just brought beeber home and i'm worried sick!!!!

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lucybooz

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just brought beeber home after a 3 day/night stay at the animal hospital for diabetes w/keto. i can't imagine they would have left her come home if she wasn't ok to come home but.....i brought her home this morning. my instructions were: 2 units of insulin twice daily. i'm to let her eat whatever, just so she eats. i don't have to monitor anything, and should bring her back in 7 days. she has an antibiotic to take as well, once daily. i was assured the ketones "were gone" and her glucose was 197 (i think - i know i should have written it down but when she told me the number she said "that's good"). i didn't think i would have to doubt anything she said - they have been our vet for 20 years.

my fears are this: yesterday when we went in to feed her she seemed alert and acted glad to see us. she hunched her back when i petted her and she seemed alert and i could see she was feeling better. today when i went to get her she seemed alert and moved around - nothing that scared me at all. i got her home and opened her cage door and she came right out but was extremely wobbly with her legs. i attributed that to being in a cage for 3 days. it seemed the more she walked the steadier she got. i offered her food and she ate a little - not much, but some. since then she seems so listless, laying, no motivation to move, even when i stand over her and call her name - it's like she doesn't even hear me. this may sound dumb but it's like she doesn't even want to hold her head up - no strength. a couple of times i picked her up and loved her and then put her down - she wobbled a bit, took a couple of steps and layed back down. even when i go over to pet her she doesn't even lift her head.

i called the vet and asked if this was normal - the sluggish actions and wanting to lay - and she said yes, she will probably sleep alot and not do much of anything - it's like a human who after being very sick for several days is recuperating. i also told her that she did eat a little but has not had anything to drink nor did she use the litter box - she acts like she wouldn't even have the strength to crawl into the litter box right now!!! this illness has caused her to lose almost 3#'s and she only weighed about 9#'s when she had her last checkup (february).

i can understand she is probably very weak, but it really scares me to see her like this after they said she was well enough to go home.

is this normal behavior for a cat just home after a major illness? do i need to calm down - i'm really a nervous wreck as i really thought if she was ready to come home she would be a bit more herself than this.

how long til she get some strength back!!!!!

i thought i'd feel so much better having her home, but i don't with her acting like this. she's acting almost like the way she acted the day i took her to the vet because she was so sick and had her diagnosed!!!!! i have so much pity for her the way she is right now.
 
Hello there lucybooz!

I haven't had to bring my cat home from anything major yet, just a few rough and tumble fights where she got sedated and she was wobbly and loopy after that- lasted for HOURS- and didn't really care to eat.

I'm sure the others will chime in later about recovery times but I just wanted to say hi and send some calming vibes your way with the FB fave montra- just breathe (in, out, or deep it's your pick. Some do all three :-D ).

Beeber looks to have gotten through a rough patch and needs to recuperate for a bit before bouncing around. She's a small cat who lost weight but I'd suggest to give her a day or so to get stuff out of her system before taking her back to the vet.

Give her lots of pets and cuddles and place her on her favorite sleep spot with a bowl nearby for easy tempting of food.

Good luck!
 
It is important that she eats and drinks. If you can get a big syringe without a needle, you can water down the wet food and put it into her mouth (at the side) in very small amounts. You can do water the same way. Another way to get her interested in eating again is to put some small dabs on your finger and see if she will eat those.

It may take her a while to get back to her old self, but if she were mine, I would get ketodiastix (urine testing strips) and test her urine for ketones. http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Ketoacidosis And I would get a meter and test her blood gluocose levels. You need to stay on top of how she is doing.
 
First, breathe again...

PLEASE go get a meter and give yourself a QUICK crash course in testing. I know you're scared but right now she needs you to know what's happening with her bg. You can probably do it easier while she's not feeling well...at least we will know it's not a hypo number causing this...

BIG HUG! Now scoot.....
 
I'm sorry. I thought we had talked about testing at home with you. We test our cat's blood glucose levels at home so we can see if they are too high or too low. Here is how it is done: Video for hometesting Here is a shopping list for hometesting:

A human glucometer. Any one that sips and takes a tiny sample is fine. The meters are often free at drug stores; it’s the strips that are expensive. You can, however, buy them on ebay at less than half the price of stores. Lots of people here also like the ReliOn from Walmart. It is an inexpensive meter and its strips are the cheapest around. Try the meter out on yourself or someone else before you try it on your cat. You want to be familiar with it before you poke the cat.

