Please help! Ketoacidosis won't eat, just diagnosed!

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Sailawen

Member Since 2013
Please help!
My five year old tortoiseshell was just diagnosed diabetic on Friday. We have no money, so instead of hospitalizing her, I had to bring her home. She's in ketoacidosis. I have strips to test her urine, and the ketones have been decreasing, though they keep bouncing up and down. Her activity level has barely improved. She absolutely will not eat. She will take chicken broth. I've only been able to give her one unit instead of the prescribed two, twice daily. She is so listless sometimes she won't get up to pee. She has gotten up a few times, but her energy level seems to have plateaued. I'm so worried. The vet is gone for the weekend and I don't know what to do, what I can feed her, or how much broth will let me give her a full two units of insulin.

Please help! I don't want to lose my kitten!
 
My cat is a DKA survivor but he was hospitalized. Do you have a glucometer and are you home testing?
Do you have syringes to assist feed? Here is a link to a video on assist feeding. You will need to get food into your kitty. This is a very good video and I would do what the lady in the video says to do. She will also need insulin to bring her numbers down. I would go get a glucometer if you don't already have one. Did the vet say she had an infection or did she have some other kind of stress lately? I wish you the best of luck and will keep you and your kitty in my prayers.
 
I was house sitting for two days. When I left Rocko was strong and vibrant. When I returned she was listless, not eating, and her hind legs were so weak she could barely stand. I watched her through the night as her breathing became more and more labored. By the time I got her to the vet at 3:30 Friday she was nearly comatose.

The vet knew immediately what it was. She said her sugar was in the 400's and she was in ketoacidosis. She gave me syringes and insulin and a can of food Rocko never ate. She also gave her iv fluids while we were there. I have no glucometer yet and can't afford one. The vet visit took everything.

I've been giving her fluids, broth, and insulin. The ketones are decreasing, but they jumped back up this morning. The broth she will only take broth through syringe, but she laps it willingly.

I don't know what to do.
 
Okay, so I ground up some canned chicken and broth to give the broth a little more substance. Rocko liked the smell, but still needed the syringe. I got a few small syringes full in her. (I'm using an infant syringe cause that's all I have right now)

She's a little more perky, will hold her head up and move around a bit.
 
thats good he is a little better but he is not out of the woods.

1. what kind of insulin is it? when did you last give it.

2. where do you live? you can get a cheap meter from walmart -a relion prime and some lancets and a pack of strips will set you back only $30. I would strongly advise getting one today asap.. and then we can see if you can give him the insulin. Because if you have to hospitalize it is going to cost A LOT more than that. ( A mirco is better cos it needs less blood but it will cost $45 for the meter , strips and a pack of lancets)

3. Keep trying to get Rocko to eat and drink - its critical. Syringe feed him every hour if you can. Mix the wet food with water and put into a big syringe and put sideways into his mouth. Do you have fancy feast or any other wet food at home too? Sometimes they dont like the vets wet food.

Wendy
 
She's on novalin. Have to wait for next check before I can get a meter and I was told a human meter wouldn't work anyway since she's so far off normal...Friday.

A human doctor friend of mine said to stick with the broth for now and to give the prescribed dose of insulin.

This is so scary.
 
The recipe for DKA is not enough food plus not enough insulin plus an infection or sometimes another systematic stress.
I would keep feeding her every hour or so, around the clock, and if at all possible go get a cheap meter and strips so you can get enough insulin in but keep her safe at the same time. What area or town do you live in? Maybe there is member that has an extra meter that is close to you. Again, I wish you the best of luck and am keeping your kitty in my prayers.

We cross posted. Do you know anyone that is near you that is diabetic that can lend you an glucometer? Human glucometers are fine and will tell you if she is too low.
 
A human meter is just fine to use. 99% of us here use human meters for our cats.

Walmart sells Relion meter which is the cheapest. Also, if you click on the link at the top of every page for Home Testing Kits - Need One? The owner of this board will send you one for the cost of postage. This way you can at least get started with home testing.

