JFMS review updates a practical framework for feline emergencies
Version 1
A new review in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery aims to give general practitioners a practical framework for four common feline medical emergencies: seizures, urethral obstruction, acute kidney injury, and diabetic ketoacidosis. In “Rational approach to feline medical emergencies: part 2,” Nicki Reed of Veterinary Specialists Scotland positions the article as the second half of a two-part emergency series, with a focus on cases that can destabilize a busy clinic and require fast, structured decision-making. The paper highlights several newer or easily missed issues, including the importance of rapid treatment for status epilepticus, careful and atraumatic urinary catheterization in blocked cats, early recognition of toxin-related acute kidney injury, and awareness that cats receiving SGLT2 inhibitors can present with euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, where glucose may not be markedly elevated. (journals.sagepub.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the article is less about a single breakthrough and more about consolidating current emergency thinking into a practical reference for first-opinion practice. That’s especially relevant as feline diabetes management evolves: Reed points clinicians to the 2025 iCatCare diabetes consensus guidelines, while FDA communications on bexagliflozin have separately warned about the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, and death in inappropriate candidates, reinforcing the article’s message that medication history now matters in emergency triage. The review also underscores that some feline emergencies differ in important ways from canine cases, which can affect diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment choices. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Expect this review series to be used as a practical update for GP teams, especially around blocked cats, AKI toxicities, and emergency recognition of SGLT2 inhibitor-associated euglycemic DKA. (journals.sagepub.com)