Just diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Hi.
I just put my cat in a veterinary emergency clinic with high ketoacidosis. They gave her an IV and insulin and other things I could afford. They told me to keep her there for 48 hours but I'm picking her up tomorrow and taking her to her vet. I dont know if my beautiful cat will survive. What are her chances? What are your suggestions.

Thanks,

Nat

 

I am so sorry your kitty has DKA, Nat. It is possible to turn it around and she is in the best place to have that happen. We do have many cats who have survived and come home and lived long lives.

What you can do - learn how to keep her safe at home. The best way to do that is to home test for blood glucose and for ketones. We test our cat's blood glucose levels just like we would our diabetic children. Here is a good site for beginning info: Newbie hometesting site and a video: Video for hometesting We have taught hundreds of people how to test over the internet. We would love to teach you. Testing for ketones will help you determine before DKA that he is heading into dangerous territory: ketones

You can get the supplies for both these kinds of testing at any drug store. We use human glucometers and ketostix.

Read about the best diet for your cat here: http://www.catinfo.org We feed wet lo carb food. BUT don't change the diet until you are hometesting. Oliver went down 100 points overnight when we switched from dry to wet. If we hadn't been hometesting, he would have overdosed.

I am giving you a lot of info at once. The board is going down in 25 minutes and will be off for 2 hours for maintenance. Come back on later tonight or in the morning and post specifically for DKA. People who have dealt with it can give you lots of tips on how to care for your kitty when she gets home.

 

Nat, having been through several bouts in the beginning with Mishka, the best and safest place for your kitty is at a 24/7 facility where everything can be monitored and supplemented as needed, especially electrolytes. I would try to leave her there at least for the 48 hrs. and see how she is doing then. Sending good wishes that Putykat comes home and as bad as it seems ,they can turn around and be just fine with good vet care.

Please post back and keep in touch and let us know how she is doing.

 

Nat, I'm so sorry your sweet Putykat has DKA. I've certainly been there with my cat a few times. I agree the hospital is the best place for your sweet kitty right now. Try to keep in mind that they feel awful so they can (internally) be making progress but it may not look that way on the outside.

I see Sue's given you some links to get you started, so do take time to read through those when you have a moment to breathe.

Keep us posted when you get an update from your vet. Treating DKA is expensive, but if by chance you are within driving distance of a vet school, you might get more treatment for your money. I've had my cat treated in hospitals and the last time at the vet school (TX A&M), and I cannot say enough good things about them.

Take some time to read about diabetes and the treatment protocol so you will feel empowered when Putykat comes home. This site has excellent health articles and I'm sure you will find whatever you need here and on the internet. Ask questions and don't forget to take care of yourself, as this can be very tiring when you are so very worried.

Best,
Pam & Layla

 

My cat Payne had DKA 3x and is doing beautifully now, with the help of everyone here but I also feel she needs
to be in a 24 hr. care hospital. DKA can be lived with and gotten beyond but it is always there for some cats.
You need to test, test, test when you get her home, the blood and the urine and it's not that hard.

I give my kids a buck for catching her peeing and then testing, so it is not hard at all. Her blood needs to be
tested because when the numbers get high, ketones can rear it's ugly head but it is TREATABLE.
Good luck and stay with us, there is so much great info here and someone is always here to help .......
Nancy and Payne (who doesn't even like people talking about DKA cat(2)_steam )

 

Hi and welcome to the board.My cat Nomad survived DKA twice.He was a neighborhood stray who appeared with the group of feral cats I feed.He followed me home and persistently hung out on my porch,When he was first diagnosed his BG was 540 and his serum ketone level was considered in the high range.His ph was already acidic and his electrolytes were really messed up.He was in at least five days.The animal hospital I use is open 24 hours a day so I didn't have to deal with transfering him.The second time he had high ketones his BG was only 240.The second time was a 24 hour stay since I had caught it in time.We have another board member whose cat had three bouts of DKA.Besides high BG, infections, stress and other medical dx can make a cat or person more likely to have high ketones and develop DKA.

I work at a rehabiliation facility and several of our human patients there have also survived DKA. While your kitty is in the hospital you can begin to educate yourself about DKA and diabetes.You did not mention if you already knew your cat was diabetc prior to the DKA episode.Monitering BG and ketones at home will be a must.Besides the urine stix that measure ketones, there is also a meter called precision that can test both BG and serum ketone levels. We have had some lively debates here about wether serum or urine ketone testing is more accurate. I think serum testing is more accurate since this is how I caught Nomad's second DKA episode. Regardless of which method you use,testing for ketones on a regular basis will be essential.

Besides educating yourself while your kitty is in the hospital, you can ask your vet to start your cat on a longer acting insulin such as lantus, levemir or prozinc. Please ask them not to prescribe Humulin. as this is a shorter acting insulin and is not effective in cats.

DKA occurs rapidly and can also reverse rapidly.The first day of Nomad's initial DKA episode he looked like he was on death's door. By the second day I went to see him.he was purring and wanted to go home with me.Sorry to be so long but I wanted you to get as much info. as possible. Keep us updated and we have paws crossed for your kitty!

 

P.S. Payne was the kitty I mentioned that had DKA three times.He must have heard me typing about him.Tell Payne I am sorry. Nomad and I will start talking about tuna to send Payne more positive vibes!

 

A year ago, just before my now almost 19-year old cat (Jake) went into remission and still is in remission, he developed DKA due to veterinarian error. He was very, very sick. With the proper treatment, however, (I went and got him at my old vet's hospital and took him to the experts at a local E.R.) he pulled through just fine even at his age. He was treated 24/7 with Regular insulin (his usual was Lantus), fluids, pain medication for suspected acute pancreatitus, and a feeding tube. Jake was in the E.R. for six days before the acidosis cleared. He came home with a feeding tube that stayed in another couple of weeks until he started eating completely on his own. The feeding tube was a Godsend and was very easy to use in addition to the great relief that he was getting nutrition even though he wasn't ready to eat yet. So if your cat is recommended to have a feeding tube, don't let it intimidate you. It's simple to implement, and it will save your kitty's life. So there is lots of hope!!

Judy & Jake

 

I'm so sorry that your sweetie is sick. I'm sending my best wishes to you both. Get well soon kitty!

Geneviève

 

Payne thinks a photo is worth a thousand words ..... this is a recent picture, taken last week,
TWO MONTHS after her last DKA. Right now she is terrorizing the 100 lb. Great Dane puppy, who
she believes is her personal toy. :lol: and is all for talking about tuna!!

 

Thank you all for your good wishes and advice. Enana is home She is absolutely relaxed, I'm a stressed mess with information overload.

 

Good to see that she is home. Knowledge is definitely power in this situation, so just keep reading and asking.

 

I am glad your cat is home now. The worst is over. I remember when I got Nomad back from his first DKA episode he followed me around all day purring and kneading on me. I guess that was his way of saying Thank you.

What kind of insulin did your vet prescribe? When you feel up to it you can get all of the info. You want here.....and then some. ;-)