Hypoglycemic episodes - How long to recover??

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Burl & Kitty Knives

Burl & Kitty Knives

Member Since 2017
I think Kitty Knives is having a prolonged hypoglycemic episode. He is fairly new to diabetes. Was diagnosed about 4 months ago & is on a stable level of insulin.
About 4 hours ago he woke me up. He was having the beginnings of a seizure (his whole body robotically jerking but still able to control himself when he tried). He immediately ate 5.5 oz of wet cat food and over the course of the last 4 hours has eaten another 5.5 oz in addition to frequently having corn syrup rubbed on his gums.
Kitty Knives has only gotten better to the point of being able to walk but it's just pacing in circles while tromping on the backs of his legs. Shouldn't he have improved more by now???
All vets are closed because it is Sunday. My vet called me back over her hotline and wasn't very helpful. She essentially said "Who knows? Maybe it's a stroke. Keep giving him corn syrup and maybe it will, maybe it won't get better."
Kitty Knives has had an episode before during which it took about 2 hours to recover.
Is it normal for a cat to take this long (going on 4.5 hours now) to improve from a hypoglycemic attack?
Thank you for any info!
 
Burl & Kitty Knives said:
I think Kitty Knives is having a prolonged hypoglycemic episode. He is fairly new to diabetes. Was diagnosed about 4 months ago & is on a stable level of insulin.
About 4 hours ago he woke me up. He was having the beginnings of a seizure (his whole body robotically jerking but still able to control himself when he tried). He immediately ate 5.5 oz of wet cat food and over the course of the last 4 hours has eaten another 5.5 oz in addition to frequently having corn syrup rubbed on his gums.
Kitty Knives has only gotten better to the point of being able to walk but it's just pacing in circles while tromping on the backs of his legs. Shouldn't he have improved more by now???
All vets are closed because it is Sunday. My vet called me back over her hotline and wasn't very helpful. She essentially said "Who knows? Maybe it's a stroke. Keep giving him corn syrup and maybe it will, maybe it won't get better."
Kitty Knives has had an episode before during which it took about 2 hours to recover.
Is it normal for a cat to take this long (going on 4.5 hours now) to improve from a hypoglycemic attack?
Thank you for any info!
Click to expand...
What you describe sounds like a hypo episode but the duration is extreme. It's possible that the food/syrup interventions aren't enough to get his BG up and keep it up.
  • What insulin are you using and in what dose?
  • Do you test his BG at home?
  • Do you have an emergency vet clinic anywhere near you?
It's possible that something else is going on but you need him seen by a vet ASAP. Unfortunately, your own vet doesn't seem to be very helpful.
 
Hi,

He is on 4 units twice a day, I do not (currently) test at home, his last episode was a bit over 2 months ago & no history of seizures. Yes, there is an ER vet nearby which he was taken to and will be at overnight. When he arrived his glucose was normal. An x-ray showed constipation and a large stomach air bubble but nothing definite that would cause his symptoms. Further testing being done in the morning
Thank you both for your responses!
 
Burl & Kitty Knives said:
Hi,

He is on 4 units twice a day, I do not (currently) test at home, his last episode was a bit over 2 months ago & no history of seizures. Yes, there is an ER vet nearby which he was taken to and will be at overnight. When he arrived his glucose was normal. An x-ray showed constipation and a large stomach air bubble but nothing definite that would cause his symptoms. Further testing being done in the morning
Thank you both for your responses!
Click to expand...
That's a huge dose. Most cats never need more than 3 units. I would strongly suggest tomorrow you buy a meter and start testing, and cut that dose in half!!!
 
Burl & Kitty Knives said:
Kitty Knives has had an episode before during which it took about 2 hours to recover.
Is it normal for a cat to take this long (going on 4.5 hours now) to improve from a hypoglycemic attack?
Click to expand...
Cats usually recover fairly quickly from temporary effects/symptoms of hypoglycemia.

But effects can be more long lasting if there is more serious damage. We've seen cats here go blind temporarily during hypo and recover their eyesight soon afterwards. But there have also been cases of permanent blindness.
And I can think of two cats who initially appeared to survive their hypo crisis unscathed, but who developed serious health problems over the following days, and who had to be PTS.

Something else to keep in mind is that hypo can make a cat more sensitive to insulin; sometimes much more sensitive to insulin; and the dose may need to be reduced.
My cat had a hypo last year after which we had to reduce his insulin dose from .75 of a unit to 0.1 of a unit. Some cats will go into remission after hypo and no longer need insulin (ie. can have their diabetes controlled by diet alone.)

I strongly second Janet's advice above that you start learning to test your kitty's blood glucose at home. It really isn't as hard as it sounds - honestly! It shouldn't hurt your kitty. And most cats are quite happy to be tested if they are rewarded with a treat. ...If you want to try to test we can certainly help you learn to do that.

Which insulin is your kitty on?

Really hoping that whatever caused your kitty's symptoms is resolved soon. :bighug:

Eliz
 
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