Ketoacidosis, my baby girl is at ICU

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Moccona

Moccona

Member Since 2018
Hi everyone. I haven’t introduced myself yet, but I am a mum of 3 Devon Rex girls. The oldest one, Mocca 9 yo was diagnosed in July this year. She got an insulin Lantus and we started with 1+1IU. She responded well and the vet wanted to drop it to 0.5+0.5IU. A couple of weeks later the sugar started to drop a bit too much and the vet wanted to drop insulin even more. She started to get 0.5IU once a day and only if the sugar was 14 mol/l or higher.

Suddenly she didn’t react to the insulin anymore and sugars were high all the time. They were between 14-20 even tho we started to give insulin again twice a day 0.5+0.5IU. Soon we increased it to 0.5+1 IU but the sugars were still high.

On Tuesday this week she didn’t want to eat anything and was a bit lethargic. We took her to the animal hospital and they took some blood samples. She has a ketoacidosis.

She has been in the hospital since then and they have given her fluids, potassium and insulin infusion as well as shots under the skin. Yesterday there wasn’t much improvement and the glucose is still 15 mmol/l and ketoacidosis hasn’t gone any better.

They took an x-ray and found out her heart is big and rounded so the vet was saying it might be a cardio myopathy. And that means they needed to decrease fluid rate because the heart can’t handle it too much.

I went to see her yesterday and she was tired. My heart is breaking and I’m so so worried! I want to get my baby girl back home but I afraid we need to make a really hard decision soon
 
I am so sorry you are going through this with Mocca. Hopefully she will start to respond to the treatment soon.
Ketoacidosis happens when there is not enough insulin, not enough food and an infection or inflammation in the body.
Did they say she had an infection anywhere?
It is really important she is eating and getting enough insulin and fluids.........the fluids will probably have to be a bit restricted with the enlarged heart. Don't give up yet. Mocca is in the best place and I am sure getting the best treatment. Take in some of her favourite foods. She needs to eat and at this point any food is good, even if it is higher carb. Higher carb is not a bad thing at this point as they can then increase the insulin dose a bit .......it is food and insulin she needs at the moment.
Please keep us posted.
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
Bron
 
She didn’t eat much yesterday. I already packed a lots of yummy snacks for her and will give them for her today when I go for a visit. Let’s hope for the best
 
It was a long time ago, but my kitty J.D. was hospitalized for 8 and 1/2 days at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine with DKA. He was in critical condition when he went in. I think it was the 2nd day when he could just lift his head a tiny bit when I visited. On about the 3rd day he would weakly try to get up when I visited, but was still peeing all over himself. I think about on the 4th day, I saw him try to groom himself, and that was such a good sign. I kept trying to bring him food, because they couldn't get him to eat. I guess they were force feeding him all along, because he very slowly got better and better and after 8 days he was finally released to me with a feeding tube. The feeding tube only lasted a little more than a day, as he started eating on his own once he got home. I know how scary it is. Your kitty is where she needs to be and I am praying for her.
 
Thank you Dyana for sharing your story. It gives me strength to continue with the treatment.

Mocca is alert and go to the toilet by herself. When we are visiting her, she is purring the hole time while we are next to her <3

The vet will call me in about two hours. I’ll keep you posted.
 
There is tiny little improvement and she has been more alert today than yesterday which is a very good sign. Have eaten a bit but not much. Ketos are still high, but glucose is dropped a little. Not much tho. pH has risen a bit but not much. The vet is hopefull and wants to continue treatment.
 
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She was really tired and lethargic :( Didn’t want to eat anything. We can’t do anything but hope for the best.
 
I'm so sorry you're going through this with Mocca! I've been there, it's scary as hell!

