as supportive or helpful through all this as I would expect. I am truly amazed at the contradicting information I received from my vet and what I learned on here. When I asked for an Rx for the Lantus Solo Pens he said no at first. Not until I showed him the charts and diagrams, from this site, that showed how to use it and a list of reasons why it is better than a regular vial did he agree to it.

Again, thank you all!

 

OK Kristy, I am so very sorry, my heart is breaking for you
You did everything you could and more
Bisbee was so lucky to have you as his momma
He is no longer suffering and is at peace probably up there with all the other kitties, back to being a kitten again
Every time I read a kitty has passed I just can't help but getting teary eyed.
Please take care of yourself, we all feel like we have known Bisbee for a long time
My heart goes out to you
Fly high sweet Bisbee ♥♥

 

Oh, Kristy.

I just had to step back and have a good cry for Bisbee. I had been praying for you both. I am so sorry.
Please take comfort in knowing you did the best you could and didn't allow anyone to give up on him.

 

Oh no....

Heartbreaking... You did absolutely everything you could for your little guy. I am so sorry.

 

Kristy - my deepest sympathy. You have been through so much the last few days. Be gentle on yourself.
Note - I added the GA suffix so people following could see that Bisbee has now gone ahead.

 

Kristy
I am so sad and sorry to hear this news. You did everything you could to save Bisbee and gave him the hardest but most loving gift of all to release him.

Fly free beautiful Bisbee

 

Tears for you and Bisbee. His pain is over and yours is just starting. I AM so very sorry for this loss.

Bisbee, you look after mommy and let her know you are still around. She just has to look at you a little differently... to see.

 

I’m so sorry Kristy , I’m sure Bisbee knew how much his momma loves him . You did everything you could for him

 

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

I am very sorry for your loss. We also lost one of our cats three weeks ago, but I believe we will meet them again.

 

So sorry to hear it was Bisbee's time to move on to his next adventure. I know how heartbroken you are. I had to release one of mine last week.

Fly free sweet Bisbee and land softly. There are lots of friends at the Bridge to welcome you and keep you company until the time comes that your loving mama comes to be with you forever.

 

Kristy.

Lighting a ring of candles in memory of your beloved Bisbee.

May some good memories of him bring you comfort in the days ahead.

 

Godspeed Little Angel

 

(((Kristy))). My very deepest condolences. You gave him every chance and all the love a kitty could ask for. I wish you peace as you grieve the loss of your special boy.

Gentle journey, Bisbee.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kristy. You fought hard for him.

 

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

Thank you all for your kind words and support.

 

Oh Kristy you are welcome, we all have come to love your girl, I wish things would have turned out different. Please take care ok, we are all like family here
Gentle hugs

 

Youre right Diane. Something about that name and picture. Immediate
sigh. I feel like we failed.

 

I am sorry for your loss.

 

I'm just reading this thread and crying. Your love and dedication to him shines through. I am so sorry!