New Here, recovering from DKA and hepatic lipidosis

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James Passinos

Member Since 2022
We are 3 weeks into our Diabetic journey with our 12 year old Russian Blue Gabriel 18lbs!
Tonight he threw up his whole dinner 8pm, about 30 mins ago.
We will try to feed him again but maybe 1/4 can (1/2 normal)

if we cant get him to eat, should we skip the dose?

he is cashed, that throw up took a lot out of him.
 
Hi James and Gabriel and welcome.
I see you have a sensor attached, would you like to start a spreadsheet so we can help you?
HELP US HELP YOU will give you the instructions for the spreadsheet and the hypo kit.

I’m glad you are giving snack s as well as the two main meals. Are you doing that for both the cycles?
I’m glad you were able to get Gabriel to eat again and give some insulin.
2 units is a lot for a newly diagnosed cat.
What does did you start on?
 
thank you @Bron and Sheba (GA)
Yes, we are on our 2nd Sensor, but only got 8 days on it. its Vetbond stuck to him and hasn't worked in 6 days. Going to give him a break from it and next time not use Glue.
I will start a spreadsheet, that is very nice.

we do 8am meal, 2pm snack, 8pm meal, 2am snack. We dose 2U at 8:30am/pm

always been on 2U (3 weeks now). He was on Insulin drip and a feeding tube coming out his throat during his 5 day stay in the ER. BG was 600 and ALT was 850, in Full keytosis and Hepatic Liver when we took him in.
He has made a remarkable recovery.

He does seem tired and sleeps a lot but he has been through a lot. We hope to regulate is BG with Diet.

he is a big boy 17-18lb
 
Can you put in the signature please that he had DKA and hepatic lipidosis?
It is really important that we know that as it can change the advice we give you.
I would also change your subject line to recovering from DKA and hepatic lipidosis as that will alert us to keep an close eye on Gabriel
Because he had both DKA and hepatic lipidosis it is really important you feed him lots of food and don’t skip any doses of insulin.

These are the things I would recommend you do:
  • Feed Gabriel 1 and a half times as many calories as he would normally eat. This is for both the DKA and the hepatic lipidosis. I would offer a snack every couple of hours except for the two hours before you test for the preshot BG?
  • Don’t skip doses of insulin. You will risk ketones coming back if you skip doses. If you find that the BG is not high enough to give the dose, stall, dont feed and test a gown in 20 minutes to see if the BG is rising. Post and ask for help.
  • Test daily for ketones. You can buy a bottle of Ketostix from Walmart or a pharmacy, collect a urine sample and follow the directions on the bottle. We don’t want to see any ketones in the urine. Food and insulin and water will help keep ketones away.
  • Put a teaspoon of warm water in the snacks of food if Gabriel will eat it that way to get extra fluids into him.
  • Keep the spreadsheet up to date so we can help you and put the results of the Ketostix tests into the remarks column of the spreadsheet please.
  • If you find he is vomiting or won’t eat…he may be nauseated, ask the vet for some ondansetron for the nausea. It is very common for cats recovering from DKAto be nauseated.
 
how long should we keep the increased calorie intake?
Keytone strips come today will do daily testing.
Also have some Urine Glucose strips to use while we wait for new Libre Sensor
We try to make a soup with his LC hard food and water

Thank again
 
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For the week of 9/6 as should on the Google drive link is there any explanation for why some days are good but most not so good. Not so good id little drop in BG and other too big of a drop in BG.
I would talk to your vet about getting a script for Ondansetron, a human med for nausea and vomiting.
Have you tried syringe feeding when Gabriel does not eat enough?
Have you tried testing Gabriel's BG using a human meter and poking the edge of the eat to get blood? At is useful to check a Libre value and to get BG when the libre fails.
 
We are going to start home testing without the libre to get some better numbers. Got some strips also.

I think I did a "Fur Shot" on this morning 8:30am 2U dose. (75% sure it didnt go in)

If he displays the signs: drinking a lot, freq urination and eating ravenously.
What do I do?

Doing snack now 1pm. is this an Opportunity to do a 1U half make up dose?
 
James Passinos said:
We are going to start home testing without the libre to get some better numbers. Got some strips also.

I think I did a "Fur Shot" on this morning 8:30am 2U dose. (75% sure it didnt go in)

If he displays the signs: drinking a lot, freq urination and eating ravenously.
What do I do?

Doing snack now 1pm. is this an Opportunity to do a 1U half make up dose?
Click to expand...
Never reshoot, you don't know for sure how much insulin he got. I've given plenty of fur shots & sometimes his #s go up & sometimes they go down. Reshooting can overdose your kitty.
 
It is very difficult to assess the situation without spreadsheet. Can you please se it up?

Keeping all data recorded in the SS was tremendous help when my cat was recovering from her DKA - the BG, the ketones, amount of food eaten and water/ LRS SQ volume, etc.

Insulin is essential to his recovery but adding a unit now, mid cycle is not recommended especially if you are not able to test as often as needed.
You can test and give PM shot early.
 
James Passinos said:
Are you doing Lancet testing 8 times a day? I can barely get 1 done :(
Click to expand...
I've been doing it for over a year now:) We have a routine where I tell him let's test & I put his chewy box on the table he jumps up on the chair & gets in his box. I wash my hands lay out a paper towel with his lancet, cotton pad, Vaseline,the meter & 2 test strips(incase the first one fails or I get an unusual low or high #) then I fold a piece of paper towel in to a square piece get it wet with warm water squeeze it out & use it to gently massage his ear to warm it up & then I put a dab of Vaseline on his ear & poke it put the strip in the meter, touch the end of it to the blood & wait for the number. I then write it in a notebook & transfer it to my spreadsheet. After getting the blood I use the cotton pad to stop the bleeding. Then I give him boiled chicken for a treat & tell him good boy & we are done until the next test.He doesn't always cooperate so I have a glove that I put on so I don't get all clawed up & sometimes I have to poke more than once. I always use the same ear his left ear because the other one doesn't bleed well. It does get easier I promise.
 
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