Ketoacidosis question

Prudence was tested for Ketones in her urine at the Vet on the 19 of Feb. It was neg. so I have not bought the test strips for this. I am trying to understand what to look for using the spreadsheet. I do understand the physical signs to look for, but didn't know if her numbers keep raising... does that me she's heading for ketoacidosis? If she didn't get her full 1u after pmps - her numbers will raise too, right?

 

Hi Michelle,

Any test done more than a few hours ago tells you nothing about ketones, they can develop that fast. That's the reason you need ketostix and need to learn how to use and read them so you won't be in trouble if Prudence needs the test. If she needs it delay is a very bad idea.

Your spreadsheets will not give you any information about ketones. They develop when there is a combination of either not enough food or not enough insulin or an underlying infection. At least two of those three conditions need to be present for ketones to develop.

 

Thank you for the info. I am trying to read and learn as much as I can. Sometimes it just gets confusing confused_cat Prudence is acting fine and eating well, but I will keep a close eye on her cat_pet_icon I can not get what I need to check her Ketones until tomorrow.

Thanks again for answering my post.

 

> Prudence was tested for Ketones in her urine at the Vet on the 19
> of Feb. It was neg. so I have not bought the test strips for this.

Ketones are a complication of unregulated / under-regulated diabetes. They can occur at any time the diabetes is not under control, not just at the time of first diagnosis. If you catch them early, you may be able to treat them at home; high levels of ketones may require expensive hospitalisation at a 24-hour care facility, which is why we encourage folks to test for ketones at home.


> I do understand the physical signs to look for

By the time physical signs appear, ketones will be higher than than anyone here would like.


> but didn't know if her numbers keep raising... does that me she's heading
> for ketoacidosis?

No. Ketones are a possible complication of diabetes, but some cats are much more prone to ketones while others are less so. Your cat's tendency toward ketones can be affected by genetics, diet, insulin, infection, stress, etc.


> If she didn't get her full 1u after pmps - her numbers will raise too, right?

If she gets an underdose of insulin, her numbers will rise, yes. But it's important to note that an overdose of insulin can also cause BG levels to rise as well: the body notices that the BG is dropping too low, panics and releases a bunch of sugar into the system, causing BG levels to increase. This is one reason we encourage home testing, so that you can tell exactly what's going on with how your cat is responding to specific doses.

 

Thank you for breaking this down into sections. If I had access to my car right now, I'd go get the ketones strips. I will try to get them tonight.