Also, the best insulins to use for cats is Lantus (glargine), Levimer (Determir) or ProZinc. Novolin is more of a fast acting insulin and much harder to manage diabetes with.

You may also want to contact DCIN - Diabetic Cats in Need, as they may be able to provide you with assistance in getting a meter as well as possible financial assistance. No promises, but it is worth contacting them to see.

http://fdmb-cin.blogspot.com/p/our-miss ... eople.html
 
N/Novalin is actually a better insulin now since you can easily change the dose to more easily control BG. You can also does three times a day as necessary.
 
Thanks so much for your support!

I live in Rio Rancho, New Mexico--just on the westside of Albuquerque. I have no idea how to change her insulin dose if I get a meter because the vet said that would be our next step after she made it through DKA. She's a good doc and did everything in her power to treat Rocko despite our financial shortcomings. All I know is she's DKA from sudden onset and no treatment. She hasn't eaten in at least four or more days.

I just gave her five more infant syringes full of broth. I'll be giving her the two units of insulin as prescribed based on my human doc friends advice. I usually give her insulin around seven, so ill try and get more broth in her and give the tuna another go before giving her dose.
 
I tried to purée chicken with broth, but it is too thick for my syringe. I can try forcing the tuna on her. I mixed a tiny bit of mayo into it to give it more calories.
 
Do whatever it takes to get her to eat.

Did you get that meter. You really need it.. I don't know if you realize how serious this is for her.. You know DKA is life threatening right?
 
Oh I know it's serious. I've torn the house apart looking for my moms meter, but she died five years ago and we didn't keep anything. My grandmother has an extra she's bringing over in an hour, but I still have no idea what to do for a cat.
 
The broth doesn't have enough calories in it if she hadn't eaten in 4 days. Do you have a blender or food processor, preferably a small one? Put the food in it with water. That will make it smooth enough for a syringe. You'll lose some of it because you can't scrape it all out. We just did this last week - I learned this trick after a couple of tries mashing it really good. A mixer might even work.

LOTS of prayers here....
 
That info was great, but it didn't tell me levels. The vet said her level was in the 400's. what is it supposed to be? How do I compensate for it being a human meter?
 
Normal cat is 40-130. Higher than that is diabetic. Given you gave insulin you can test to see how she is doing and perhaps as Larry said, give another dose in a few hours (consult him first for when and how much) if she isn't coming down.

Let's see what her reading is. Maybe also call and see if you can find another emergency vet?

Wendy
 
Yes, mix the wet food with broth so its thin enough to go through the syringe and try and get a good amount into her.

Did the vet give you a high calorie wet?

Wendy
 
She did, but only one can and it went bad waiting for her to eat it. I can get some fancy feast beef tomorrow, but right now I have canned chicken, canned tuna, and chicken broth.
 
Try hand feeding minced bits of food if you haven't got a blender to puree it.

Both solid and liquid are needed.
 
U have no cat food at all in the house? Try the canned chicken then.. Maybe the below..

Enticing your cat to eat
Here are some things you can do do entice your cat to eat:
sometimes in order to get a cat to eat you even have to resort to dry it is more important that they eat. there are a couple low carb / grain free brands -- EVO and wellness core.
making a buffet to give him choices
heating food
Sprinkle food with :
FortiFlora -- a probiotic you can get at vets or online. is very smelly and cats love the taste of it.
parmesan cheese, other cheeses
smashed crumbles of dry food
bonito/tuna flakes (Asian markets or Asian food section in grocery stores)
Freeze dried treats (Halo, pure bites) -- crumble into dust over food. Chicken or liver flavours.
pour a little water from tuna in water over food (I use low sodium/no sodium added as other kinds in water has veg. broth in it and I assume that means onions, which are toxic to cats and it shouldn't contain soy -- check labels)
powdered oregano. yep sounds weird . but some cats like it and it will entice them to eat.
Olives/olives juice
Other ideas of foods to offer your kitty to stim appy:
trader joe tuna for cats
baby food -- beechnut or Gerber Stage 2 -- you want a baby food that is only a protein + broth (although the Gerber contains cornstarch). It should have no onions or other additives. some babyfoods have onions . please read labels if you can't find beechnut.
kentucky fried chicken KFC
deli meats ie turkey /chicken
plain cooked (boiled or baked) chicken breast (or beef, ham, turkey, pork, steak, bacon)
Raw - whole meats, rinsed well or partially baked
canned chicken for people (watch the label that their are no onions)
chicken broth -- low sodium
Selection of canned foods (buy a can of everything!)
 
