Help hypoglycemic

Hello my cat Tigger (7 years old) was diagnosed 4 weeks ago....working with a vet to get under control...this week he has not been himself...got tested today and is hypoglycemic....pretty serious...sugars dropped to 20 at the vet....currently giving kitten food mixed with karo syrup every hour as ordered via syringe. My question is how soon should I see an improvement...he has been home since 5 and still lethargic....not drinking and stomach seems big....help!!!!

 

Go to thread tools top left and add the 911 icon to your thread title immediately....will draw more attention quicker

 

Which insulin are you using? How much have you been giving? What is the BG now?

 

Top right...sorry for mix up

 

@Chris & China

 

Novolin....was told 5 units because of his sugar level....not sure on current bg don't have a test kit...when we left the vet he was at 60 with giving kitten food and 2 TBS corn syrup every hour

 

Do you live close to a Walmart? You can get a Relion human monitor to test his levels. Much cheaper than a pet meter and thevatrips are less than half. That BG is dangerously low. I've never used anything but lantus insulin. This sounds very serious. Can you go to the ER?

 

Are you saying your vet sent you home when the BSL was 60 and you are not testing??.
It is very hard to advice if we do not know the BSL, but to keep him safe I would keep giving him food and Karo.
Do you have any higher carb food? Food that has gravy....?
Will he eat on his own?
Can you send someone out to buy a testing kit? Do not go yourself and leave him alone

 

I agree....if there's any way you can go to the vet, that's where he needs to be.....I can't believe your vet sent him home after that low of a blood glucose

Without being able to test, it's impossible to know if he's lethargic due to being too low or if he's running high now and the ups and downs of the day are causing it

 

5 units is way too much insulin to start off with. I would not give any more insulin until you are able to test the blood sugar and see what it is. And when you do start insulin again I would start off at 1 unit and post here for help.

 

Home alone with 2 sleeping toddlers..yes vet sent me home at 60 with kitten food...and karo syrup...never advised to get testing kit...he will not eat on his own...not drinking

 

Any chance you have a friend, neighbor or relative that could get you a test kit at WalMart and bring it to you?

 

5 units is what the vet had us on...started at 3...went to 4 then 5....told us to come back in 2 weeks for recheck...after a week at 5 he began getting lethargic....didn't put the prices together until today...I feel like a horrible pet mom right now....I just followed what I was told and am scared for my boy

 

I would not leave your kitty alone... can a friend bring the kitty to ER?

 

Was instructed no more insulin until Tuesday

 

Or can a friend watch the kids and your go to ER with your kitty-

 

Your not alone......we hear the same story from a LOT of people here!! You're in the right place now and we'll help you all we can!! As pet owners, we trust that our vets are telling us the right stuff so it's not your fault in any way!! For now, we just want to make sure he's safe tonight

 

You are not a horrible mom--you are seeking help and the doctor should be held accountable ...

 

Agreed! Your kitty MUST be seen by a vet.

 

Why would the vet let him leave if it was so low?

 

He was at the vet from 11 am to 5 pm

 

Many vets are ignorant to feline diabetes but I cannot imagine why this vet let you leave with glucose that low....
Right now lets focus on getting your baby safe and find a new vet later....

 

Good question.
When was his last insulin dose given? Was it 5 units?

 

60 itself isn't too low...but anytime a cat drops into the 20's, that's dangerously low....especially if it was on a pet meter!!

 

1030 this morning yes 5 units....he ate less than a quarter cup of food and we gave him his meds

 

What reason did the vet give for saying this?

 

Yeah 20 was taken at the vets office

 

You need to find out what the BG is now. All the karo could be making him feel sick and make his BG soar but there is no way to know. The vet should not have sent him home with those instructions and no way to know how he is handling this.

 

She is thinking he is not insulin dependent now...we switched him to a new food...numbers went down she increased to 5 and then he crashed

 

He is awake now....mad at me cause he is locked in a large dog crate with a bed, food, water and, litter as the vet recommended

 

I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me. Do you mean, the vet thinks he's not insulin dependent because he crashed at 5 units? It's far more likely that the 5 unit dose is the problem - far too high.

 

Yes you have it correct....was told to do it hourly if he is lethargic...if I am not messing with him he is sleeping

 

Yeah....crazy...I need a new vet ASAP

 

He has used the litter box once since we have been home...did both with some diarrhea

 

Last feeding was at 11....should I skip the 12?

 

I would stop the karo syrup for sure. Is he accepting these feedings willingly? If he's not hungry I suggest skipping the 12.

