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How long for Tumil-K to fix low potassium and improve pet appetite?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 19 years and 8 months old | 9.5 lbs

Hi Tony’s potassium level was low in his last lab results on August 28th so on August 30th my vet had me increase his tumil k dosage. I was told low potassium can cause lack of appetite which tony is experiencing and it’s just been about 10 Days since the increase In tumil k. About how long would it take for the new dosage of tumil k to correct his low potassium level Because his appetite is still very off. Thank you!

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on September 8th, 2019

Your vet will likely recommend to recheck the potassium level within the next 2-4 days. By this point, the supplement should have taken effect. It is important to make sure the levels are normal. It's possible to low appetite is not related to the potassium level. If the levels are normal but his appetite is still low, then you know it's related to something else. I recommend to call your vet today and have Tony scheduled for the bloodwork. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on September 9th, 2019
Generally the effects will be noticed quickly (within 7-10 days). This does depend though on how low Tony was to start with and there is variability between individual responses. I recommend to call your vet today and update them. They will be able to give you a better idea of a time frame. It's also possible that the low potassium is not the cause of his illness. The vet may also consider other diagnostics. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 2nd, 2018
The great news is that this supplement will not cause side effects (unless Tony has some rare allergy to the flavoring or something). Kidney disease causes the kidneys to “waste” potassium so that blood levels become too low. We compensate by adding potassium to the diet with a supplement like tumil-k. It is very safe and can make improvements in how Tony feels. Best of luck to you and Tony!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Why is my cat's stool soft after starting Tumil-K supplement?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Any medication can cause an upset tummy. Personally I haven't had a cat develop diarrhea from it. I wonder if Tony's loose stool and decrease appetite has more to do with the underling illness is causing the low potassium in the first place. I would call your Vet and tell them what is going on with Tony in case they want to modify the plan. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my cat's potassium low if kidney tests are normal?

Hello, sorry to hear about Tony. A low potassium may be secondary to a decrease dietary intake. However, if Tony is on amlodipine, then this can cause a low potassium as well. If his kidney values are normal, then it is less likely that he has kidney disease. I would recommend continuing to monitor him and if he is otherwise eating, drinking, and acting normally then you may not need to pursue an abdominal ultrasound at this point. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my cat not eating? Could it be low potassium or Addison's?

Hi there, and thanks for posting this question. With Addison’s disease the potassium levels are actually high, not low. And Addison’s disease is very rare in cats as well, but yes It causes a variety of gastrointestinal problems. However, low potassium levels is commonly seen in older cats with chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease eventually decreases appetite because either they are slightly nauseated and just don’t feel like eating or sometimes they become anemic and weak and don’t want to eat. I hope this answers your question and I hope Tony does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog got appetite meds but still won't eat. How long to kick in?

Poor guy. Yes it generally takes about 24 hrs or less for an appetite stimulant to be effective. Which means that we have to look a bit deeper to find out what the underlying problem is so that it is addressed specifically, as well as treat for nausea. Nausea and inappetance can unfortunately be caused by so many different things, such as an underlying infection, liver disease or even a foreign body (if vomiting also seen). I would highly recommend getting Willow re-evaluated by your vet for further testing (i..e bloodwork, +/- radiographs) to reach a diagnosis here so that we know specifically what Willow needs to hopefully stabilize her condition. I hope that your pet Willow feels better soon! Best wishes and take care

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has low potassium. Is it Addison's disease? Can it be treated?

I assume your vet is concerned about Addison's disease. This disease requires life-long medication, but they tend to live long and well with treatment. It's difficult to know how suspicious this is without evaluating the dog or records, but I wouldn't be too concerned until a diagnosis is made. Even then, it's not a terrible disease to live with when treated appropriately. For more information, I recommend you read the article at the link below. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/addisons-disease-in-dogs-overview I hope that helps and all is well with Tony

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How to give a cat potassium when pills and powder don't work?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tony. Have you tried supplementing his potassium with the gel form? I find this much easier to give to cats. You can feed it to him directly or place it on his paw to lick off. RenaPlus Gel may be worth a try for him. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My senior cat with kidney disease is lethargic. What helps low energy?

3.7 for a potassium level isn't very low, but the normal reference range can vary from machine to machine, so you would need to include the normals for me to guage how low it truly is away from the "normal". Potassium supplementation must be taken very seriously, because overdoses can stop the heart. I do not routinely recommend it unless it is trending lower and lower. I would recommend discussing supplementing B12, since this will often help lethargic cats.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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