KETONES!!!!! i'm scared to death

[lucybooz]

i posted today "kitty just diagnosed...ketone problems".

i've been reading lots of posts and i'm petrified!!!!! all the monitoring and checking and testing i will be doing......will i do it all right!!!!!!!

the ketones.....once she is rid of them, can they come back and make her as sick as she was recently AGAIN?????

i also read that the treatment for ketoacidosis is EXPENSIVE. she's been in the animal hospital for 4 nights and i'm hoping to take her home tomorrow. she's been getting constant iv's to rid her of the ketones and antibiotics. maybe i should have asked what all this is going to cost to kind of prepare us. i'm thinking $1000 or more from things i've read.......could this be????? i will pay it but i'll be feeling rather faint.

does the ketoacidosis go away or do you just keep it under control?

we had a kitty years ago with diabetes and i don't remember doing any of this - we just gave him his shot and that was it.

will i be able to control this ketone issue????? i'm really scared after reading everything i have.

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

Hi,
Yes, the ketones will go away. But they can appear again. My cat, Bob, was DKA the first week after diagnosis, but he never experienced them again. DKA is due to a combination of things all happening at the same time. The appearance of ketones usually involves "not enough insulin, not enough food, and an infection/illness of some sort beyond just diabetes". If you are testing for them, then you can avoid just the presence of ketones from escalating to "DKA" with proper treatment, which may be anti-biotics to treat an infection, fluids to help flush out the ketones, and making sure he is eating well and getting sufficient insulin.

It is definitely something that you will want to keep an eye out for, and most people do that by testing the urine for signs of ketones using Ketostix which you can buy anywhere diabetic supplies are sold.

i've been reading lots of posts and i'm petrified!!!!! all the monitoring and checking and testing i will be doing......will i do it all right!!!!!!!

DON'T be petrified, you are going to do everything just fine! Now that you found this place, anytime you have a concern or a question, somebody here can answer it and set your mind at ease. This all is very overwhelming to most people at the start, but in no time, you'll be doing it all as a part of your daily routine, and you'll be out here answering questions from some new member. Believe me, it gets much easier. :smile:

Carl