Diabetic cat care
May 17, 2008 9:19 AM Subscribe
How do I best care for my cat after a hypoglycemic reaction until I can get him to the vet?
My 10-year-old cat was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago and it is well-managed with twice-daily 4-unit doses of Humulin. His last fructosamine check was in early April and the vet said his blood sugar was still very well regulated and we should stay on the same dosage.
This morning he had what I'm fairly certain was his first hypoglycemic reaction, about two hours after his insulin dosage and breakfast. Yowling, staggering, poor hind leg control, panting. We rubbed some corn syrup on his gums and fed him some food and now he seems fine, if maybe a little subdued.
His regular vet can't see him today but he has an appointment first thing Monday. We will take him to the emergency vet if necessary, but right now he seems to be doing fine. But I realized after I made the vet appointment for Monday that I don't know what to do about his insulin dosage between now and then, and now his vet's office is closed for the weekend. I'm going to call the emergency vet and see if they'll dispense any advice over the phone, but am wondering if there are any vets out there who might have advice or be able to point me toward a reliable resource with information. Should I keep him on his usual schedule? Withhold the insulin until Monday? A reduced dosage? Anything else I should be doing to care for him and keep an eye on him until he's checked out
He's skipped doses a handful of times over the past year with no apparent incident, but never more than one.
My 10-year-old cat was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago and it is well-managed with twice-daily 4-unit doses of Humulin. His last fructosamine check was in early April and the vet said his blood sugar was still very well regulated and we should stay on the same dosage.
This morning he had what I'm fairly certain was his first hypoglycemic reaction, about two hours after his insulin dosage and breakfast. Yowling, staggering, poor hind leg control, panting. We rubbed some corn syrup on his gums and fed him some food and now he seems fine, if maybe a little subdued.
His regular vet can't see him today but he has an appointment first thing Monday. We will take him to the emergency vet if necessary, but right now he seems to be doing fine. But I realized after I made the vet appointment for Monday that I don't know what to do about his insulin dosage between now and then, and now his vet's office is closed for the weekend. I'm going to call the emergency vet and see if they'll dispense any advice over the phone, but am wondering if there are any vets out there who might have advice or be able to point me toward a reliable resource with information. Should I keep him on his usual schedule? Withhold the insulin until Monday? A reduced dosage? Anything else I should be doing to care for him and keep an eye on him until he's checked out
He's skipped doses a handful of times over the past year with no apparent incident, but never more than one.
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Reliable info here on care of the cat during hypoglycemic event
Good luck!
posted by Arqa at 10:05 AM on May 17, 2008