insulin and potassium...question pertaining to BG's

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Melissa&Paul-Kyle

Melissa&Paul-Kyle

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so, we learned when PK was zapped out with low potassium, that only potassium phosphate was not terribly effected by insulin, but that most other potassiums are "eaten" or sucked up by insulin.

Well, Once in a great while ( 1 out of 6 PM readings) I have been getting a spike- like 350's out of the blue...and I was thinking it might relate to the potassium thing, but can't quite wrap my mind arond HOW BG's would be effected.

Thanks!
 
Sorry, out of my element on this one. No experience with the potassium thing and can honestly say I hope I never get the experience with low potassium!

Maybe ask Jennifer - Tucker's Mom, since she just went through low-potassium with Tucker.
 
Well, I wonder about potassium being affected by insulin that much. Wouldn't all out cats, or most of them, or those on higher doses be having issues with low potassium?

Beyond that comment, I don't know anything about insulin and potassium. sorry.
 
Hi Melissa

The potassium shouldn't be affecting the BG so acutely.

For Sheila's question: Basically, we eat/drink potassium, use it in our cells, and pee out what we don't need. If a cat is eating well (a normal balanced diet) and not peeing too much, all should be well. If the cat is urinating excessively--as can occur with unregulated DM, and with CKD (CRF)--they may be losing more potassium than they can intake to keep up the balance. It's complicated, but to put it rather simply, one job of the kidneys is to monitor how much of an electrolyte (like potassium) should be retained and how much should be peed out. If the kidneys are overworked because they are functioning poorly (as in CKD) or hurrying to get rid of excessive glucose (as in DM), more electrolytes will be lost than intended. This is how things can get out of whack ... make sense?
 
Hey, Jess, thanks for answering this - and for visiting our little corner of the world!

Yes, that makes sense - in fact, I hate to admit it, but I *forgot* about the excessive peeing that can happen! Silly me. And the link to CRF makes sense as well. I would not have thought about it in terms of electrolyte imbalance though. I always focused on the kidneys NOT ridding the body of toxins (end products of cellular activity).

Melissa, maybe the low potassium was related to his dehydration after a few days of not eating well and starting to throw ketones? Has he been rechecked for that yet?
 
yes, Jess- that makes sense, thanks for answering.

No Sheila, he has not been re-checked, no need to as far as electrolytes and such....he is eating like a horse, pooping like a king, peeing just so, interacting with the other cats...actually BG's have seemed to settle back between 150 and 250 again.

I think maybe I had too many time changes going on there for awhile. More than an hour each side.

Anyway- when the vets ( regular and ER) had explained that insulin eats potassium, I was thinking that may hev been the reason he was running high.

THANKS for posting here Jess- appreciate the particiapation!
 
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