Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 0(0) 1 –5 © ISFM and AAFP 2013 Reprints and permissions:

jfms.com A 5-year old, spayed female domestic shorthair cat was referred for progressive muscle weakness, dyspnoea and a 24-h history of anorexia. The cat had a 2-month history of weight loss, persistent small intestinal diarrhoea with soft-to-liquid stools, polyphagia, and polyuria (PU)/ polydypsia (PD). The cat was fed a standard commercial diet. A recent test (Snap test FIV/FeLV; Idexx) for feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus was negative. The owner did not report any previous illness. The cat was not vaccinated but had been treated for inter-nal parasite (milbemycine/praziquantel) by the referring veterinarian 2 weeks before presentation. On presentation, the cat was depressed and laterally recumbent. Its bodyweight was 2.2 kg (body condition score 1/9). She was bradycardic [100 beats per minute (bpm)], dyspnoeic, tachypnoeic (40 respirations per min-ute (rpm)) and hypothermic (36.4°C; reference interval: 38.1–39.2°C). The cat appeared significantly dehydrated. Generalised muscle weakness and cervical ventroflexion were noted. Cranial nerve examination and spinal reflexes were unremarkable. Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure measured at the right forelimb using an oscillometric method (VetCare B Braun Smith Medical PM) were 137, 98 and 111 mmHg, respectively. An electrocardiogram showed sinus bradycardia. Pulse oximetry (veterinary pulse oxymeter VE-H100B; Kontron Medical) could not be assessed because the cat did not tolerate proper placement of the pulse oximetry probe. A complete blood cell count (Table 1) revealed mild eosinopenia. Biochemical analysis (Table 1) showed severe hypokalaemia [1.7 mmol/l; reference interval (RI): 3.5–5.1 mmol/l], hyperglycaemia (15.6 mmol/l; RI: 4.2– 11.0 mmol/l) and a mildly increased alanine transami-nase (127 U/l; RI: 20–107 U/l). Total magnesium and total serum thyroxin concentrations were within normal limits (Table 1). Venous blood gas analysis (Vetstat; Idexx) Manual ventilation therapy and aggressive potassium supplementation in the management of respiratory failure secondary to severe hypokalaemia in a cat with exocrine pancreatic insufficienc