Research overview: diabetic ketoacidosis in cats

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening complication of feline diabetes in which insulin deficiency and counter-regulatory hormones drive ketone production, metabolic acidosis, dehydration, and electrolyte derangements requiring intensive care. Management centers on fluid resuscitation, careful electrolyte correction especially of potassium and phosphate, and regular insulin therapy, with monitoring for complications. This overview synthesizes the emergency-medicine literature rather than one citation, describing the metabolic cascade that produces ketoacidosis, why concurrent illnesses such as pancreatitis or infection often precipitate it, and the principles of stabilization. It matters because ketoacidosis represents the acute, dangerous end of the diabetic spectrum, and prompt recognition and structured treatment are essential to survival, after which cats can often transition to routine diabetic management or even remission.