Lancets and a lancet device. Usually, until the ears “learn” to bleed, a 26-28 gauge is good. Any brand will work as long as the lancets match your device.

Ketone strips. (Ketostix) Just like human diabetics use. You will sometimes need to test urine if the numbers are high.

Rice sack. Make this out of thinnish sock, filled with raw rice or oatmeal and then knotted. You heat this in the microwave until very warm but not hot. Then heat the ears before poking.

Also nice to have. Flashlight: so you can look at the ears and find the little capillaries that come off the vein running down the ear. Vaseline: Put a tiny smear where you want to poke. It will help the blood bead up.

And some lo carb treats to give your kitty, successful test or not Lo carb treats

The link in my post gave you the information about urine/ketone testing.

We have tips for doing both kinds of testing and feel they are the best way to be sure what is happening with Beeber and keep her safe.

Is she eating and drinking?
 
Here's her first link in Health:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?t=71684

Right now, head to Walmart and buy the Relion Contour or Micro Meter. It comes with 10 or so strips, the meter, 10 or so lancets and lancet pen along with a case. This will get you started without feeling overwhelmed. The box for the confirm looks like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/RELION-CONFIRM-METER-BLUE/13863716

If you see them, you might go ahead and get a box of 20 or 50 strips. Those look like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Relion-Confirm-Micro-Test-Strips-50ct/13396848?findingMethod=rr

Right there in the same area you will find Ketone Test strips - the box looks like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Reli-On-Ketone-Test-Strip/13037592

They will probably be in these little plastic boxes but the cashiers will be able to open them. Books and all will be inside.

I know it's confusing right now but let's take it step by step but we'll make it a fast step!!! You CAN do this!

HUG
 
so here is where we stand.....

after i posted last i went over to her and picked her up - trying to get some kind of response. when i picked her up she was all wet on her bottom and so was the blanket she was laying on - definitely urine. she just laid in it. i immediately called the vet and she told me to bring her right in she wanted to check her blood sugar. of course i was hyper and extremely excited, guess she was too, and i drove as fast as i could to the office. they took me right in and she checked at 72. the vet said she must have been down to maybe 60 when i called her and excitement of the trip, etc. caused it to come back up to 72. at the office she was fine!!!!! she was alert, and definitely different than at home. i was told NOT to give her her insulin tonight. the vet gave her some food, which she dove into actually - not alot but she did go for it. i asked if i should have one of those test meters and she said "i'll give you this one". it was a complete unit with test strips and everything i need so i'm sure i'll be charged for it and after reading on here NOW i'm sure i could have bought one much cheaper at walmart, etc. i was in quite a state and i just took it.

anyway.....now that we are home she is back to her listless self. i just gave her some food mixed with water with a syringe, just to be sure she got something in her. i don't know if i should check her sugar level yet again, since she's acting like she was when the vet assumed her level was low. is this a constant checking????? the vet said she may be a cat that won't need as much insulin (they had given her a shot this morning before i picked her up), but insisted that i see that she eats and drinks. i'm going to do my best to give her more before i go to bed. i asked the vet what to do if the sugar is too low and she said to rub her gums with karo syrup. i don't want to do that tho unless i'm sure she's under 70, so do i test her AGAIN, now?

i have such a headache, and i hope she soon stabilizes. i've never had a pet with an illness like this and it hurts so bad to see her so unlike her self.

another question: she doesn't get up and move around much so can i assume she will urinate on herself. we have 3 litter boxes, but she doesn't make her way to any of them. i'd put a box next to her (open) but we have 3 dogs that will most likely go after the litter. should i just let her go and keep washing the blanket. hopefully when she's more motivated she will start using the box again. i guess the plus side of this is at least i know she's urinating. i just don't know, i'm confused and scared.
 
I would get a test at home now, just so you know that she is at a safe number.

Yes, keep trying small amounts of food and water. And I'd have the litter box there but put a blanket down too.

Strange she perked up at the vet....I can't imagine why she would be better there.

