Possible hypo

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christinerv

Member Since 2017
Hi everyone, I'm new here though I've been in the FB group for a while. My kitty has been high all weekend and was improving on 6 units of pro zinc 2x daily for the last few days. But has neuropathy & loss of appetite. Saw vet today & learned to do sub q fluids. I did this evening. At 7pm her BG was 360 so i gave her 6units insulin. At 9pm she is 188. I am now concerned about a hypo as she is not eating. I have syrup ready. How often should I be testing to watch for a drop? Thanks for any advice. Have call in to the vet as well.
 
Hi Christine!
Glad you are home testing. I'm guessing this sort of drop isn't her normal trend? 6.0U is quite a bit, how long ago was she diagnosed? Did she eat all of her dinner? What kind of meter are you using? Sorry for all the questions but they have to be answered before we move forward. :bighug:
 
Thank you both. I just tested her again. She is 267. Using alpha trak meter. She was diagnosed 3 years ago and until recently mostly regulated. She is not eating at all though. I syringe fed her some food mixed with water - very small amount. And gave sub q fluids around 7pm. Poor thing is miserable. :(
 
I would test again at +6 if you can. Maybe try some parmesan cheese (grated/powdery stuff) on the food to see if that would entice her to eat a bit on her own.
 
If that drop in BG is unusual, then keep testing. Otherwise, that is a semi-normal nadir. The other problem is not eating...as you said. So there needs to be some calories applied to get thru this.

Search the forum for neuropathy. It is commonly discussed. Caused by regular high BG in unregulated cats. Can be resolved sometimes with regulation. I was able to resolve Leo's neuropathy that way.
 
Thanks everyone- we gave fluids because she is dehydrated from not eating. She's a bit better this morning, tested at 317 before insulin. Is drinking on her own, (watered down cat food) and is generally more alert. Still can't really move though. But shifting around and purring when I pet her.
 
christinerv said:
Still can't really move though. But shifting around and purring when I pet her.
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Are you checking for ketones? If not, I'd test her ASAP. Kitties will purr to soothe themselves when they are feeling unwell. Not eating, high BG and being dehydrated could also be causing an electrolyte imbalance so while your kitty may have some neuropathy, this could also be contributing to weakness. With you saying she can't move on her own, her high BG of late and not eating, I'd suggest a trip to the vet ASAP. If she is throwing ketones, that can lead to DKA which is life threatening and not only difficult but very expensive to treat. A potassium (electrolyte) imbalance can also be very serious.
 
Christine, now that things have "slightly" settled down, would you mind setting up your Signature with some information about your kitty? :cat: Also, would you be up for setting up a spreadsheet with her BG readings? Would help us see her usual patterns so if this happens again we will have a better idea where she is going. Should she actually head toward the "take action" number (depends on which type of glucometer you are using) here is a good reference: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

And of course, how is she doing this evening? Eating any better on her own? Moving at all? :bighug:
 
Thanks everyone, for your help. Francis did better last night, ate some baby food, got off the bed to pre & poop. Her pre-shot BG this morning is 225 and I'm concerned to give her her usual 6 units of pro zinc without her eating enough. This dose is finally working to lower her numbers but I am not used to a "normal" BG like this pre-shot. Any advice? Have a vet appt this am to check blood chemistry, electrolytes etc.
I will fill in more profile info in Francis once I am through this episode. Thanks again
 
With being so close to the no-shoot number of 200, not eating well, and not being able to see her BG history, I would not give full dose of 6.0U. If you already did (sorry didn't get to the post an hour ago), I would suggest staying home with her if you are able to monitor and spot check at least at +2, +4, and +6 to see how she is doing. Oh scratch that, I forgot you were going back to the Vet today :facepalm:. Hopefully Vet visit will give some insight to her not wanting to eat much. Please be sure to update us :)
 
Thanks, I did not shoot. Vet called to reschedule to afternoon but I am trying to get her seen earlier. Seeing trace ketones and need to get this all under control. Will update later.
 
christinerv said:
Thanks, I did not shoot. Vet called to reschedule to afternoon but I am trying to get her seen earlier. Seeing trace ketones and need to get this all under control. Will update later.
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Oh definitely want to get in sooner with trace ketones showing now. Why do Vet's not understand this is something they shouldn't put on a back burner :(. Positive vines that you guys get in sooner and will check in later for the update :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Saw vet this am. Her BG is good but potassium is low. Could not get ketone test because empty bladder. Giving sub q fluids and potassium pills. And will monitor ketones. And keep fingers crossed. She did eat some today but is still so up & down. Not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your concern and suggestions
 
Good status. You are taking great care of your kitty. Would be great to see stats and similar in your signature. Tracking BG over time is very helpful. And if you need advice here, others can review the online content.
 
Glad to see you got in to see the vet again and are getting the low potassium taken care of. The lower BG could be partially from not eating. Glad to hear she is eating a little on her own but if she is not eating enough, you could ask the vet for an appetite stimulant as long as you're sure she is not nauseated. You could also try syringe feeding Francis to get some more nourishment into her. It's important to get enough calories into her when giving insulin and to keep ketones at bay.
 
I am sorry for your loss. You were doing your best, and providing good vet care. It is hard to lose our fur kids. May sweet Francis fly freely and land softly at the rainbow bridge.:rb_icon:
 
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