Please help Phoebe!

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EricH.

EricH.

Member Since 2016
Hello everyone and thank you for this group! I'm here because my beautiful orange tabby Phoebe pictured here in my avatar needs help! I recently took the bad advice too stop giving Phoebe her her vetsulin. I was told she would be ok with plenty of water and quality wet foods. That was Tuesday. Today l awoke to Phoebe not eating and being lethargic. The vets are all closed on this holiday weekend! I gave her a shot of vetsulin earlier and I've given her honey in attempts too get her up. I'm scared. Please help!
 
If Phoebe has not had insulin since Tuesday, then she is not hypo. Can you home test her glucose? And do you have any ketone test strips? Hopefully her glucose is just high and getting her on a good regimen of insulin and testing is all she needs.
 
Sharon14 said:
If Phoebe has not had insulin since Tuesday, then she is not hypo. Can you home test her glucose? And do you have any ketone test strips? Hopefully her glucose is just high and getting her on a good regimen of glucose and testing is all she needs.
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Sharon l have none of that. I gave her a shot of vetsulin this morning. I've given her honey as well because l was told it'll get her levels up. She was diagnosed as having diabetes last September and this was the first time l ever strayed from our regiment.
 
Can you go out and buy a glucometer to test the blood today.? Also buy a bottle of ketostix to test for ketones in her urine.
If she has had no insulin for several days and is not eating and is lethargic, she could have ketones....which you can test for if you get the ketostix to test her urine. This can be a serious condition so I would not ignore it.
 
EricH. said:
Sharon l have none of that. I gave her a shot of vetsulin this morning. I've given her honey as well because l was told it'll get her levels up. She was diagnosed as having diabetes last September and this was the first time l ever strayed from our regiment.
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Sharon14 said:
can you get to a pharmacy and pick up a meter?
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What do l do once l get a meter? I was only ever told too give her 4 units per day. I don't know what to do wuth the results?
 
Thank you all! I found an emergency vet that's open. We're actually here now and Phoebe is being seen. Please send prayers, positive energy and thoughts her way!
 
Well the tenative diagnosis was ketotic diabetic. They wanted to hospitalize her but l was told that would cost $1,600 starting and go up from there. I sadly don't have that kind of money and they don't except payments. They gave her fluids and sent her home with me. The Doctor said there's a chance that l caught it early enough when l gave her her dose of insulin. I was told if she's not eating try a syringe feeding. I did. She's been up and about. I'm monitoring her very closely. Please continue to pray for her and send healing thoughts. This is tearing my heart out.
 
She absolutely needs food and insulin, add as much water to her food as she will tolerate as water will help flush the ketones. Please pick up a glucose meter and ketone test strips. It will really help you to help her. Sending prayers
 
Sharon14 said:
She absolutely needs food and insulin, add as much water to her food as she will tolerate as water will help flush the ketones. Please pick up a glucose meter and ketone test strips. It will really help you to help her. Sending prayers
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Thank you Sharon. I gave her 2.5 oz. of Gerber chicken and gravy. Very moist and liquidity. When l opened the jar Phoebe started licking the food out of the jar. A good sign. I let her consume as much on her own before l gave it to her with the oral syringe. Before that she actually consumed some of her favorite treats. All good signs considering she wouldn't eat anything yesterday. I then contacted the vet and they told me to give her 2 units of vetsulin and continue too monitor her.
 
So glad she's eating!!! Is she drinking? Water is very important in the treatment, so encourage it. And please keep us posted and if you need some help, or just some hand holding, post in the health forum.
 
I would mix the water with some food -she needs that too- syringe it slowly into the side of her mouth not straight in, so she doesn't aspirate. To encourage her to drink on her own, try putting small bowls of water in her favorite places to sit. I have teacups in my window sills and my cats love that!
 
Sharon14 said:
I would mix the water with some food -she needs that too- syringe it slowly into the side of her mouth not straight in, so she doesn't aspirate. To encourage her to drink on her own, try putting small bowls of water in her favorite places to sit. I have teacups in my window sills and my cats love that!
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I did all that. Thanks again Sharon!
 