Did the vet do a ketone test? Can you try to get one? Dipping it into a spot where she is laying is better than nothing.
 
i will test her again. i asked about the ketones since she had extrely high ones when they admitted her tuesday. the vet said she had none in her urine this morning and in there opinion they were under control now. guess i'll get some of those strips tomorrow at walmart.

if her sugar is below 70 is there anything i can do other than give her nourishment? with nourishment help on its own?
 
We don't worry unless they are in the 40s. 70s are okay. The number does depend on when in the cycle it comes. A low number right after the shot would make us more nervous. Has it been since this morning when she had a shot?

Have you gotten her to eat and drink a little?
 
she isnt going to the water bowl so i mixed the food with water and used a syringe to feed her last. when i picked her up this morning they said she had her shot and not to give her one until tonight. however, when i rushed her back and the vet checked her at 72 she said NOT to give her a shot tonight. she attributed the 72 figure as her excitement or whatever but thought when she was so down and out today it may have been as low as 60.

i'm going to check her level now and see where it is, but even at 60 should she have been so shaky and unresponsive? i'm so afraid i won't do what will help her and i don't want to do her any damage. i find this very confusing an scarey.
 
I understand it is scary; I would be frightened too.

We aren't vets and can only guess at what is going on. If she was 72 at the vet - was that like 6 hours after the shot? - it is possible that she went low today. But she should be coming out of it.

I am concerned that she is so lethargic and not interested in eating. And I wish you could get a ketone test.
 
i tested her (i hope i did it right) and she read at 172. i fed her with a syringe, adding water to the food to make it liquidy. i, too, am concerned about the lethargy. even when we had her on the table to do the testing, when i wasn't handling her she just laid her head on the table. i'm going to bed and i pray she is more herself tomorrow. i still don't understand why she got so much "energy" when she was at the vet. i don't understand any of this.

my husband doesn't worry any and i worry so much. that,too, is hard. he doesn't understand how serious this can be.

i will get the ketone strips tomorrow. i specifically asked the vet when i took her back this afternoon - do we need to worry about the ketones? she said NO. i will get the strips myself and do what i can to check that out. i don't know what else to do.
 
Wow, you all have had a rough day. All I can tell you is how my cat reacted the day he came home after spending 3 days/nights in the ER with ketoacidosis.

He didn't act like your kitty is acting. He wasn't lethargic, but he wasn't running all over the place either. He was better than the day I rushed him in, so that was "good enough" for me. But they also sent me home with a bag a fluids and I had to administer sub-q fluids, 100ml per treatment, twice a day, because he had been extremely dehydrated along with the DKA. He was at that time getting 1u BID of Prozinc, and he had a good appetite. He perked up right after the fluid treatment, like minutes later. He still felt crappy, because his BG was still in the 300-400s, but he had no ketones when they sent him home, and they didn't reappear. Within a couple of days, it was obvious he felt a lot better, but still not as active as he'd been before he became diabetic. He was suffering from low potassium, which causes muscle weakness, and it was weeks before he could jump on the couch or the bed.

I think you did the right thing bringing her back in to the vet. From those numbers, it sounds like when you got her home the first time, she had low BG. I don't think that was the problem the 2nd time you brought her home, but while she might now be in numbers that are closer to normal, or higher than normal, to her, it still probably feels "low". Because she's had higher numbers so recently, those higher numbers might feel "normal" to her. Until she relearns what "normal" feels like.
It is very important that you convince her to eat and drink, so she won't become dehydrated, or get sick from not eating. If the lack of appetite continues, call the vet and maybe they can give you an appetite stimulant. You can also try feeding with a syringe, or try meat flavored baby food (just make sure to read the ingredients and verify that there is nothing but meat in the jar - no onions especially). You might also ask the vet if they checked her potassium levels and if they were in the normal range.
I am hoping you wake up to a big improvement in your baby girl,
Carl
 
asked if i should have one of those test meters and she said "i'll give you this one". it was a complete unit with test strips and everything i need so i'm sure i'll be charged for it and after reading on here NOW i'm sure i could have bought one much cheaper at walmart, etc. i was in quite a state and i just took it.
Click to expand...

