Wodens Ketones are getting higher

Tested today for ketones vet sen't us home with lowish values yesterday and today there moderate. So far he is not getting slugish and is still alert . He is not showing any signs when we took him into the E-vet friday stayed for 5 days and unfortuantle we can't take him back yet to the vet.

What can I do? If anything.

 

as much liquid as you can get in him would be a very good idea. it flushes out ketones.

what insulin are you using? how much? and are you hometesting?

i know you don't want to hear it but in a kitty with an already existing ketone history, there's no messing around and you may have no choice but to go back to the vet. maybe given the recent visit and substantial $$ you spent, the vet will work with you if it's a finance thing?

 

I am guessing you are testing with the ketostyxs?

Water down his food as much as he will tolerate and see if he will let you syringe water in his mouth. He needs to get as much fluids as he can stand to drink/eat in an effort to help the kidneys flush the ketones out of his system. Tomorrow, can you call into your vet and ask for a script for LRS fluids? They are really cheap and easily obtainable at most any pharmacy. Giving fluids subcutaneously can greatly help in this situation since you won't have to rely on him drinking or eating to supply the extra fluids. I completely know what you are going through because I had to head off a DKA situation with my foster kitty as soon as we got him since we couldn't afford that kind of vet visit either. :YMSIGH:

Come on Woden! Get rid of those nasty ketones!

 

He does not eat, he is tubed atm, I allready gave him his potasium and 40ml of water sence posting. Useing lantis just started charting him as of yesterday. We do home test and he is allways in the 200's and very rarely dropping under it. He is newly diagnosed. I will be calling my vet tomarrow and hopefully working out a payment something.

 

sounds like you've got it covered actually. that 40ml of water will definitely help. will keep my fingers crossed that this clears up quickly

 

Sad thing is even after 5 days in the e vet they still could not get him ketone free. Currently also on perscribed antibiotics as I could not test for liver disease or pancreatitus and they hope that every off number is due to a infection.

So keep him full of fluids. Suprised I was even able to test him today as this is the 2ed time he has peed sence comming home (that I discovered).

 

By keeping him full of fluids, you want to use the sub-q fluids. You don't want to keep his belly full of water when he needs to be hungry enough to eat food.
While treating ketones at home is far from ideal, there are some here who've done it - myself included. It is very hard work, and you have to set yourself up like a MASH unit - feed, medicate, test, repeat. You need to keep very good records of what you do when, food, amount, etc.

The vet can sell you the sub-q lines and bags. They are more expensive from the vet, so, get your first set there because you need it now, but get him to give you rx to take to your pharmacy. You can call around and see who is the cheapest locally. A tech at the vet's office should be able to each you how to give the sub-q fluids.

When I tube-fed Layla the vets had us use Royal Canin Recovery RS http://products.royalcanin.us/products/ ... ry-rs.aspx
It was very palatable to the point that Layla would try to eat from the syringe. It has a good consistency so you can put in a blender or use a hand-mixer without adding water, and it goes well through the tube.

Best,
Pam & Layla

 

He gets 44ml every 4 hours of clinicare as is. It's a tube though the nose so the vet told me nothing but the clinicare. plus 2x a day of his potasium. He does not drink right now. So I allready have to manualy give him water. I still have 9 hours to go till the vet opens only becasue I can't get to the e vet tonight. I'll be calling her tomarrow whatever the case. I need to figure out something. and more and more it looks like I will be loseing this battle.

 

The nasal tube is different and is a short-term feeding solution so maybe it will do the job.

Try not to lose hope. They just don't feel well when they are like this. It takes time to recover. I know it looks dire but Woden needs time to heal - along with food and medication.

Discuss sub-q fluids with your vet, and, consider an appetite stimulent.

I've been where you are. Try to hold on and give Woden some time to heal.

Pam & Layla

 

Hopefully my vet will work with me so I can get him in for a checkup. I want to put him on a appetite stimulent and I know his curent tube is only a temp thing. The cone he has to wear (he keeps trying to pull out the tube) is makeing it harder for him to drink and eat so I know thats not helping his situation.

If my vet says it's ok and my funds agree I allready have thought about sub Q fluids while he was in the E-vet. But they said at this point it is not nessisary but that could change if he does not get better or gets worse.

So far were holding steady and while he is spending much time sleeping he does get up move around tries to get comfortable with the cone and uses the box. Witch is alot better then when we took him in to the vet friday. Sence that day I have done nothing but talk to people and read like a mad woman, I now think my mind is just trying to take all of the info in.

I appreciate everyones replies and will deffinatly talk to my vet about many of the things mentioned here.

 

No one has mentioned "R" insulin yet, so I will. Vets use R insulin in emergency cases of DKA to reduce blood sugar / reduce ketones.

R is extremely fast acting -- in cats it usually lasts less than 4 hours.

R is available at most human pharmacies with no prescription.

Use with extreme caution and only start with a low dose, like 0.5u -- testing every hour for the 4 hours to "curve" the effect on Woden's blood sugar.

If you want more information on this, or specific help, please either start another topic about R use or edit your first SUBJECT line to get people's attention -- I have to go to work now and won't be online until evening.

 

That is true. I did use R insulin with Yoda. With Wodens numbers hanging in the 200s though, I would start with more like 0.1u - pull insulin to the 1u line and push the plunger back in till it barely touches the "0" line. R is powerful stuff because it isn't mixed with anything that makes it longer acting. And you definitely need to test every hour right after you give it because it is fast acting. You can get R insulin without a script and a 10ml vial should run in the neighborhood of $25. The lower you can get the numbers right now, the more glucose is being converted to energy and the less the body has to attack the fat and muscle stores (which is where the ketones come from).

 

Ah much as I think I can handle useing R, I just will not be home enough today or the rest of the week, I have 2 elderly patients to care for right in the middle of the day and will not have time to keep testing woden.

On the plus side.. we ate something! Granted it was like only a teaspoon and a half but it is more then we had sence friday. Waiting for his next pee so I can test his ketones again. Hopefully he will go before I have to.

As far as everything else. he is moveing around better then when he came home. Less wobbleing, and more movement. his breathing is nice and steady. Eyes are clear and bright, rolls over for scritches and pets(as much as the cone allows). I think were doing allright. ALl in all tons better sence he went in and improved sence he came home. Here is to hopeing I am not deludeing myself. (Though his acting off was what cued us into trubble in the first place.)

 

Glad he is feeling a bit better. If you can spare the $25 or so, you may want to have the R on hand in case he turns for the worse when pharmacies are closed. R keeps forever in the fridge.

Hang in there!
~~~~~healing & feel better vibes~~~~ for Woden

 

Sounds like you have your hands full. Just wanted to give you my best wishes for Woden to start clearing of those ketones. Hang in there.

 

Lucky me I have a 24 hour pharmacy up the street from me I can walk to it. So anytime something comes up that I need I am off running or I send the hubby.