spice updaet Has ketoacidosis

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tajana340

Active Member
Hello everyone,

Just got back from the vet. Spice looks a little better. Only one problem she has ketoacidosis. I don't know what i am going to do. I cannot afford to put her in the hospital. There are no funds to tap into. Has anyone been in this situation. The vet wants to see her tommorrow and spend all day. I can drop her off but can't pick her up. And the money. I just don't know what to do. I know she needs to be in the hospital and everyone is going to say that she needs to be there and I understand that but when you absolutely have no money..... :cry:

David
 
After going thru a few of the sites a couple are not accepting applications and other ones are for low income, which is not my siuation. It is more like all the credit cards are tapped out and can't afford another monthly payment.
 
Oh gosh David I just saw your updates about Spicey, I am so sorry she is having a rough time. I am broker than broke too & feel for you, I don't know what I would do if we have a crisis. I know there are plenty of people around with DKA experience - you might post on Health and hopefully someone can give you some tips.

Is there any way your vet would work out a payment plan with you? Still no help when it comes to making the payments, but if they would work with you somehow that might make it possible at least to treat her. I wish I had more ideas for you. I know occasionally someone does treat at home for something like that, but the survival rate (from what I have read - not sure if her condition is exactly the same as what I've read about, I guess there are variations in how serious it is) is iffy even with vet care, and goes down even more without that. I am so sorry. Sending prayers and good thoughts.

(((((hugs)))))
 
you got that right :cry: I wish I knew what to do to help you out. I don't have any DKA or ketone experience - I know with just ketones sometimes people can beat those ok at home by giving fluids and really staying on top of the insulin to keep enough in their system, but I think DKA involves other things like electrolyte balance & stuff that really needs a vet to treat. But since they sent her home with you, maybe it's not really extreme DKA, or maybe they got her stablized enough that it is under control? Just grasping at straws here :)
 
Hey David,
You might try hunting for a way to lay your hands on some SubQ LRS. Bought in quantity is is relatively cheap. Maybe you can find another user in your neighborhood that might have some on hand [maybe a post in Community]?

I'm sorry you are in this situation. I hope you can find more input.
 
Gator & H (GA) said:
Hey David,
You might try hunting for a way to lay your hands on some SubQ LRS. Bought in quantity is is relatively cheap. Maybe you can find another user in your neighborhood that might have some on hand [maybe a post in Community]?

I'm sorry you are in this situation. I hope you can find more input.


Well they did send me home with an Iv bag for fluids to go under the skin but i don't have to give it to her they did that before discharging her today.
 
Oh that's good! If you can keep enough insulin in her system (I know, easier said than done) and with the fluids they gave her and if she will eat, maybe she will start doing better without needing too much of a stay at the vets. I will say extra prayers for you guys tonight. :)
 
David,

I run DCIN and just sent you a PM.

Ketones came come about if 1. not enough insulin, 2. inadequate food, 3. infection.

Ketones can cause, among more other things, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

What is Spice's BG level right now? Please update her SS for any values you haven't listed.

What insulin has she gotten in the last 24 hours and how much each time?

Is she eating? If so when and how much?

Did the vet give/sell you what you needed to give her SubQ fluids? I know you have the fluids, but do you also have the needles and admin sets? Do you know how to give it? Are you willing to give her some fluids now (despite what the vet said about her already having enough), if she needs them? How is Spice hydrated? Does her scruff quickly snap back when pulled? Are her gums tacky? If she is eating, can you please add water to the food?

Did you talk with your vet about CareCredit or some other healthcare treatment financial plans they provide access to? Please do try to apply to IMOM. IMOM won't help with treatment costs after they have been incurred. What I have seen of IMOM, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be aggressive/pushy/unrelenting.

Can you please give us a brief on what has been going on with Spice? I don't know you, and I don't have the time top search back through your 300+posts on the board since you have been a member.

Spice is a beautiful girl. I know we all want to help you save her. DKA can be overcome.
 
Venita,

Her bg and insulin levels are all on the spreadsheet and are current. Spice has not eaten since Fri - Sat sometime. She has had tonite baby food chicken and gravy 26 ml. I am asuuming not very much food. The vet gave me an iv to bring home that has potassium in it along with the needle(s). She said not to give her any tonite. They gave her some under the skin before I brought her home. They went over on how to give it. I have given spice distilled water by syringe 7 ml total for the nite so far.
As far as the care credit goes I have not applied because i cannot afford the monthly payment. I had to put a new roof and ac unit on my house three years ago and could not get a home equity line of credit because of the housing bubble bursting so the roof and ac went on credit. Roof on credit card ac on financing. So that is why I cannot afford any more monthly payments, I am barely making those payments right now as it is.

Back to spice. She has been doing fine since Sept. She had some problems back then but the vet thought it was the start of kidney disease. But on the xrays she looked constipated. But the vet didn't treat her for the constipation. I did with miralax. She bounced back 2 -3 days later. Any way before that she was diagnosed in Dec 2008 and did not have nay problems until the vet upped her insulin to 5 units 2x day PZI VEt from 3 units 2x day.
She had 2 hypo incidents in Jan 2010 and has been fine up to the sept 2010 incident. The vet today is a different vet.

She wants to have spicey all day tommorrow. I am pretty sure I can afford to do that. The vet is going to go over the test results tomorrow - blood work etc. She also put her on an antibiotic clamoxin i believe. they had her all day today and giving her fluids checking her glucose and giving her lantus I believe.

I hope that is enough history.

David
 
Hi I am not a PZI user but I do have a ketone prone cat. You slhould also check your postings on the main board today for some help there. Your vet might be able to teach you how to manage this at home. It is more complex but not impossible. You would still have to bring the cat in for lab. Work but it would save the hospital cost.

I am glad you hooked up with DCIN. Venita, if you are working with his cat I will be glad to give a donation.

Please also read kse's post as they are also dealing with DKA. I need to go to work but I will check in at lunch time.
 
When my cat stopped eating and developed dka I had to take him to the emergency vet late one Sunday evening. They were wonderful people. I paid the emergency up front fee and they worked around the clock on him for several days. My cat was at the clinic from Sunday night through Friday afternoon. It was a large bill. They had a sign in the exam room that said "Do not ask for credit as refusal may offend." However, my DH works in advertising and offered his services in exchange for paying the bill. He and the vet worked out an arrangement that resulted in paying our bill with "trade." I'm not sure what profession you are in, but you might offer to work off your payment instead of paying with cash.

Sending healing thoughts your way.
 
To clarify, I never told anyone to treat DKA at home. The discussion on another tread was about using subQ fluids and short acting insulin to decrease ketone levels at home. If the ketone levels are moderate or above, then they need to be treated at a vet..

I have already got a couple of responses on this. First I would ask someone to carefully read someone else's post before reaching conclusions. Second, just because board members disagree on a topic doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss it.
 
My 2 cents and I'm off for a second opinion on Payne .... ketones are dangerous, no matter HOW you test
for them. You should always use a vet to help you determine what to do. My vet was monitoring me the
whole time. My comment on using SQ and R
was for those times you catch low ketones AND don't want it to go to DKA and it doesn't take long for that to
happen. Once in DKA it is very expensive and very hard on our babies. DKA cannot be fought at home, I am
sorry I gave that impression, not my intent.
 
Luckily, David is not a newbie [he's been around a while back]. He's well aware that we disagree sometimes. :smile:

I hope Spicey is hanging in there today. Let us know how it goes.
 
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