What kind of meter was it? If it was an alpha trak, or any other meter designed especially for cats, then that makes a difference in the numbers you see. Normally, AT's will read higher than a human meter, and that 70 you get could be a number we would consider to be lower on a human meter. If it was a regular meter intended for human use, then "your number" and "our number" would be the same thing, so no worries on a 70.

Carl
 
the meter they "gave" me was alphatrak - for cats and dogs.

had a VERY PLEASANT surprise at 5:30 this morning. my hubby usually gets up around then to put our dogs out and get the paper in. that's when the cats (3) would come out to the kitchen and he would give each one of them some canned food. well this morning beeber came out to the kitchen, walking fine, and sat like she usually does waiting for her food!!!!! she ate pretty good and i actually saw her drinking from the water bowl. i also noticed a wet spot in the litter box we put by her blanket (plus another wet spot when i got up for the day around 9), so instead of peeing on the blanket she went in the box...another good thing. then i put her in bed with us - she was always a cuddler with me in bed or on my recliner - and she laid there for severl hours. i woke up and she actually jumped from the bed to the floor....i held my breath wondering if she had the strength to land on the floor without falling....she did. i'm going to test her again at 10:30 (the time i tested her last night), and i'm going to get the ketone strips at walmart this morning as well and have them on hand. if her #'s are good i was told NOT to give insulin. they have her scheduled for 1unit, 2x's/day.

i was exhausted last night believe me - physysically and especially mentally. i went to bed, said my prayers and gave her to god for the night. god pulled thru!!!!!!
i hope this is an indication that things might be turning around but i will be sure to keep a very watchful eye on her.
 
This sounds very promising! Keep testing both her bg and ketones and please keep us updated. You're doing great!

Melanie & Racci
 
Good, knowing that the meter is an AT helps us understand the numbers better. When you post a number, make sure to say that you are using an Alpha Track. Or you can add that to either your subject line or to your signature below your name. "Normal" on your meter is usually considered to be 70-150 I believe (where on a human meter it would be 40-120).
Glad to hear she seems to be feeling better this morning!
Carl
 
before we left to go shopping this morning i checked her glucose - it registered 420. she had eaten not long before than that, so that being the case i DID give her ONE unit of insulin. when we got back from shopping we looked for her and found her UP ON OUR BED.....one of her most favorite spots to lay!!!!! she really surprised me since i really didn't think she could jump that high just yet.

will continue to monitor and check in with you folks. thanks for everyones suggestions and help.

i DID get the ketone strips. unless i actually see her using the litter box, how do you test for the ketones - must be urine...not?

this certainly is quite an experience!!!!!!!
 
Yes, urine. Some cats will let their moms put the strip into their urine stream and not blink. Oliver would never let us watch him. So we ended up putting some aquarium gravel in a litter box and leaving him in the room with it. He couldn't stand the clean box and we got our sample!

I looked back and maybe missed it. What kind of insulin?

Steep learning curve in the beginning, isn't it? Before long, you will be posting to newbies about your experience - honest!
 
we are using prozinc insulin.

i noticed a new wet spot in the box she's been using so i quickly tried to lay (i pushed it somewhat) in the litter hoping this might work. don't know if it worked or not but it registered "normal". hopefully i can catch her when she's actually going.
 
Have you see this document on ProZinc? It is huge but full of great info/links: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32799

If you can get a test 5-7 hours after the shot, that will give you and us an idea of how the insulin is working.

Some people use a ladle to stick under the cat. Don't know if that would work....

Just to give you a frame of reference. Generally we say a cat is regulated when they range between 200+ or so at preshot and 100 or below at nadir (that lowest point in the cycle, usually 5-7 hours after the shot) We don't like to see them in the 40 range. That's low enough to think about intervening with some food.

With the AlphaTrak, the range would be 280 - 130 with the low range at 70. (It tends to run 30 points lower than the human meters.)
 
My Scooter is a weirdo and likes to follow me into the bathroom when I go. ohmygod_smile And he's not shy at all so I just lift his tail up ever so slightly and hold the strip in the urine stream all while he looks at me like "umm... what are you doing?" :shock: You could use a soup ladel or large spoon too. Some spread saran wrap across the top of the litter or make little "pockets" out of it to hopefully catch a bit of urine. Clean aquarium gravel works too. Then you just tip the box so the urine drains into the corner. I prefer my method. :lol:
 
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