Not sure what to do

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I 100% agree with Rachel here.
Sending prayers and hugs your way! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Rachel, thank you. You made me cry (in the best way possible). All Ive been hearing is that basically its time, but in my gut, its saying not to. Thank god i fought for it. He wanted to put her down the first time i brought her in. Thank you for giving me some hope that I can do this. I really appreciate it.

I honestly did find it weird he didnt keep her in for ketoacidosis. She had it a year or so ago and I went to a different vet and they kept her. This guy isnt my normal vet, just one that could get me in quicker as I was super worried. Ill call my regular vet today. I will try test for ketones and get mid cycle tests today as well.
Thank you again. Do you think its a good idea to switch to a less phosphorus food right now, or wait? I read somewhere too that you need low protein for kidney disease but she needs some protein right now. Shes tiny :(
 
Okay, the earliest I could get her in for my regular vet is Tuesday. I hope shes okay until then. I feel better already as it was the receptionist who knows everything and already is getting the files faxed over from the other vet. :)
 
  1. Keep a check on your emotions. Breathe. :bighug:
  2. Stay on top of the diabetes schedule.
  3. Keep SS updated and get a minimum of AMPS and PMPS.
  4. Get extra fluids in her.
  5. Get her to eat, don't worry about the phosphorus right now.
  6. Keep testing for ketones daily, or as close to it as you can.
  7. Don't disappear. Keep posting here if you have questions. If you're asked questions or for clarification, please answer.
The last step is because we can help. We truly care about all of the kitties here :cat: and worry when people post with a problem then go silent for days or weeks :(:mad:.
Curious, why did you lower her dose this morning?
 
Thank you. I lowered it just to see basically. As it was what she was on before I was wondering if maybe thats why she was spiking up. I just tested her and she hasnt moved. Should i give her more insulin or wait?

Also tested ketones and shes in between 8-10 so the large category :(what do i do?
 
Wait. You should never ever give insulin in the middle of the cycle.

Insulin is only given twice per day. And it needs to be at the same times every day, and twelve hours apart. So for example, you give a shot at 7am, then you give another shot at 7pm. That's all - nothing in between.

So you choose two times per day, and then you stick to those times every day.

What times do you think you can stick with?
 
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:eek: Definitely an emergency please please get to a vet... what Kris said!
 
Victoria are you there?? This is a serious situation and she definitely need a vet NOW. Take her to the vet ER if a vet isn't open as she needs to be monitored and cared for. Cats CAN and DO recover from DKA, but it's super important to get her in now! Is your vet open? Can you call and explain the situation to see if you can get in now as an emergency patient???
 
I live in a small town with no vet so I have to go out of town. Im waiting to hear back, I left a message. Will keep you updated when I can. If I have to drive farther I will
 
When does the vet close? I think I'd take off now. Any ketone reading above trace means an emergency. I really didn't think Buttons was in DKA based on the vet's reaction, but now I am very worried. You definitely checked right at 15 seconds, right? Any later can cause the strip to get darker. Were you able to get any more tests in? Is Buttons eating/drinking?

Cats can overcome it with treatment (Chloe just did!), but the sooner she is seen by a vet and cared for, the better her chances! I'd call the vet again at least and say you want to come in NOW.
 
Not to be rude, but Yong I really don't appreciate the sarcastic comments. Please if you have nothing decent to say, don't say anything.

To say I'm pissed and hurt is an understatement. Basically the vet (tim) I went to Monday saw she had ketones, assumed it was kidney failure and just said to put her down. When I said I want to do everything, I expected everything to be done and it wasn't. Either way, she's at the vet overnight. This new vet says he doesn't think it's kidney at all. He said it could be pancreas or liver tumor but he's going to do all the tests I wanted to do in the first place, including thyroid. He did say the urinary tract infection could be cause of some insulin resistance too? And he was going to try her on an insulin he is familiar with to get her sugars down. Hope for the best. :(
 
And Rachel yes, at the 15 mark it was at an 8 for ketones. I did think it was weird that the first vet said she has ketoacidosis but didn't keep her or do much. It frustrates me and I feel guilty for letting it go on for 5 days. :(
I did get more tests and they were all above 33. She is drinking normal, eating a little less but more sporadic.
 
Latest update. Definitely not kidney failure as her kidneys are functioning normally. Unfortunately she's severely anemic which he thinks is bone marrow or cancer elsewhere :(
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
Not to be rude, but Yong I really don't appreciate the sarcastic comments. Please if you have nothing decent to say, don't say anything.

To say I'm pissed and hurt is an understatement. Basically the vet (tim) I went to Monday saw she had ketones, assumed it was kidney failure and just said to put her down. When I said I want to do everything, I expected everything to be done and it wasn't. Either way, she's at the vet overnight. This new vet says he doesn't think it's kidney at all. He said it could be pancreas or liver tumor but he's going to do all the tests I wanted to do in the first place, including thyroid. He did say the urinary tract infection could be cause of some insulin resistance too? And he was going to try her on an insulin he is familiar with to get her sugars down. Hope for the best. :(
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Yong was just trying to emphasize the urgency of getting Buttons help. Her intent was not to upset you.
 
