Barry’s Emergency Vet Costs

Hi everyone, Barry’s diabetes has taken a turn for the worse over the last 24 hours. He went very lethargic and stopped eating so we took him to the emergency out of hours vets where they discovered he is in DKA.

 

Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs as a result of uncontrolled diabetes (uncontrolled high blood sugar levels). This results in an increase of fatty acid within the body which when broken down, will produce compounds known as ketones. Ketones in high levels are very dangerous for the body as they alter the natural pH balance. Patients with DKA become more acidic, in turn this makes proteins within the body more liable to damage and change, affecting a whole host of processes and making for a very unwell pet.

 

Treatment for DKA has two stages; initial and ongoing. DKA requires intense and rapid management during the first few days. This initial treatment involves addressing the patient’s clinical problems at the time of presentation. Patients that present with DKA will often require hospitalisation for several days. Treatments initially required for DKA include:

 

Rehydration fluid therapy

Correction of electrolytes (these are salts within the blood that play many a different role throughout the body and are important for many processes)

Reduction of high blood sugar levels.

 

Further diagnostic tests may be recommended at this time also (including imaging) to assess for any underlying reason for the development of disease i.e. liver disease or pancreatitis.

 

We would never usually ask for any financial help, managing Barry’s diabetes so far has not been too bad as we have been able to claim on insurance but our annual limit has now been maxed out unfortunately. The cost of treatment and keeping him in hospital is up to £2000 a night. We are not sure where we are going to get this from but we love him so much and want to fight for him. We also know how much his loyal fans love him too so wanted to open this fund just incase anyone would like to help us. Every penny will help. 

 

Thanks so much for reading our story. We will keep you all posted.

 

lots of love, Barry’s Mum and Dad, Marie-Clare & Daniel Xxx