Hi there! Sorry this happened, ketones can be scary!

I have a couple questions that might help direct advice:
Are you home testing blood sugar?
How much vetsulin and how often are you giving it?
Would you be willing to test ketones at home (urine dipstick)?
Did the vet draw a potassium level?
What are the fluids they gave you (it should say on the bag)?

For a start, with ketones, it's important to have 24hour insulin coverage. This is called a "basal" or background insulin. Vetsulin has about the same duration as other zinc insulins, so maybe 8 hours or less in cats. In order to maintain a basal rate and eliminate ketones, 3 times a day dosing is better. Even better than that would be to switch to a long acting insulin such as lantus or levemir. Cats prone to ketones should always be on a long acting, in my opinion. Ask your vet if you can switch.

Also, dehydration gets really serious with ketones. The subQ fluids are good. Oral fluids are better as it disrupts electrolytes less, but sometimes not possible. Plain pedialyte is good for oral replacement as it has electrolytes, you can mix it with the food your are syringing. A normal cat needs about 300ml oral fluid a day, more when ketones are in play. This includes the moisture in canned food which is probably 120-150ml/5.5oz can.

Food is necessary. Feed her anything she will eat. Even treats, even dry food. Whatever. You can adjust the insulin to compensate. Eating+appropriate insulin is the only way to make her body stop burning fat and making ketones.

Ask your vet about a anti-nausea (not an appetite stimulant). That can help your cat eat earlier and make her recovery faster.

Low potassium is a major and common complication of ketones. It's VERY important that this is tested, and supplemented if low. Low potassium can lead to fatal heart arrythmias, and muscle weakness that can slow recovery.
 
Meya l was told too give her 4 units of vetsulin only in the morning before all of this happened. This morning l was only able to get her too eat 12 blue buffalo chicken treats followed by 2.5 oz. of Gerber chicken and gravy. She ate some of the gerber but l then had too syringe feed it too her. That was at 730am. Then l called the vet. They told me to only give her 2 units of vetsulin because they were afraid too give her a full dose. Later she drank at the water dish for a good 3 minutes this afternoon.
 
Meya14 said:
Hi there! Sorry this happened, ketones can be scary!

I have a couple questions that might help direct advice:
Are you home testing blood sugar?
How much vetsulin and how often are you giving it?
Would you be willing to test ketones at home (urine dipstick)?
Did the vet draw a potassium level?
What are the fluids they gave you (it should say on the bag)?

For a start, with ketones, it's important to have 24hour insulin coverage. This is called a "basal" or background insulin. Vetsulin has about the same duration as other zinc insulins, so maybe 8 hours or less in cats. In order to maintain a basal rate and eliminate ketones, 3 times a day dosing is better. Even better than that would be to switch to a long acting insulin such as lantus or levemir. Cats prone to ketones should always be on a long acting, in my opinion. Ask your vet if you can switch.

Also, dehydration gets really serious with ketones. The subQ fluids are good. Oral fluids are better as it disrupts electrolytes less, but sometimes not possible. Plain pedialyte is good for oral replacement as it has electrolytes, you can mix it with the food your are syringing. A normal cat needs about 300ml oral fluid a day, more when ketones are in play. This includes the moisture in canned food which is probably 120-150ml/5.5oz can.

Food is necessary. Feed her anything she will eat. Even treats, even dry food. Whatever. You can adjust the insulin to compensate. Eating+appropriate insulin is the only way to make her body stop burning fat and making ketones.

Ask your vet about a anti-nausea (not an appetite stimulant). That can help your cat eat earlier and make her recovery faster.

Low potassium is a major and common complication of ketones. It's VERY important that this is tested, and supplemented if low. Low potassium can lead to fatal heart arrythmias, and muscle weakness that can slow recovery.
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Meya the sent me home with nothing too test her with nor did they ever mention testing. I really feel the vet doesn't care because l don't have the $1600 they wanted from me yesterday to leave Phoebe there. I'm looking at my invoice and it says Fluids - Subcutaneous. I-Stat (EC8+). Urine Myltistix. And thats it. This was the emergency vet service l went to because my normal vet is closed for the holiday.
 
