? OOPS! NEED AN URGENT CHECK PLS

Following on from our traumatic day today, I've finally got a Keto test from Ches.
please could someone check this for me..

 

As long as the picture was taking quickly (the longer the strip sits, the more the color changes), it looks like "trace" to me

 

If that was the color at exactly 15 seconds then yes, it's 'trace'. If it was taken even 30 seconds later, the result is false.

 

I'd give your vet a call

 

Picture was taken about a second or 2 after 15 secs- allowing for me to swap to camera mode on phone.

Ches is still biting my hand off for fresh chicken which he didn't do last week when we had our emergency visit. Am going to check his bloods now before bed, accepting they may be higher after today's trauma. I'll check him thru the night n hopefully back on track tomoz.

He's determined for me to lose all my hair me thinks x

 

I agree that a call to your vet for advice is in order. Tomorrow morning I guess ... I'm not sure if you're taking direction from your vet re dose or not. In my opinion, you could bump him up to a dose of 1.75 u (eyeballed) tomorrow AM. With recent ketones in the picture you want to get him into good numbers sooner than later.

I just noted the change from Prozinc to Caninsulin in the light grey text under your post. Did the vet recommend that?

 

@Kris & Teasel Chester came home from the vet on Thursday after being in hospital since Sunday. When he went in, he was on Prozinc - from the vet I got him from... When he came out, he was on Caninsulin 1.5u. So he's only been home a few days really on Caninsulin. Its not my choice, but the best we can do right now - I will ask about changing it when he is more stable.

Brief history (its complicated...):
He was found collapsed with UTI as a stray. Taken in to a hospital (not my vet). Owners located, rejected. Dx Diabetic. started on Insulin (prozinc) a few days before I picked him up on Tuesday, week before last. Call went out to find someone to take him on or PTS. I had him less than a week when he crashed on Sunday.

Sunday: He was admitted to hospital with high (ish) bg and 2.5 keytones - Enlarged gut lining, raised Liver, enlarged kidney, ^ potassium, ^white bloods, ^ cholesterol, ^temp... Pretty much a mess really.

Cue £1300 bill for 4 days stay in hospital...

My Vet has been in charge of pretty much every recommendation - apart from diet. They wanted him on Prescription dry / wet at a push...

Because I gave him a fur shot, we played around with his dose times for a few days. He is due to go back in a few days time for a day at the vets for more tests etc. See where he is etc. Vet wanted to see how his numbers were doing etc. I chatted to her yesterday about his numbers. She was reasonably happy with him starting to settle a bit. I have just got a high number from him tonight, but Im not surprised after the shock he's had today with me sending him flying across the floor

I could call the emergency vet, no issue, but he is still taking my hand off for chicken (he didn't last week). Ill check him through the night. He's due another shot at 7.00am (+7 from now) uk. Im hoping he will be back on track by tomorrow. Hopefully he will have forgiven me by then.

 

I was aware of a little of this but not all the details. I was curious about the Caninsulin and if it works for him, stick with it. By all means let your vet guide your wrt doses, etc. I apologize if I came across as bossy - not my intention. Chester is very lucky that you've taken him under your care.

 

How many ounces a day is he eating? When they are not regulated they tend to need significantly more food because they can not utilize the nutrients properly.

 

@Kris & Teasel No problem. Its always tough keeping up with individual histories. Ive just taken his bg again. Looks a little flat to me. I think an increase should be a good idea. Its going to be a challenge with these U40 syringes I have 2 different types - Im guessing batches. One (from Prozinc vet) has the half markers on it, the other doesn't.

Currently he's on 1.5 so increasing to 1.75 is reasonably logical?

Apart from yesterday, Im feeding him in roughly between 40-60g meals as often through the day as possible. Friday, for example, he had 320g of raw chicken. I had a wobble and thought Id overcooked it on the feeding as he was looking a bit beached whale until he passed a rather large one in the litter tray.

Because of his thickened gut lining I have been giving him Slippery Elm which seems to be doing the trick. Yesterday, because of our fright, he was only interested in very wet moist chicken. So this morning I had a very loose smelly one in the tray He's decided he's not coming down and has moved to under the bed

I am keeping a very close eye on him and will grab a urine sample when I can - my trays are big and high sided cos some of my other cats like to dig for Australia and more ends up on the floor than in the tray.

 

Yes, this is the logical next step. I'd go up tomorrow AM. You'd be better off using the U40s with the half unit marks. Consistency is more important that absolute accuracy. You could fill a "reference" syringe with a 1.75 u dose of coloured water and use it to measure against while you're giving that dose.

My guy took several weeks to get his normal energy back after a bout of DKA in 2016. Chester has had many more things going on so I'm not surprised he's a little up and down in how he's feeling right now. A good insulin dose is very important right now, along with hydration, adequate food and testing for ketones as often as you can manage it.

 

@Kris & Teasel Thanks He's just had a very watery poo in the tray. I haven't managed to catch a wee yet, tho he's just eaten another 40g of chicken so am hoping he'll go again soon. Is it worth adjusting his next dose for tonight? 19h00. Just thinking about trying to get his levels down a bit overnight- with regular checks of course.

 

You can increase tonight if you can monitor. Most of us increase in the AM because monitoring doesn't require waking up. Is the watery poo a new development?

 

@MrWorfMen's Mom think this is the update

 

@Kris & Teasel Hi Kris, yes it is, but can't work out if it's the change in diet - Raw to Cooked Chicken or something else and the young man isn't being obliging just yet

 

Is he on antibiotics still?

 

@Kris & Teasel Yes - noroclav - broad spectrum one

 

Could be contributing to watery poo.

 

that could do it. Maybe some probiotics would help his belly feel better.

 

Make sure you're not giving any meds 2 hours after the Slippery Elm Bark too. I accidentally gave meds after an hour (thinking it was 2 ) and Maury had some diarrhea . Corrected his meds schedule and we were back to normal . DKA is hard on their little bodies so don't get too alarmed with his ups and downs. Probably similar feeling to when we get really sick, we'll have a good day and then a couple not so good until we're better

ETA Try to get extra fluids in him; water in wet food, tuna juice until you can get another ketone test.

 

Thanks @Yong Yup, I always withdraw food before meds All his meals have extra fluid bless him. I'm thinking his tum is so fragile, any changes send him into a spin
It's going to take a long time to get him stable me thinks. An epic balancing act

 

Today 11th August

 

23.6

 

When they're high the routine we suggest is increasing by 0.25 u every 3 or 4 cycles until you start to see some downward action.

 

Since you do have some syringes with half units, just use an empty one as your "reference syringe". Set the dose on that empty syringe (with a cap over the needle, or clip the needle off), and then compare the syringe that you draw up the insulin in back to the reference syringe until they match. Similar concept to using calipers ( though not as exact of course).