Smokey 1/9 AMPS AMPS 286 +3 255, ketones 1.1

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Melanie and Smokey

Melanie and Smokey

Member Since 2010
I'll reuse this thread for our condo since fabulous people have helped the PZI user.

So our ketone meter finally showed up. We haven't been able to catch her in the litter box (she knows we're watching and sneaks). 1.1 seems to be in the not-liking-it, but not scary range yet? Or should I be concerned and calling the vet?
 
I would make sure you are adding water to Smokey's food -- as much as will be tolerated. If she's eating and otherwise seems fine, I'd give it 12 hours and re-check.

I also hate to suggest that you waste a strip given how expensive they are but test yourself. The calibration could be off.
 
Hi guys .. I don't have any experience with ketones or amounts but sienne's suggestion seems like a good one .. just to be extra careful .. have a great day!
 
I'll either get to test it on myself or test in 12 hours unless the rest of the strips show up. The meter came with a grand total of 2 strips. I will go see if there tracking on the other 2 boxes of strips.

Her water consumption had been really high around Christmas. Freakishly high. Dropped to not seeing her drink at all, to drinking more the last couple of days againn. She hasn't been eating as much at one time, but will go from bowl to bowl licking. Usually too much water at food time will mean it all comes back up so we'll see what balance we can find.
 
Most of us add water to our cat's food routinely. (It's good for kidney health.) If you can add some water, not so much that you have a mess to clean up, it will help with the ketones. Is there any reason to think there's an infection/inflammation present? Even dental issues could be a factor.
 
She's got low-grade chronic pancreatitis and liver disease (paper work said suspected hepatitis) so inflammation is kind of a given. No symptoms of those other than weight loss at first, but bloodwork sent us to an ultra-sound and her liver glowed. (I know a profile of all this would help. The set up just so time consuming).

Dental was done in November so there shouldn't be any dental infection. Mouth still stinks.

We add a lot of water to 2 of the younger cat's food (the two that eat dry food too). If the two older ones eat it, especially Smokey, it almost always comes back out so we usually try to not let her get the watered down stuff. Some of the foods are just naturally wetter so we try to get those to her more. But water + food in her tummy seems bad for some reason.

eta: extra strips are marked to have been mailed on Saturday so I don't expect them for a few days. No tracking number. I looked in every place I could think of in town and couldn't find a ketone meter let alone a strip to buy before ordering on the net.
 
I think I said this earlier but her mouth shouldn't stink if she's had a dental. Please talk to your vet about this. If it's not her mouth, it could be a stomach issue, especially since she's vomiting with some degree of regularity.

If hepatitis is suspected, are they not working this up further and what about treatment. Please look at this link re. pancreatitis. There may be some suggestions re. supplements that may help both pancreatitis and liver function.
 
She is on ursodiol for the liver. None of her liver values have ever been off, so the only testing we can do is watch the lypase - our only blood work besides BG that has ever been off (and it was off the charts) - or redo the ultrasound, which is what found the liver to be not right. The lypase came down good, from over 6000 to something in the 1600s last time.

I have been trying to put off another ultrasound until after we run more blood work towards the end of this month. Last time they had to shave her poor belly and I hate to have her with a bare belly during the winter if I can avoid it. I also avoid any situation where they might sedate her until we have to do it, her blood pressure heads for the basement 60/30 kind of numbers, and the older she gets the scarier that gets.

We were on the flagyl for a few months for the pancreatitis. The test that is specific for that was normal or just slightly elevated the last time it was sent out and we discontinued the flagyl because she hated it. Vet does not believe there is anything else to do for the pancreatitis at the moment. There are no symptoms to treat that she believes are tied to the pancreatitis. She does keep saying that we will have to re-run some of the tests if we don't see the diabetes come under control soon, but never really indicates what that point will be.

The one caviat we have with Smokey is that we cannot do anything that must be pilled. Pill pockets, hiding in her food, pill guns, etc are all not options. She has decided she is done with pills and we will not force them on her anymore, her quality of life immediately goes to 0. If it can't be a shot or we can't compound to a liquid or a PLO gel, she doesn't take it.
 