Did they send any fluids home with you? I would definitely shoot insulin twice/day and learn to home test her glucose. That's the only way to know if it's safe to give insulin. You can get a human meter from any pharmacy the Relion from Walmart is a popular one. Also she needs to eat, syringe feed her if necessary, several times/day, as often as possible.
 
Sharon14 said:
Did they send any fluids home with you? I would definitely shoot insulin twice/day and learn to home test her glucose. That's the only way to know if it's safe to give insulin. You can get a human meter from any pharmacy the Relion from Walmart is a popular one. Also she needs to eat, syringe feed her if necessary, several times/day, as often as possible.
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They didn't send any fluids home they didn't send anything to test her with I'm pretty much in the dark on this I was actually headed up to the vet again to get her tested. It pretty much seems pointless because I think I'm just going to leave me in the dark and not really give me anything to help her with. Do you recommend I just go to the store and pick up something to test her with and start feeding her immediately as well as pick up Pedialyte?
 
When I called the vet again today I talk to the nurse and she wasn't helpful at all I asked her should I start feeding her some more and she seemed really Clueless and told me that I shouldn't feed her until I bring her in to get tested again which I find absurd.
 
I've never dealt with DKA, but from what I understand food, insulin and fluids are vital. If you can get to the store get a meter, test strips and lancets along with ketone test strips and unflavored pedialyte. Make sure you have plenty baby food too and check to be sure there are no onions or garlic in the baby food.
 
This Emergency Veterinary service is horrible I've been trying to get her back in there today it's gone from A 2 hour wait till 4 hour wait now I'm going on 6 hours
 
At Walmart, Pick up a Relion Confirm or Micro, lots of test strips and 25-28 gauge lancets, ketone test strips, pedialyte and if you need more baby food. Is there another emergency clinic around?
 
EricH. said:
This Emergency Veterinary service is horrible I've been trying to get her back in there today it's gone from A 2 hour wait till 4 hour wait now I'm going on 6 hours
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There is no need to buy a ton of strips. just get the meter and a container of 50 until you can get to a vet. there is also a ketones test kit relion sells that you should get. see if the er vet will sell you the sub q fluids bag you can just pick it up and administer at home. do you have a syringe with no needle to do fluids by mouth?
 
Since I've been talking to both of you I drove to the emergency vet just to be told I have to wait for hours I asked if I could purchase a bag of Q fluids the receptionist said the doctor would call me back. That was 45 minutes ago he still hasn't called back! Instead of waiting there for my cat to die I figure I'll listen to you guys. I just dropped Phoebe off at home and now I'm heading to Walmart to purchase everything I need! I'm hoping I can get her to Tuesday so she could see my normal vet!
 
Sharon14 said:
At Walmart, Pick up a Relion Confirm or Micro, lots of test strips and 25-28 gauge lancets, ketone test strips, pedialyte and if you need more baby food. Is there another emergency clinic around?
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No other emergency clinic around. They're way understaffed. I'm still waiting for the call back on q fluids! What can use in it's place?
 
You'll have to get her to drink the pedialyte or syringe it. Hopefully things will slow down at the clinic later.
 
scoobydoox said:
There is no need to buy a ton of strips. just get the meter and a container of 50 until you can get to a vet. there is also a ketones test kit relion sells that you should get. see if the er vet will sell you the sub q fluids bag you can just pick it up and administer at home. do you have a syringe with no needle to do fluids by mouth?
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I bought the meter. They didn't have the ketones test kit.
 
When you get a chance, please start a thread in the main health forum. More people are there that maybe can help.
Or you can just start posting on the thread that @Carol & Murphy started there for you.
 
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yes, start posting on the 911 thread that I posted for you in the health forum -what's your nearest big city? did you contact diabetic cats in need to see if they can help pay for the DKA treatment?
 
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