Please help! My mom has raised this cat from a kitten and she never leaves her side, and the vets don't seem to have a clue!
5 year old Siamese with no health problems except chronically "gunky" tear ducts, and a previously abscessed anal gland which has not been a problem lately.
She now has potassium so low that she's weak, unsteady and can barely walk, unable to lift her head so her chin is tucked up oddly, and not eating or drinking so she's already dropped to 6 lbs IIRC. They vet did a full bloodwork panel and the WBC count (white blood cells) was slightly elevated. There are no other apparent symptoms.
Yesterday the vet injected an antibiotic and steroid and is giving a potassium supplement. Today they say she's weaker and they're increasing the potassium supplement. They say they basically don't know what it is, and they're not even trying anything new!
Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for your help.
Help! 5yo, Very Low Potassium & Getting Worse!
Re: Help! 5yo, Very Low Potassium & Getting Worse!
Get this kitty to a feline-only vet or a well-established emergency vet ASAP, kitty should probably be hospitalized with IV fluid therapy where potassium supplementation can be added to the fluids, this needs to be done carefully (an infusion pump is best option in fluid therapy with hospitalization).
There are numerous causes to hypokalemia, the vet should be investigating....did he take a complete and very thorough history? I.e., what about the diet, is it appropriate, balanced, or is it deficient etc. Is the owher giving other supplements, or any thing else that isn't appropriate? Did the vet investigate for diabetes, GI tract abnormalities, severe bacterial infection, urinary tract problems, renal disease, etc etc? If not, he isn't doing enough for kitty.
I strongly urge you to get kitty to a feline-only vet or emergency vet who is experienced in treating hypokalemia, RIGHT NOW!! IV fluids and parenteral nutrition may be necessary, additional diagnostics to rule out those mentioned above, heart checked for arrythmias, maybe even test for hyperadrenocorticism or hyperaldosteronism, etc. Immunology might also be useful to rule out various viral infections. Don't wait, go NOW!!
There are numerous causes to hypokalemia, the vet should be investigating....did he take a complete and very thorough history? I.e., what about the diet, is it appropriate, balanced, or is it deficient etc. Is the owher giving other supplements, or any thing else that isn't appropriate? Did the vet investigate for diabetes, GI tract abnormalities, severe bacterial infection, urinary tract problems, renal disease, etc etc? If not, he isn't doing enough for kitty.
I strongly urge you to get kitty to a feline-only vet or emergency vet who is experienced in treating hypokalemia, RIGHT NOW!! IV fluids and parenteral nutrition may be necessary, additional diagnostics to rule out those mentioned above, heart checked for arrythmias, maybe even test for hyperadrenocorticism or hyperaldosteronism, etc. Immunology might also be useful to rule out various viral infections. Don't wait, go NOW!!
..........Traci
Thanks for your response. Of course her diet and everything else was "appropriate" and I rushed her to the vet at 2 AM as soon as we noticed any problems, we're not negligent
She (the female vet) has already checked for the obvious (diabetes, renal issues, etc.) as well as some less likely possible causes. She said she was spending basically every spare minute looking through various resources to find an answer. We don't have any "feline-only" vets though, and basically nobody has a clue so far.
As things stand now, the potassium was increased but she's still even worse, basically so weak that she's nearly paralyzed. I'm going to keep doing research in the meantime...
She (the female vet) has already checked for the obvious (diabetes, renal issues, etc.) as well as some less likely possible causes. She said she was spending basically every spare minute looking through various resources to find an answer. We don't have any "feline-only" vets though, and basically nobody has a clue so far.
As things stand now, the potassium was increased but she's still even worse, basically so weak that she's nearly paralyzed. I'm going to keep doing research in the meantime...
Re: Help! 5yo, Very Low Potassium & Getting Worse!
Please, no need to be defensive, I was simply responding to unknown information.
If your vet doesn't know how to correct the condtion, seek a second opinion immediately. She is obligated to, at the very least, consult with a feline specialist, she can call any major veterinary university at her disposal, and discuss the case, it may cost you the price of a long distance phone call, but isn't that worth everything?
I understand your "need" to continue researching, but the urgence here is getting your kitty a referral to a specialist who can HELP your vet with the correct treatment approach and/or correct digsnotics to rule out the various causes that could be contributing to the condition. Just today alone, your vet could have been consulting with a veterinary university for help and guidance. Call her right away and discuss that.
If your vet doesn't know how to correct the condtion, seek a second opinion immediately. She is obligated to, at the very least, consult with a feline specialist, she can call any major veterinary university at her disposal, and discuss the case, it may cost you the price of a long distance phone call, but isn't that worth everything?
I understand your "need" to continue researching, but the urgence here is getting your kitty a referral to a specialist who can HELP your vet with the correct treatment approach and/or correct digsnotics to rule out the various causes that could be contributing to the condition. Just today alone, your vet could have been consulting with a veterinary university for help and guidance. Call her right away and discuss that.
..........Traci
Re: Help! 5yo, Very Low Potassium & Getting Worse!
FieroGT42...I am sorry that your mom's kitty is not doing well 
for some reason....checking the PARATHYROID glands came to my mind....only because my Mom had this condition years ago, and similar symptoms to your cat (not that I am comaring my mom to a cat!!)
Her doctor ran the usual tests, and all was normal...he was totally stumped...then one weekend he went to a seminar, learned more about specifics of the parathyroid, called mom in for that specifcc blood test and BINGO...her levels were off...she had her parathyroid glands removed, the thyroid was fine...and within 3 days she was moving furniture and cleaning her house like she had not done in MONTHS....
Was her CALCIUM levels checked as well, and what were they? normal range is somewhere within 8.0-11.8
I may be WAY off base....but I figured I may as well mention it and it cannot hurt to check with your vet on this...
for some reason....checking the PARATHYROID glands came to my mind....only because my Mom had this condition years ago, and similar symptoms to your cat (not that I am comaring my mom to a cat!!)
Her doctor ran the usual tests, and all was normal...he was totally stumped...then one weekend he went to a seminar, learned more about specifics of the parathyroid, called mom in for that specifcc blood test and BINGO...her levels were off...she had her parathyroid glands removed, the thyroid was fine...and within 3 days she was moving furniture and cleaning her house like she had not done in MONTHS....
Was her CALCIUM levels checked as well, and what were they? normal range is somewhere within 8.0-11.8
I may be WAY off base....but I figured I may as well mention it and it cannot hurt to check with your vet on this...