EP 426: Hypokalemia in Dogs & Cats – Diagnosis, Causes & Critical Care | Pet Care Partners Podcast
Welcome to Episode 426 of the Pet Care Partners Podcast, your trusted source for high-yield veterinary education for students and clinicians alike. In this episode, we take a deep dive into hypokalemia—a critical electrolyte disturbance that impacts patients across various clinical scenarios. Understand how to identify, diagnose, and correct potassium imbalances effectively in both acute and chronic veterinary cases. 🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 🔸 What is hypokalemia and why is it dangerous? 🔸 Top Causes of Hypokalemia: • Chronic kidney disease (especially cats) • Diuretic use (e.g., furosemide) • GI losses – vomiting/diarrhea • Inadequate dietary intake • Insulin therapy and glucose shifts 🔸 Clinical Signs: • Muscle weakness, ventroflexion (cats!) • Lethargy and cardiac arrhythmias • Ileus and GI hypomotility 🔸 Diagnostic Approach: • Electrolyte panels (iSTAT, IDEXX, Abaxis) • Interpreting potassium in context with acid-base status 🔸 Treatment & Correction: • IV vs. oral potassium supplementation • Potassium chloride dosing and safety tips • Monitoring ECG for arrhythmias during therapy 🔸 Long-term Management in CKD and recurrent cases 💡 Clinical Pearls: ✔️ The hallmark ventroflexion of hypokalemic cats ✔️ Correcting hypokalemia without causing hyperkalemia ✔️ How potassium status affects neuromuscular and cardiac function ✔️ When to hospitalize and how to monitor critically ill patients 🎯 Best For: ✔️ Veterinary students prepping for clinical rotations or NAVLE ✔️ Emergency & internal medicine practitioners ✔️ New graduates and vet techs ✔️ Any DVM treating feline CKD or hospitalized cases 🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes covering must-know diseases, diagnostics, emergencies, and clinical reasoning tailored to the veterinary community. #Hypokalemia #VetPodcast #PetCarePartners #VeterinaryMedicine #VetStudent #VetSchool #DVMlife #VetTech #FelineCKD #ElectrolyteImbalance #SmallAnimalInternalMedicine #EmergencyVet #VeterinaryPodcast #PotassiumDeficiency #ClinicalPathology #VetCare #VetEducation #VetTraining #NAVLEPrep #VetLife #VetElectrolytes #IVFluidTherapy #MuscleWeaknessCats #Ventroflexion #PotassiumSupplementation #VeterinaryCases #VetEmergencyCare #VetMedTips #VeterinaryCardiology
8 Signs Your Cat Has Kidney Disease
She’s 12. She Sings Aretha Franklin… Until Simon TELLS Her to Do It Acapella! 😳
New Treatment for Giardia for Dogs & Cats with Holistic Vet - Dr. Katie Woodley
Clot or Bleed? Navigating Thrombosis Risk in Critically ill Dogs and Cats
EP 660: Salivary Mucocele in Pets: Diagnosis & Treatment Explained | Pet Care Partners Podcast
Why Is My Cat Breathing Heavy? Signs, Causes, and When to See a Vet
Urinary Blockages In Cats: Crystals, Stones, Diet & Post-Op Care
What I, Dr. Jones, Am Doing to Keep My Cat Healthy and Disease-Free
7 Things to Never Say to Your Vet
EP 414: Hyperkalemia in Dogs and Cats – Emergency Recognition & Treatment Strategies
'All of them took BOOSTERS': Witness’ explosive claim linking mRNA COVID vaccines to cancer relapse
The Safest Way to Supplement Potassium IV in Pets
Conventional approach to IV potassium supplementation in dogs and cats: Pros and Cons
Refeeding Syndrome in Dogs and Cats: Why It Can Be Deadly and How to Prevent It
I Used 100% CASTOR OIL Eye Drops for 30 days - Here's What happened
Vet Talks About Kidney Failure in Cats and Dogs
Kidney Disease in Cats, Part 2: What to Feed, How to Treat & When to Let Go