My Orlando was diagnosed diabetic and about 2 days later he had to be admitted in a clinic because he was super lethargic and wouldn't eat. He was diagnosed with DKA. The vets at the clinic made me keep him there for 48 hours. I could visit him twice a day (which I did every time!) and the vets would just keep giving me bad news... saying he was eating but not enough, that he had a hypo episode (because they were obviously not checking on him enough since he was on that kind of really fast insulin), he was too quiet... on the first visit of the second day, I held Orlando really close to me and looked deeply into his eyes, I could see he was absolutely petrified of being there alone in a cage in a cold room, without me (he's extremely close to me and my other two cats, he hates strangers and is super scared of everything). Every time I held him during the visits, took him from the nurses arms, he'd sigh (probably in relief that I didn't abandon him). So I decided I'd take him home with me that very day, during the second visit time.
Of course the vets didn't want me to do that, they said he'd absolutely 100% die that same day. I wanted to say that I thought my cat was gonna die in that stupid cold cage anyway, all alone, but I knew they'd try to keep him as long as possible in there because my money was very appealing (I spent an insane amount of money on those 48 hours at the clinic.. they're crazy expensive), but I contained myself and only said "well, at least he won't die alone in this strange place, he'll be at his home with his loved ones". They had to let me take my cat with me.
The moment we got home, he went to his litter and pooped (that was one of the concerns they had at the clinic, he wasn't pooping) and the first time I offered him some food he ate it all. The next day he was doing better, the next even better and so on. That's been over a year ago :)

All I wanted to say with all this is that sometimes, depending on the cat, being stuck in a clinic without his/her loved ones makes them even sicker. When a cat crashes (whatever the reason), the best thing to do is indeed to take them to a clinic, they have the means to bring the cat back much faster and safer than we do at home. But sometimes, only sometimes, the clinics work around the owners/tutors/parents to keep the cat in there because that's how they pay their bills. Be careful with that second option. I know it's crazy scary to decide to take your cat home when the vets are telling you otherwise, but unless it's a vet you really trust, you should consider your options.

I wish all the best to you and Mocca, hope she gets better as soon as possible, hope she's at a very good and ethical clinic, and that she can come home with you soon and live a happy, healthy and long life :bighug:
 
Carol & Orlando said:
I'm so sorry you're going through this with Mocca! I've been there, it's scary as hell!

My Orlando was diagnosed diabetic and about 2 days later he had to be admitted in a clinic because he was super lethargic and wouldn't eat. He was diagnosed with DKA. The vets at the clinic made me keep him there for 48 hours. I could visit him twice a day (which I did every time!) and the vets would just keep giving me bad news... saying he was eating but not enough, that he had a hypo episode (because they were obviously not checking on him enough since he was on that kind of really fast insulin), he was too quiet... on the first visit of the second day, I held Orlando really close to me and looked deeply into his eyes, I could see he was absolutely petrified of being there alone in a cage in a cold room, without me (he's extremely close to me and my other two cats, he hates strangers and is super scared of everything). Every time I held him during the visits, took him from the nurses arms, he'd sigh (probably in relief that I didn't abandon him). So I decided I'd take him home with me that very day, during the second visit time.
Of course the vets didn't want me to do that, they said he'd absolutely 100% die that same day. I wanted to say that I thought my cat was gonna die in that stupid cold cage anyway, all alone, but I knew they'd try to keep him as long as possible in there because my money was very appealing (I spent an insane amount of money on those 48 hours at the clinic.. they're crazy expensive), but I contained myself and only said "well, at least he won't die alone in this strange place, he'll be at his home with his loved ones". They had to let me take my cat with me.
The moment we got home, he went to his litter and pooped (that was one of the concerns they had at the clinic, he wasn't pooping) and the first time I offered him some food he ate it all. The next day he was doing better, the next even better and so on. That's been over a year ago :)

All I wanted to say with all this is that sometimes, depending on the cat, being stuck in a clinic without his/her loved ones makes them even sicker. When a cat crashes (whatever the reason), the best thing to do is indeed to take them to a clinic, they have the means to bring the cat back much faster and safer than we do at home. But sometimes, only sometimes, the clinics work around the owners/tutors/parents to keep the cat in there because that's how they pay their bills. Be careful with that second option. I know it's crazy scary to decide to take your cat home when the vets are telling you otherwise, but unless it's a vet you really trust, you should consider your options.