I had no clue onions were toxic! The broth I've been giving her has trace amounts! Crap!

So she has now had a full oz of puréed chicken and tuna (using the water from the can as broth). We'll check sugar again in 2hrs. Should I continue feeding every 2 hrs through the night?

Up until Friday our cats were on a strictly dry diet. I haven't had a can of cat food in the house for years. :/
 
An oz is good, I would keep feeding every hour for now. Also you will want to test her blood every couple of hours.. It will start to go back up probably at the next reading. Your insulin only lasts 6 hours so we might want to dose again but I want a novolin user to advise n this.

Let me know what the next reading is..
 
Really? Fantastic!! Ok so feed and water and take a break. When did the vet say to give insulin again? Every 12 hours? Less?
 
I need to go to bed as I have work tomorrow but I am thinking you should test again in a couple of hours and feed and water her again.

Let's chat tomorrow morning about how to stop this happening again and her ongoing treatment.

Wendy
 
Vet said 2 times daily. I guess that means 12 hrs. I get to talk to her tomorrow morning. Thank God we made it through the weekend! She said if Rocko made it through the weekend she could pull through.

So she lapped at her water for a minute after peeing and after sugar reading.

I'll give her another oz of food before bed.

What is the number I'm aiming for? 337 seems high to me if she's supposed to be between 50 and 150.

Thank you all for your help!
 
Leave food out for her and water. And get another ketone test tomorrow morning. 300 is higher than ideal, but we can chat tomorrow about what to do on an ongoing basis. A better insulin like lantus, levemir or prozinc would be one of my first choices but the novolin was good for this emergency.

Wendy
 
For right now, don't be concerned with the 337. Yes, it's high, but you don't want to have it drop too far too soon. Especially if she's not eating all that well.

Food is used, in cases of dropping blood glucose, to raise her numbers to keep her safe. It depends on a cat having some sort of appetite.

You said the ketones were negligible the last time you tested? That's fantastic news.

How many test strips did you get?

For right now, follow the vet instructions as far as how often to shoot insulin. What time did she get the last shot?
 
Rocko has zero appetite still :(

I have her insulin about 4 hrs ago. Novalin was the cheapest brand.

I tested one strip in the litter right after she peed. The test before it was trace amounts.
 
I meant how many blood glucose strips do you have on hand?

Here's the scoop on Novalin. I understand it was the lowest cost, and that is critical for you at the moment. So we can "work with it" for now.

It's a shorter duration insulin than we normally like to use. It acts pretty fast, usually it will start pushing the BG numbers down only an hour or two after the shot. And reaches peak effect about 4 hours after the shot. Normally, by the 8 hour mark, it had pretty much worn off. Ideally, you want an insulin that lasts 12 hours, and doesn't work so fast. But like I said, it's what you have and we can try to help you work with it.

If you can get her to eat at all before bed, try to get her to. Even if you have to syringe feed her.

First thing in the morning, try to feed her again. You want food in her belly before you give a shot of Novolin. If she won't eat at all, call the vet as soon as they open. And try to test her BG before you feed her, so you can tell the vet what you got.

In spite of what your vet said, a human meter is perfectly fine for treating/testing feline diabetes with. No matter how high the numbers go. Or how low. Your vet might just not be aware of that. Thousands of cats, literally, have gone into remission with the caregivers using human meters.

My cat was also ketoacidosic. I used a Relion Micro meter. He made it through that crisis, took insulin for 10 weeks, and went into remission. He was on PZI insulin. Two days ago, we celebrated his 2 year anniversary of being off of insulin. The same thing can happen with your kitty. You just have to take this one day at a time.

