At home E/R Ketoacidosis crisis care success ??

Morning all,

First and very important (I guess), for those who are gonna read this in 20 years, if you're
in this kind of situation where your cat is in Ketoacidosis situation and you're not caring
about money spending; staying awake for 24h, having the right tools and advice, skip this
and go to the ER right away, go home and relax.

If the context is similar to the one below and you're ready to take some ''risks'' give
it a try. NO REFUND !

Next : Beleive we're back in business (we'll see what our buddies say next).

If I had the the Bon Jovi's Song ''Keep the Faith'' (1992), I would play it and raise the volume up until cracks start appearing in walls of the apartment.

The context :
Lantus 1.0 twice dayly
For 1 week Small kitty stopped eating
Was not drinking enough and
Had high GL (350 average), Accutrak II tested.
Urinatry infection being treated for a week (Clavaseptin 50/62.5 mg)
Ketone fine at this time
Ketone 160 5 days after

Action Plan :
Visit the vet with apprehension
Informed cat was in Ketoacidosis situation (More then 160).
Proposed solution : Urgent hospitalization with fast acting insulin/water intravenous injection requiring monitoring every 2h by vet.
The bill : 1200$/day for minimum of 24h, maybe 48 maybe more.

Counterattack plan (to remedy the situation ) :

Get a second opinion from another vet informing this was not monetary reasonable, asking
for a backup plan or euthanasia.

Counteroffer (from the Vet) :

1 :Blood test : 90$
2: Consultation / diagnostic / instructions : 65$

Blood test Resutls :
- GL : 423 (like it's been for more then a month) : bad follow-up from Vet
- Water, hydration : 10% below survival organism minimum
- Everything else (potassium... name it, 15 other things) : Normal.

Conclustion from the Vet : No internal damage so far, can be fixed.

Poor guy New Action plan :
3 : Plamalyte 100ml for subcutaneous injection : 10$
4 : Syringe and Needles going with the above : 20$

To be done :
1 : Learn (quick) subcutaneous injection
2 : Dose : 60CC every 8h + (Brita filtered water in between 25cc water oral administration as much the cat will accept : (using modified seringe with a small curved straw (my initiative)
3 : Manual feed of dabetic Purina DM food in puree using a home made device (my initiative)
3 : Test GL every 4h all night : results typical of spreadsheet to come.
4 : Monitor ketone as often as possible with pre-planned strategy and item required
5 : Pray for the best with your Felinediabetes friends doing the same.

The results :
Early morning a cat drinking normally
Eating his Purina DM +
A FIRST : Eating his raw food (made from grinded turkey using all nitriments and recommended additive ingredients put together by a Dr. who seems to know what she's doing. (Torrine, Meal Bone, B50 Vitamin, Salmon oil, lite salt......)

Some joy tear drop and satisfaction of a well done job.


It's not over yet, monitoring, water injection, manual feeding (if required) still going.


Is this making sens, any chance of an aborted disaster / false hope ???

Opinions / advice welcome, glucose chart to come.

Thanks to all for the support.

 

That's the spirit, Sébastien! If you keep believing and fighting Small Kitty will pick up on it and it will give him strength, too!





Mogs
.

 

You go!!! Fight for your kitty. There are times parents know better.

 

Nice job Sebastian! Keep up the good work. Your kitty is on the mend.

 

Awesome job with everything you've done and are doing for small kitty! He has come along way and I hope he continues to improve. Amazing what a lot of love and determination can do

 

Love, determination, a vet who you trust and is willing to work with you to achieve the best for your kitty. I think the trust is all important because when you really need the vet in an emergency you have to be sure they are on your kitty's team. Well done.

 

Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job caring for Small Kitty, keep up the good work!

 

My girl wouldn't be here without them. I wish from the core of my being that I'd known the power of love and determination a few years ago. If I had, my beloved Danú might still be here too ...


Mogs
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So true.

I think it's also important when there's a question mark in one's mind over possible shortcomings in the veterinary care being delivered (routine or critical) to also listen to one's gut and have the courage and determination to seek a second opinion if one has a strong conviction that this would be in the best interests of one's kitty.


Mogs
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The "what if's" are always there Mogs, they come because we love them so much. I can tell from your love from Saoirse, and all the stranger kitties here that you would walk around the world barefoot to help a furry family member, please dont beat yourself up. If only love could save them, we wouldnt need this place anymore

 

Phew wow! JOB WELL DONE! I dont think the vets office couldve done any better, and having kitty recover within comfort of own home mustve helped. Pat yourself on the back.

 

Little kitty is gained 2.82 pounds while in the at home ER (72h).
(He's now back to a probably normal 8.8 pounds weight for a cat of this stature)

No more ketonic secretion for the last 48hs and a sugar level back to the
way it was since diagnosed : 365. and in full strength. His brother will need
to be careful when playing with him now

That is bad I guess (the glucose level) but WE will take this under control.
Our lantus experts can help I believe.

Thanks again to all of you for being there, you were my dose of insulin to keep the faith !

The no such thing as a free meal, those 72h. where intense and way
not as comfortable has they normally were.

 

YOU ROCK!!!!
so happy for you and Small Kitty!! (maybe medium kitty now)

 

AMAZING - AMAZING - AMAZING !!!!!

Just performed the GL test and you guys are not gonna believe the results :

235 !!! (13.1) !!!!!!



And this is after a fully flushed meal and 1.5 Lantus injection at 7 at the morning

No false results sure, I made the test with 2 kind of strips and meters, the is the real thing !

Can't beleive it, NEVER SEEN SUCH LOW NUMBERS !!!!!!

Tears falling down now..

I only drink on Friday and Saterday night but I might do a little exception tonight.

 

time to take a bow !!! great job.....truly amazing what love can do--and a long night of care

 

Formidable!!!!




Mogs
.