I really hope this new vet can figure it out and that it's treatable. It seems that he's a lot more on the ball. I'm very sorry that you're going through this. We're all here to help and were trying our best to convey the worrying nature of your kitty's situation.
 
I echo what's Been said, and I truly hope things get turned around towards better times for you both! :bighug:
 
Sounds like you had quite a night! Thank goodness you found a vet that is listening and helping you figure out what's going on with your fur baby. How is Buttons doing today? Any news from the vet?
 
Please do update us as soon as you can. We're all worried about Buttons (we worry about every kitty on here like they are our own).

So to clarify:
  • She has a UTI
  • She is in DKA
  • She is anemic and we're not sure what is causing that?
Is that right? Did I miss anything? Just trying to make sure we've got a good understanding of what's going on.
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
Not to be rude, but Yong I really don't appreciate the sarcastic comments. Please if you have nothing decent to say, don't say anything.
To say I'm pissed and hurt is an understatement.
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I was not being sarcastic or intentionally trying to upset you. We'll tell almost anyone who has a ketone test come back higher than trace to get to the Vet immediately. I will stop posting on your thread though. Good luck with Buttons.
 
Haven't heard anything yet. They did say they were going to do a bunch of tests, for thyroid, blood, glucose, urine, stuff with the pancreas.

Yes Rachel. She is dka, has a uti and extremely anemic which usually means cancer. :(

Do any of you know financial help at all? It's estimated at over $1400 and with no job I'm a little stressed :(
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
Haven't heard anything yet. They did say they were going to do a bunch of tests, for thyroid, blood, glucose, urine, stuff with the pancreas.

Yes Rachel. She is dka, has a uti and extremely anemic which usually means cancer. :(

Do any of you know financial help at all? It's estimated at over $1400 and with no job I'm a little stressed :(
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@Chris & China
 
I see Janet tagged Chris with DCIN. They may be able to help. Also have you ever tried Care Credit?
 
Rachel said:
I see Janet tagged Chris with DCIN
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I encourage her to contact me and I can see if there's anything we can do to help, but DCIN has spent over $40,000 on emergency care (that doesn't include insulin and supplies for over 100 low income clients) and our coffers are pretty bare. Our donations aren't keeping up with our expenditures but I'll sure see if there's any help we can offer!!
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
does it work with preexisting conditions?
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Care Credit is just a credit company that (if you qualify) can help pay vet bills.....it's not insurance, so it doesn't matter about preexisting conditions....They will give you an amount they are willing to "loan" and a time table to pay it back....usually about 6 months without interest.....but if you miss a payment, the interest will accrue from the date of the loan

You can apply online and they'll tell you if you qualify and for how much....it's worth trying!!
 
I don't think it works for Canadians. I tried to start to apply and it wouldn't let me put my zip code in. :(


Got an update. She's in for another night for more tests. He was able to get her stable. Her sugars are down to 14-15 range which is awesome. he obviously has to be careful with putting fluids in to flush ketones with her being anemic. He said definitely not kidney failure as they are functioning 30-40%. He says the pancreas came back abnormal. We sent for another test to see the numbers for it. He is pretty sure it's either pancreatitis or a tumor on the pancreas. He's doing another urinalysis tonight to see about ketones, a blood curve to see about getting her off the insulin drip. He did switch her to Lantus as its what he's familiar with and I'm happy for that. Will try keep updated!
 
So you'll be switching to Lantus once Buttons comes home? I'd encourage you to go read the stickies on their forum...they're dosed completely differently from ProZinc and you'll HAVE to be very consistent about your doses and tests. Please keep us updated and let us know how Buttons is!
 
For those of you that have been following along, DCIN has agreed to help with Button's emergency care, but we are already over $10,000 in the hole this year so we need help!!

If you'd like to help Buttons, please consider sending a donation to her Fundraiser!! Every dollar counts!!!

If you would prefer to bypass the YouCaring site, you can donate to DCIN directly via PayPal. Use the "Pay or send money" option, then select "friends and family" to avoid fees on cash and checking donations and send your donation to donate@dcin.info.If you use a credit card, you can choose to pay the fee to maximize your donation to DCIN. You can indicate in the optional box to which fundraiser you are donating, and we'll add your donation information to the YouCaring page

If you want to use the YouCaring site but want every dime to go to DCIN, you can also change the "recommended donation" to zero!! When you get to the end it will automatically fill out an amount that they recommend you donate to YouCaring but you do NOT have to do this! Just click where it says
$0.00donation +$0.00to YouCaring (recommended) and change it to zero
 
Update. She's coming home tomorrow. He is switching her to Lantus. He took her off the continuous drip and her sugars went up so he's trying to find the right dose. No more ketones and her anemia levels actually got a bit better. He didn't mention much about the pancreas but I guess I'll ask more tomorrow. He also said about changing her diet, which scares me but I will ask the forum before I do. :)
 