I did use the extra strip to test the meter. I tested at 0.5 ketones so she is high, though I kind of expected mine to be in the lower range since my BGs are always low so maybe it runs slightly high?

I can't find any testing solution for the meter (ketone meters are difficult things to buy along with their supplies!) and I don't know if the testing solution would tell me anything other than "in-range".
 
I'm not familiar enough with the liver supplements that are noted in the post I linked to know if they are all in pill form. You may want to send a PM to Jill -- she's much more familiar with these than I am. Others here may be as well.

Did Smokey have any extractions with the dental and if so, did the vet get post-procedure films? A root that was left may cause the stinky mouth.
 
Sorry, I don't know anything about the meds. But, I agree with Sienne about making sure there was nothing left in the mouth after that dental. My cat's mouth quit stinking after his dental.
 
No bad teeth, no extractions. Did ask about her still being so stinky at her wellness in mid-December, vet didn't find any issues. I think she thinks I am just crazy. I have 2 boys with bad mouths too, one with stomatitis and one with yet to be determined, that I am always hauling in there for re-checks.

Now all the pharmacists across town think I am crazy too. I have been calling the ones that were a little far to drive to see if they have the ketone strips. One was certain they are a figment of my imagination 'cause he's never seen or heard of them :roll: I guess when people are presented with peeing on one that costs pennies or poking themselves for one that costs $5 (plus the meter), a pharmacy just doesn't have much of a demand for the meter strips.

I will be in there again on Thursday with Taz. Usually if I am in the room with her its easier to talk to her, though Taz's glaucoma tests tend to take most of the appointment time.
 
do you have a walmart nearby? ours carries the ketone meter testing strip
(tho they are frighteningly expensive :sad: )
 
What kind of ketone meter do you have? I have a Precision Xtra, bought the strips on eBay, got 6 or 7 boxes for the price of one box of 10 at the pharmacy! Just make sure to check the expiry dates b4 buying. Mine were not even close to expiring. & I got them in about 3 days. about 70 bucks total.

a BBK of 1.1 I would not call a "danger zone" but IMHO it bears watching. Do you have ketostix you can test the urine until you get strips? Also calories help fight ketones, Wellness chicken and Wellness turkey are pretty high in calories. I have recently learned everything I never wanted to know about all this while Tawny was so sick recently. On my BBK (beta blood ketones) meter 3.0 blood reading is where the urine ketones will start reading in the "small" range.
 
I ended up buying the Nova Max instead of the Precision Ultra. I can't remember what it was between the two that made me decide on the Nova, I think the blood sample needed was half the size. I do have 2 boxes of strips on the way, just won't be here for a few days :(

I have the urine sticks. She's just one smart cookie and ever since we started trying to catch her with them, when she wasn't eating right just after Christmas, she won't pee in front of us. I finally gave up and ordered the meter and strips last week, but ordered them from different places so they are getting here at different times.

The info that came with the Nova Max said:

0-0.6 normal
0.6-1.5 warning zone, elevated and something is going on, talk to your medical team
1.5+ high, DKA is a danger, seek medical help immediately.

I find the Nova Max to be a cheaply made, annoying meter and I really appreciate my Accuchek after using that thing!

I will tell hubby to put out Wellness for supper. She likes her Wellness.

Our Walmart only started selling regular meters and glucose strips recently, the ONE that had those didn't have the ketone strips for meters only urine ketostix. ND law is really weird, all pharmacies have to be 100% owned and operated by pharmacists. The result of that is very few retail stores like Walmart, Sam's, even Walgreen's that have pharmacies in them. The first time I went into the new Walgreen's I looked at the guy like he had 2 heads, why even build a Walgreen's that isn't going to have a pharmacy in it? But I digress. The end result is a limited supply of stuff and of course, higher prices. Today I was calling across the boarder where they aren't subjected to weird laws, but no luck. Just have be patient until the strips get here and monitor her "how's the cat" signs.
 
Oh yeah, my Accuchek I can get for around $22/50 on eBay - $78 for 50 retail here. Walmart has FINALLY started selling them for $57/50. For those times when I start poking at insane rates and I run out before the next box gets here, that will be sweet.

The ketone strips just seem to be insanely expensive no matter how you buy them :shock:
 
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