Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with breathing failure and low potassium treated with ventilation
By Daste, Thomas et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2014·University of Toulouse, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Manual ventilation therapy and aggressive potassium supplementation in the management of respiratory failure secondary to severe hypokalaemia in a cat with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic shorthair cat was brought in for severe muscle weakness and trouble breathing after losing weight and having diarrhea for two months. Blood tests showed very low potassium levels and breathing difficulties. The vet started giving the cat potassium supplements and manually helped it breathe until its potassium levels improved. After diagnosing the cat with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), treatment for EPI was started, leading to the cat's recovery.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · low potassium in cats treatment · exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cats
Abstract
A domestic shorthair cat was referred for progressive muscle weakness and dyspnoea. The cat had a 2-month history of severe weight loss, small intestinal diarrhoea, polyphagia and polyuria/polydipsia. Biochemical analysis and venous blood gas evaluation revealed severe hypokalaemia [1.7 mmol/l; reference interval (RI): 3.5-5.1 mmol/l] and hypoventilation (partial pressure of carbon dioxide = 68 mmHg; RI: 34-38 mmHg). Aggressive potassium supplementation was initiated. The cat was manually ventilated until serum potassium increased to 3 mmol/l. A diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) was made based on clinical signs and serum feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity (0.1 μg/l; RI: 12-82 μg/l). Medical management of the EPI resulted in clinical recovery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24065706/