BTW - 2 TBSP of corn syrup every hour is a LOT of sugar! He might well be at very high BG levels. You're in a tricky situation here that can only begin to be unravelled if you can get some blood glucose testing done.

 

I am actually happy to hear he is "mad" hopefully the insulin is wearing off.... I am even happier to hear you are finding a new vet-
This vet should be reported.... it is only a matter of time before she gives this dangerous advice again.
Tigger is lucky to have you watching him closely .....

 

Do you have a friend or neighbour who is a diabetic? I'm thinking they could run their meter over to you and test.

 

Well he is sleeping again....not trying to get out of the cage

 

No I don't know anyone that is diabetic.

 

I know he isn't feeling well...he hasn't groomed since we have been home...food has gotten on him (that I washed off) and he just lays down

 

If you can't get your hands on a glucometer and you can't get him to a vet, you can do the following:

1. stop the karo syrup
2. feed him regular low carb wet food if you have it in small amounts if he wants to eat later
3. keep an eye on him as much as you can
4. if he still looks ill in the morning, call an ER vet for advice before giving any insulin
5. go buy a human BG meter ASAP
6. come back here for more help/info.

 

He sits in front of me and doest fight...turns his head and takes the food as I slowly push it .

 

Tigger sounds like a sweetheart

 

Already was instructed no insulin until Tuesday when she wants to see him again....I'm looking for a new vet monday...will offer him diabetic wet food later tonight...my concern is he hasn't drank and his belly is bigger

 

I'm betting your vet sent him home because it's Saturday night and they don't have 24 hour coverage and didn't want to stay late

In which case it's probably better that you did bring him home so at least he's got someone keeping an eye on him!!

If he's been getting that much Karo, he's probably high now.....also, when they go that low, their liver usually responds by releasing stored sugar and hormones to bring them back up quickly (we call it bouncing)

I agree ....stop the Karo and offer him some canned food and just keep an eye on him overnight.....it's about all you can do (and for tonight only, if he's a kibble addict, I'd leave him a little kibble....we can get him off the high carb foods when you're able to test!

 

He is....he lays on his back and kneeds the air while my 3 yo rubs his belly

 

If his BG has shot up because of the syrup he could be making ketones that are a sign of what could be the onset of ketoacidosis. This is a serious issue. I'm sorry to say something frightening but this problem can arise quickly sometimes. If you can't take the cat to the vet, can you call an ER vet and ask for advice? Tell them what you told us.

 

In the cage he has diabetic dry food water litter and a bed...if he gets under my bed I can't get him out...hence the dog crate...

 

You've probably had to add water to the kitten food + karo to syringe feed. That will help. If you feed any other wet food add a little warm water to it to keep him hydrated.

 

Yes I will call....why in the world didn't I think to call an emergency vet.....okay this mommy's brain is obviously not working...thank you for the common sense solution ....(as I slap my forehead lol)

 

You are in wonderful hands with these kitty guardian angels.....praying for you and Tigger

 

What state are you in ?
City ?
Maybe someone can help you from the forum.
You can just say your state and if anyone is in that state they can send you a message privately

 

You have lots on your plate and your doing great

 

It's not important tonight, but there are much better foods to feed a diabetic.....the "diabetic" dry is actually too high in carbs for a diabetic!! I'm really glad you're going to find another vet....hopefully you'll find one that knows more about treating feline diabetes

We have time to teach you more about the right way to feed when this crisis is over though so don't worry about it now

 

Have to sign off now. Good luck.

 

Thanks for your help

 

I couldn't get my cats out from under my bed either. I bought wood risers from Bedbath n beyond so I could crawl under and get them out if needed.

 

Praying for Tigger and for you.
Your in good hands

 

Do give a holler if you have any questions or concerns. There's usually someone around. As the west coast goes to bed, Europe and the UK wake up. Hope you get some sleep tonight and Tigger feels better soon.

 

Thanks all...he is acting much better....after he got some rest and diabetic wet food this morning he is grooming and terrorizing his playmate!!! I plan to give wet food twice a day and dry food inbetween..all diabetic... will search for a new vet and invest in a monitor asap! Thanks for reassuring me last night!

 

Our bed has drawers under it....and has just enough room for a cat lol...we took the mattress off aND attempted to block the hole but they found a way in lol..we have to try something else to block access!

 

That is really, really good to hear! I've been following along hoping for the best, but did not post as my cat and I are newcomers. We are in very good hands here. I have learned so much from everyone and they have helped me keep Uncle safe. Tigger is a cutie pie!

 

I'm really glad to read this!!! Come back here for help anytime.

 

very good to see this--thank you for the update

 

Glad Tigger is doing better x