SO glad she's coming home!! You'll want to really keep on top of ketone testing on your end. I see Chris pointed out you used to be on Lev and Lantus is super similar so the dosing should be familiar to you. I would make sure to post over in the LL forum to get some assistance and I'd add that she had DKA to your signature...that will change how you dose. :) Let us know how she is when you get her home! I'm sure both of you will be thrilled!
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
Update. She's coming home tomorrow. He is switching her to Lantus. He took her off the continuous drip and her sugars went up so he's trying to find the right dose. No more ketones and her anemia levels actually got a bit better. He didn't mention much about the pancreas but I guess I'll ask more tomorrow. He also said about changing her diet, which scares me but I will ask the forum before I do. :)
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He might want her on higher carb food for now so you can give a higher dose of insulin. That's important if she was producing ketones. There are people on the L forum who are knowledgeable about post DKA kitties. They can help. It comes down to good hydration (add extra water to every wet food meal), enough carbs and calories to get some weight on her and support a high enough insulin dose and treatment of any infection/inflammation she might have.
 
Chris & China said:
For those of you that have been following along, DCIN has agreed to help with Button's emergency care, but we are already over $10,000 in the hole this year so we need help!!

If you'd like to help Buttons, please consider sending a donation to her Fundraiser!! Every dollar counts!!!

If you would prefer to bypass the YouCaring site, you can donate to DCIN directly via PayPal. Use the "Pay or send money" option, then select "friends and family" to avoid fees on cash and checking donations and send your donation to donate@dcin.info.If you use a credit card, you can choose to pay the fee to maximize your donation to DCIN. You can indicate in the optional box to which fundraiser you are donating, and we'll add your donation information to the YouCaring page

If you want to use the YouCaring site but want every dime to go to DCIN, you can also change the "recommended donation" to zero!! When you get to the end it will automatically fill out an amount that they recommend you donate to YouCaring but you do NOT have to do this! Just click where it says
$0.00donation +$0.00to YouCaring (recommended) and change it to zero
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Thanks for the info Chris & China I will donate directly.
 
I can't thank everyone that has donated enough. It made me cry today from the generosity of others.

I am on my way to get my baby. He does want to change her diet, he said low carbs high protein (which isn't she on?) And he said they don't have much for canned food there. He has a weight management one :banghead:. I laughed out loud. Oops. She is skin and bones. I need to get her gaining weight. What Kris said makes sense. Is that a thing to get higher calorie and up insulin to get her gaining weight? It just worries me with her pancreas :/
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
Is that a thing to get higher calorie and up insulin to get her gaining weight? It just worries me with her pancreas :/
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Underweight cats can have a bigger risk of developing ketones. That's why she needs more calories. They sometimes will be put on higher carb food so that you can give a higher insulin dose. Getting enough insulin is one of the things that helps to prevent ketone development. If the vet wants low carb food, then feed her more small meals a day.

I hope the vet gives you an at home treatment plan because she'll be in a fragile state for a while.
 
Victoria & Buttons said:
he said low carbs high protein (which isn't she on?)
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Yes....the Fancy Feast you've been feeding is low carb and fine.....don't let him convince you that you need to buy anything else.

You can also feed the Kitten Fancy Feast....it's higher calorie per ounce without adding a lot of carbs

It sounds like he might be talking about W/D.....it's high carb and the ingredients are just awful....it's a "weight diet" that has an ingredient cutely named "powdered cellulose"....that's a nice word for sawdust!!...it's not to help them gain weight either.....it's for overweight pets! The "sawdust" makes them feel full so they don't eat as much
 
We're home!!

Now I am massively confused with food. He totally did convince me to buy other wet food. Its Hills wet food, for metabolic and urinary care - vegetable and chicken stew flavored. I was okay with it, until the vet tech said oh its good, it has chunks and gravy. :nailbiting: I did do the calculator for carbs and its saying its 4.3%. But shouldnt i be feeding her more calories in a way, to help her gain weight? When I say shes skin and bones, i mean it. This vet has been amazing, he said two things that really worried me though today, he said he wants to eventually get her on dry kibble to gain weight (my mind was screaming double hell no) and he said if she gets ketones, its not a rush to the vet. I mean, I dont know if he was meaning a trace of them or what, but I said I test for them at home, and he said they're made for humans, and not accurate for animals. :/ weird.

So basically, shes eating the food i mentioned above, getting one unit of lantus (though he said i should go up), getting antibiotics still for UTI. I need to give her this powder stuff once a day with her food to help her kidneys/pancreas/potassium levels. I need to give her a shot of vitamin B12 once every week for four weeks. And he said I need to do a curve every 7-10 days. (ps i may have a faulty meter. tested her with their Alphatreck meter before we left vets, was at 14.2, three hours later at home, my reading says HI (>33)) :/

Anyways, I asked for copies of their curves so I have them, should I add them to this SS or make a whole new one? Any advice with the feeding would be super helpful! Thanks so much!!:bighug:
 
IMAG6899.jpg

:kiss::cat:
 
Hey Victoria, I think you can probably add your numbers to your current SS. Maybe just make a line above to show where the numbers from the vet are, and then another line for you switching to Lantus. :)
 
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