Urgent advice please
- Thread starter Winnie
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Larry and Kitties
Very Active Member
You should repost on the Health Forum. This Tech forum is for technical problems like spreadsheets, profiles etc.
When you repost please provide more info such as type of insulin, how much are you giving and how many times a day, what are you feeding, how your cat was diagnosed. Ot appears that you are giving too much insulin.
When you repost please provide more info such as type of insulin, how much are you giving and how many times a day, what are you feeding, how your cat was diagnosed. Ot appears that you are giving too much insulin.
My ten year old cat is at my vet, and not doing well. His weight has dropped to 4 pounds and his glucose is elevated, as high as 640 now down to 350. He is being tube fed and on an IV. His insulin is prozinc. This morning he went into convulsions and the vet gave him sugar water to "shock" her out of it. He has no appetite. The vet says she's seen cats pull through this serious condition before, and that he's not suffering.
Does anyone have any medical advice please ?
Does anyone have any medical advice please ?
Jen & Squeak
Very Active Member
I'm very sorry this is happening, but I'm not sure what you think we can do? Have you been testing her blood glucose levels at home? Why did he give her sugar water if her blood glucose level was 350? Has she been tested for ketones? Does she have other medical conditions?
He hasn't been eating for 4 days and the sugar is just a stimulant. I'm not sure what ketones is...his glucose shot up over a 3 day period and we took him in on Friday once itnwas obvious something was very wrong. His weight is so low there's no energy levels for him to draw from. What is ketones ?
Lisa and Merlyn (GA)
Very Active Member
http://www.felinediabetes.com/ketones.htm
Please ask your vet if your baby has ketones in his urine.
Diabetic cats are at risk for ketones if 1 they are not eating 2. not enough insulin 3 infection.
Not eating for 4 days puts him at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hepatic Lipidosis.
Please ask your vet if your baby has ketones in his urine.
Diabetic cats are at risk for ketones if 1 they are not eating 2. not enough insulin 3 infection.
Not eating for 4 days puts him at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hepatic Lipidosis.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
I am so sorry this is happening to you and your kitty. It must be a very scary time.
Ketones is a condition that happens when the blood sugar levels are too high: http://www.felinediabetes.com/ketones.htm If the ketones get worse, the condition is called DKA (also explained in the link). If he has DKA, he does need to be at the vet where they can take extreme measures to get him body normalized again.
I guess you can hope that you have a good vet who has dealt with this condition before. There are kitties here who have survived DKA, but it is very serious.
Ketones is a condition that happens when the blood sugar levels are too high: http://www.felinediabetes.com/ketones.htm If the ketones get worse, the condition is called DKA (also explained in the link). If he has DKA, he does need to be at the vet where they can take extreme measures to get him body normalized again.
I guess you can hope that you have a good vet who has dealt with this condition before. There are kitties here who have survived DKA, but it is very serious.
Jen & Squeak
Very Active Member
Please let us know how things go ok? And hopefully we'll be able to help you with keeping him healthy after he gets home.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Prayers for you and your baby.
MommaOfMuse
Very Active Member
Glad to hear Tristan is feeling better, continued prays from all of us here. We have all fingers and paws crossed that Tristan will make complete and speedy recovery.
Mel
Mel
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
An idea. Take one of your "dirty" tshirts that smell like you for him to sleep on at the vets. It will make it seem a little more like home.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Winnie can you give any more information. has the vet diagnosed her with any other problems. when was she diagnosed with diabetes. have you been treating her at home and testing her blood sugars at home? we need to know more.
Last night he ate a little and was purring loudly when our daughter spent time with him. He's on a dextrose/potassium IV.
The vet tested for ketones when he was admitted and there are no signs of it.
We accidentally discovered what the issue may have been....we took over some spare syringes and the vet immediately noticed that the pharmacy had given my wife the wrong syringes, u100 not u40, so his insulin does have been way off for quite a while. An honest mistake but I'm pretty upset at Walgreens.
If he can continue to eat, he can hopefully restore his energy as the vet regulates his blood sugar. If anyone has any experience or advice, I'd be very grateful. Our vet seems excellent, a grad from Oklahoma Univeristy who has treated this condition several times before. So far the key seems to be to spend time with him and help him turn the corner.
Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers, and advice.
The vet tested for ketones when he was admitted and there are no signs of it.
We accidentally discovered what the issue may have been....we took over some spare syringes and the vet immediately noticed that the pharmacy had given my wife the wrong syringes, u100 not u40, so his insulin does have been way off for quite a while. An honest mistake but I'm pretty upset at Walgreens.
If he can continue to eat, he can hopefully restore his energy as the vet regulates his blood sugar. If anyone has any experience or advice, I'd be very grateful. Our vet seems excellent, a grad from Oklahoma Univeristy who has treated this condition several times before. So far the key seems to be to spend time with him and help him turn the corner.
Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers, and advice.
Jen & Squeak
Very Active Member
Hi there
When he's out of the woods, so to speak, please come back with more info. Like what insulin he's on (assuming vetsulin if you are using U40 syringes?), what dose, what food you are feeding, other medical conditions, and whether you are testing blood glucose levels at home. Then we can help provide advice on how to proceed.
Jen
When he's out of the woods, so to speak, please come back with more info. Like what insulin he's on (assuming vetsulin if you are using U40 syringes?), what dose, what food you are feeding, other medical conditions, and whether you are testing blood glucose levels at home. Then we can help provide advice on how to proceed.
Jen
Just got back from the vet, and I'm quite shocked at Tristan's turnaround. He's eating everything he can and walking around his cage. When I opened the door he tried to jump out and was purring like a lion. 24 hours ago he was close to leaving us, and now he seems almost ready to come home.
I'll post his insulin details soon and any advice on food selection and home monitoring would be much appreciated. Our vet is truly amazing. Thanks to all.
I'll post his insulin details soon and any advice on food selection and home monitoring would be much appreciated. Our vet is truly amazing. Thanks to all.
A
Anonymous
Guest
you can order a newbie kit with all your testing needs included if you look at the link below and go to the newbie store. we donate these free of cost other than shipping but are always appreciative of a donation if you can.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Fantastic news! :thumbup
All you need to do is ask. A good beginning hometesting site: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm and the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8 If I were you, I would get all the supplies ready. You need a human glucometer that sips and takes a tiny sample. Many times they are free; it's the strips that cost, although you can get them on ebay much cheaper. The least inexpensive meter and strips is the ReliOn from Walmart. ) You need lancets (25-26 gauge) and a lancet device to poke with. You need to make up a rice sack (thinnish sock filled with raw rice and knotted. You will be warming it in microwave until very warm but not hot to warm his ear) When you get the meter, try it out on yourself first to make sure it works. (You can also get a free Newbie kit from Lori and Tom but it will take a few days. Depends on how soon you need it. The kit will have all the supplies.)
Here is the food info: http://www.catinfo.org and the food charts:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm We try to stay between 8-10% carbs. Note we don't want you to change to wet lo carb until you are hometesting as it can make a huge difference downward in bg levels in some kitties.
Hope he comes home soon!
All you need to do is ask. A good beginning hometesting site: http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/harry/bgtest.htm and the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8 If I were you, I would get all the supplies ready. You need a human glucometer that sips and takes a tiny sample. Many times they are free; it's the strips that cost, although you can get them on ebay much cheaper. The least inexpensive meter and strips is the ReliOn from Walmart. ) You need lancets (25-26 gauge) and a lancet device to poke with. You need to make up a rice sack (thinnish sock filled with raw rice and knotted. You will be warming it in microwave until very warm but not hot to warm his ear) When you get the meter, try it out on yourself first to make sure it works. (You can also get a free Newbie kit from Lori and Tom but it will take a few days. Depends on how soon you need it. The kit will have all the supplies.)
Here is the food info: http://www.catinfo.org and the food charts:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetic-cat-diets.htm We try to stay between 8-10% carbs. Note we don't want you to change to wet lo carb until you are hometesting as it can make a huge difference downward in bg levels in some kitties.
Hope he comes home soon!
MommaOfMuse
Very Active Member
Yay Tristan! So glad he has made a complete turn-around. You have already gotten some good links to read through and they will give you a good idea of what you are going to want to have on hand when you get him home.
The other thing I would suggest is to read through and print out the signs of Hypo and how to treat them, and get a hypo kit ready if God forbid you should need to use it. At least that way everything will be in place when you get your snuggly boy home.
Mel
The other thing I would suggest is to read through and print out the signs of Hypo and how to treat them, and get a hypo kit ready if God forbid you should need to use it. At least that way everything will be in place when you get your snuggly boy home.
Mel
Tristan came home on Friday and is doing amazingly well, still a little weak, but purring and clearly very happy.
The vet has placed him on 3 units of pro zinc twice per day, and told us to feed him non grain food in small portions up to 5 times per day.
I cannot believe the amazing turnaround he made, and I wanted to thank you all again for your help, advice, and support.
The vet has placed him on 3 units of pro zinc twice per day, and told us to feed him non grain food in small portions up to 5 times per day.
I cannot believe the amazing turnaround he made, and I wanted to thank you all again for your help, advice, and support.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
This is fantastic news! So glad he is home and feeling better.
Now we will start to nag you about testing him at home so that he stays safe. Three units twice a day is hefty dose of insulin and you need to know before every shot that the dose you are about to give is a safe one.
Now we will start to nag you about testing him at home so that he stays safe. Three units twice a day is hefty dose of insulin and you need to know before every shot that the dose you are about to give is a safe one.
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