Carl
 
Hello.
I'm in New Mexico... Los Alamos.
I have a new pen of Lantus in my refrigerator if you get a prescription from your vet ....


Isn't the walmart in RR open all night?
I would suggest to go buy a can of fancy feast turkey and giblets classics feast or chicken classics feast or trout classic feast. Since you haven't had any canned food , who knows, maybe Rocko would try it.


My cat went into remission and I used a human meter. Vets that tell you otherwise are wrong.


I have canned food I can give you too.

I'll help you however I can.
 
I'm trying to figure out how and when I could come help....it's only 1.5 hours. my schedule is usually wide open... every week but this one.... (and MIL coming)
I think I could do it early Wednesday morning.... trying to figure out a sooner time.
 
When you checked her ketones, did you actually stick the ketostix in fresh urine? Sticking it in urine soaked litter will cause the results to be inaccurate.

I understand about the finances but if she is in DKA, she needs to be in the hospital. She needs IV fluids. I know you are trying really, really hard but you have to get much more calories and water in her than normal. You could be facing feline hepatic lipidosis on top of the DKA if her calorie intake is greatly diminished.

The vets can give her a combination of insulins....very short acting plus the novolin (if it is "N") or a long duration insulin to bring her numbers down. Is she getting Novolin R or Novolin N? Novolin R is a very short duration insulin and is usually given as a bolus to quickly bring numbers down. Novolin N is a medium acting insulin. She really needs a long duration insulin with a bolus.

Have you ever heard of Care Credit? They can qualify you quickly so you could get her to an ER.

I do not mean to be pessimistic but DKA should not be treated at home. I hope you can figure out a way to get her to an ER.

Rhiannon....I understand what you are doing and it's so generous of you. But we don't prescribe insulin here. We can recommend it and she can have it on hand for when she talks to her vet. But the vet needs to give the go ahead.
 
Marje is right. She would need to have her vet write a prescription for lantus and determine a starting dose.
 
I agree. The vet needs to prescribe it.
I was looking at us moving forward tomorrow after she saw the vet again....
quoting what she said earlier.

Vet said 2 times daily. I guess that means 12 hrs. I get to talk to her tomorrow morning. Thank God we made it through the weekend! She said if Rocko made it through the weekend she could pull through.
Click to expand...
 
Hey, sorry my battery on my ipod died at 11 last night and I just got up.

Thanks for the offer, Rhiannon. I would love to meet with you if only for advice on how to manage this. I will be talking to the vet once my husband comes home from work and I can get another sugar reading. (He'll be home within the hour) We are also looking into a pet insurance that would reimburse her prescription costs.

Update on Rocko:
I did test the urine stream last night so the result was accurate. This morning I tested the litter since I didn't get to her in time, and it was still negative for ketones. The urine smell is also a lot less pungent. Rocko is still very weak, but she is getting on and off the bed. She hasn't messed herself in over 36 hrs now. She is breathing normally and holding her head up. Last night she didn't just flop at the foot of the bed, she actually curled up in the center with me like normal. She sniffed at the tuna this morning, licked it, but turned away and drank an entire bowl of water instead. :( My husband will be returning with canned food and we'll try that once we have her sugar reading and talked to the vet. Oh and she's meowing now! She wouldn't meow or acknowledge us with more than a slight twitch of her ears when we entered the room. Now she gets up and meows. Oh, and she is no longer compliant and will resist me if I touch her ears. So I'd say that's progress.

She looks worlds better than she did at the start of this very long weekend. She's not back to normal, but she's much better. Thank you all for your advice and help during this time. I don't think I could have done this without you all.

Note: I KNOW she needs to be in a hospital and it is absolutely killing me that I can't put her in one right now. We literally have $8. to our name right now. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I am desperately trying everything I can to keep my kitten alive with the resources I have. Please recognize that.


Anyway, I'll give another update when I have more information.

Thanks :)
 
Good morning!

Sounds like she is doing a bit better today yay! Did you give her insulin? Please test her before you do and dont shoot if under 200. How are you doing for strips?

Also try and get some food into her.

Can you spend your $8 getting her some friskies pates today?

Wendy
 
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