Hummingbird water hypogly treatment

[Harley Baby & Michele]

I had an epiphany while making Hummingbird water this morning. I think it would be a good treatment for hypoglycemia. Highly concentrated sugar water can easily be drawn up in syringe then slowly and gently dribble in cats mouth; assuming, of course, that the cat is alert enough to swallow. The syringe needle twists off easily.
I have honey and Karo Syrup available but it is such a mess. I had 2 dogs previously with diabetes and used the Karo. The syrup landed more on me and the furniture than in the dogs mouth!
Any thoughts on this? Do you think it would work?

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

That's an interesting thought. Once syrup is on the gums it stays but I don't know how it's absorbed. Will a semi conscious cat have a lick response to either or both?
Every new idea has to start somewhere.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

Sharing the method we used:
I kept a 3ml oral syringe fastened to a bottle of karo syrup with a rubber band. Using the oral syringe made it easy to control the amount of karo given without making a mess. It also made it easy to add a drop or two to food to give kitty when trying to raise BG numbers quickly. Rubber banding the oral syringe to the bottle eliminated the need to search the house for one when time is of the essence.

 

[JeffJ]

I've always had luck with oral syringes for Leo's hypos. Even easier - I put karo in some fancy feast food with water and he laps it up.

In addition I have a small blunt tipped syringe for anal application in case of dire emergency. Yes, it sounds nasty but it would be a last resort.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

anal application in case of dire emergency

Does that mean Karo is absorbed through the skin? My migraine meds are not meant to be swallowed and I know some immobile patients get pain meds via a suppository.
I use a finger for Karo and aim for the gums, maybe the roof of the mouth. Is this right? In all these years both Nigel and Noah have dipped low but never crashed, just sheer dumb luck.
Once and for all, is Karo the same as corn syrup? I've heard of people in a panic using honey or even pancake syrup. I think some break down too quickly and/or have too much sugar. Pancake syrup would be loaded with artificial flavoring no?

 

[Olive & Paula]

Does that mean Karo is absorbed through the skin? My migraine meds are not meant to be swallowed and I know some immobile patients get pain meds via a suppository.
I use a finger for Karo and aim for the gums, maybe the roof of the mouth. Is this right? In all these years both Nigel and Noah have dipped low but never crashed, just sheer dumb luck.
Once and for all, is Karo the same as corn syrup? I've heard of people in a panic using honey or even pancake syrup. I think some break down too quickly and/or have too much sugar. Pancake syrup would be loaded with artificial flavoring no?

Smokey got sick from karo syrup. Pure Maple syrup (always in house) worked for us. Sometimes honey, a drop in a tiny bit of food and I mean tiny. For Olive, I have the maple syrup, and honey if we need it. Also tube of white cake frosting if I have to take her somewhere it's just easier, less messy than liquid. Luckily we haven't needed anything yet.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Worse yet when you find a jar or bottle that has crystalized. I've been told low heat can undo that but is it the same as before?
mmmmmmmm! frosting. Like homemade butter frosting, just like mom used to make.

 

[Olive & Paula]

Worse yet when you find a jar or bottle that has crystalized. I've been told low heat can undo that but is it the same as before?
mmmmmmmm! frosting. Like homemade butter frosting, just like mom used to make.

Honey is something we don't use at all. So it always crystallized, therefore just not worth buying for us. Now maple syrup we use a lot so it's always stocked in my house.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Does anyone have an answer for the 1st or 2nd posts? I'm worried about an involuntary cough or gag from the water idea with a hypo cat. Maybe just easier to stick with what you know.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Does that mean Karo is absorbed through the skin?

it's absorbed through mucus membranes....the gums and the intestinal tract both are covered in mucus membranes.

I've been told low heat can undo that but is it the same as before?

Yes, it's fine....Honey is the only food that NEVER spoils....they have found honey in tombs in Egypt that's still totally safe and good

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

If you're faced with a long drive to emergency with a HYPO cat is there anything else we can do to stabilize kitty? Something simple like a subQ injection.
As mentioned before I've only had low numbers that were caught in time, no seizures, not even a sign other than me keeping a close eye on a low AM day.
Is the "squirt sugar water" idea out?

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

If you're faced with a long drive to emergency with a HYPO cat is there anything else we can do to stabilize kitty? Something simple like a subQ injection.

I usually suggest taking the karo (corn syrup)/ maple syrup or whatever you're using to bring BG numbers up with you in the car to apply as needed on the way to the vet's office/ER.

I've not heard of a sub-q injection for hypoglycemia.

Is the "squirt sugar water" idea out?

I don't like to discount any method of getting sugars into kitty when fighting hypoglycemia. Work with what ever you have on hand. Personally, I prefer Karo syrup because it has a higher glycemic index than most other syrups and it's relatively easy to administer. There's also less chance of kitty choking with syrup than with a liquid. However, you'd better believe I'd be syringing sugar water if it was what I had available.

The important thing is to think about what you have on hand when dealing with hypoglycemia. Maple syrup, frosting, agave syrup, vanilla ice cream, honey, gravy... these are all tools which can be used to raise blood glucose. Of course, your best bet is to have a hypo tool box prepared and ready for use.

Edited to add:
One of our caregivers adds dehydrated potato flakes to make a higher carb food for her cat. Be creative when looking for high carb alternatives!

 

[JeffJ]

Part of the prep should be a taste test. When a kitteh is not having a hypo - see if they like the sugar substance. In the case of Leo - he would like to lick up a whole bowl of Karo. So I'm pretty sure he likes it, and this makes it real easy to treat his rare hypos.