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

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