I wish all the best to you and Mocca, hope she gets better as soon as possible, hope she's at a very good and ethical clinic, and that she can come home with you soon and live a happy, healthy and long life :bighug:
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Been there. N.e.v.e.r again.
Thanks for this post I’m certain it’s going to cause pause with more than one :-)
 
Carol & Orlando Mocca is at University of Helsinki Veterinary teaching hospital. I trust them 100% and that’s the best treatment she can get in this country. And I know how her blood results are at the moment and they are not good yet. She needs fluids constantly and the hospital is the only place where she might have a chance to survive. The vet said yesterday that she could MAYBE come back home on Sat. But we’ll see how she is improving.

Thank you all for your support <3
 
Sounds like you are able to make visits and I certainly think that is a good thing for her.
Sending good wishes to you and Mocca for a full recovery soon. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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I'm so sorry, I know the heartache you feel.
Fly Free little one. Mocca knows your love. She will be waiting for you to join her again, one day.
:rb_icon:_________cat_wings>o
 
God love you and your loved ones, your family, all who knew and loved Mocca - I can hardly see to type this because of my tears, I hate it when babies die.. I hate it, but I lost my Momma who loved them so much, so I pray she can welcome them if she can. God bless our babies, no pain, no fear, no suffering... someone to catch them and love them, and take care of them. God love you and your family, so much... xoxox. :rb_icon:cat_wings>o
 
Oh no :( I’m so sorry!!!!
She’s not suffering anymore, I hope that comforts you at least a little bit.
Stay strong!
Rest in peace, Mocca <3
 
So sorry to read the new about Mocca. You certainly did all you could for her and I'm sure she felt all the love and care you gave her.
I know how hard it is to let them go and am sending wishes of comfort for you in this hard time
 
I have been thinking, could I have done more? Why we didn’t go to the vet check earlier because of the high sugar? Why I didn’t check the ketones at home? My vet didn’t tell me to do so... Why I didn’t realize I should? Why I didn’t see she was a bit more tired than usual for the last few days? Why I didn’t see she lost weight way too much? She lost 300g in two months... Should I have checked the sugars more often? Could I have saved her if I would have done a bit more? :(
 
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I think everyone who loses a kitty has those "what if" thoughts but you have to also think about what you did do. You were treating her diabetes and when you became aware that Mocco was sick you got her care from those most able to help her.

Our cats are masters at hiding illness. And they can't just tell us they feel bad so we are left to try to interpret what are most times very subtle symptoms/signs. I'm guessing your vet like so many, probably never mentioned checking for ketones. Ketones can happen at low BG levels too so the high BGs alone was not the cause. Unfortunately, ketoacidosis is very difficult to treat and it comes on quickly so don't blame yourself. You did what you could. Mocco knew she was loved and that you tried your very best to help her.

There is a board for Grief Support where folks share their feelings and get support to deal with those "what ifs" and other aspects of loss. I encourage you to post there, and let your feelings out.

:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Moccona said:
I have been thinking, could I have done more? Why we didn’t go to the vet check earlier because of the high sugar? Why I didn’t check the ketones at home? My vet didn’t tell me to do so... Why I didn’t realize I should? Why I didn’t see she was a bit more tired than usual for the last few days? Why I didn’t see she lost weight way too much? She lost 300g in two months... Should I have checked the sugars more often? Could I have safed her if I would have done a bit more? :(
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They are so so good at hiding things. Esp hard to notice something like lethargy when cats love to spend a majority of the day sleeping.
 
Moccona said:
I have been thinking, could I have done more? Why we didn’t go to the vet check earlier because of the high sugar? Why I didn’t check the ketones at home? My vet didn’t tell me to do so... Why I didn’t realize I should? Why I didn’t see she was a bit more tired than usual for the last few days? Why I didn’t see she lost weight way too much? She lost 300g in two months... Should I have checked the sugars more often? Could I have saved her if I would have done a bit more? :(
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I'm so sorry for your loss, my kitty girl went to the vet and was diagnosed as DKA last Tuesday, I luckily caught it early so she only spent 3 days at the ER. My entire world has changed after that, I am researching better monitoring of her BG levels, they think she had a UTI that initiated it, I'm so scared of a recurrence.
 
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