Any diabetic dogs here??

[staceew]

Hi! Just wondering if there are any other diabetic poochs here? My 10 year old Rottie is a diabetic & was diagnosed 3 1/2 years ago.

Stacee

[DaxAriel's toy]

I'm taking my old girl to vet tomorrow and that is one of the tests I want him to run.

Do you give insulin (shots?) or how do you manage the illness?

[doberkim]

no diabetic dog here (knock on wood, its the one thing i DONT have with bowie), but lots of experience handling diabetic animals -- do you have any questiosn?

how did you regulate her? what form of insulin are you using, and do you test each day or just give two separate doses ?

[staceew]

Hi! Yes, I give Star injections of 30 units of Humulin N insulin twice every day....1 shot with morning meal & 1 shot with evening meal, 12 hours apart. I do home blood testing....the vet checks her too, but it helps him when I keep records at home too. So he knows what's going on all the time with her. She is on a strict diet of dry & canned Hill's W/d & I also boil chicken breasts & green veggies for her. DaxAriel's Toy- Is there a reason you are having your girl to be tested for diabetes? What are her symptoms? Star got very sick on Easter weekend 2001 & we had to call our vet at 2:30am Easter sunday, he was so good to come in to the office & check her out & she was then diagnosed & has been on diet & insulin ever since. Star is about to turn 11 years old in October....how old is your girl? Star's symptoms were that she drank a LOT of water & was urinating a lot & then the night she got so sick she just lay there & didn't want to do anything, just out of it! But she got back to normal pretty quick after we started insulin. She has lost most of her eyesight though...cataracts.
Doberkim-Do you work in a vet clinic? I see where you have a lot of experience with diabetic pets? It's a very complicating disease, isn't it? I worry so about my girl. She is getting older & I just love her so much. But she does pretty good. We just love her to pieces! She's definitly a Rotten Rottie!

Thanks guys!

[DaxAriel's toy]

staccew - Dax is turing 9 this October. She has been drinking a lot of water but it's warm here so that might not be anything. The main reason is she is lethargic. She will limp along on walks but as soon as we are home she doesn't move off her couch without incentive. Also she has had a substantial weight loss in the last 6 months which I can't attribute solely to diet & exercise. Last night I gave her 1/2 dose of metcam because we walked for 3 1/2 hours and she seemed better.

I want her checked to rule out diabetes as I not want her to lose her eyesight or feel bad if we can help her.

UPDATE: vet doesn't suspect anything other than old age. Gave me some pain killer- METCAM to use when it's really bad - just to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.

[staceew]

Daxariel's toy-Yea I would definitly have her checked for diabetes. Those were Star's first symptoms...drinking a lot of water, lethargic & unexplainable weight loss. Doesn't hurt to have her checked! Better to be safe than sorry! My Star did lose most of her eyesight shortly after diagnosis as a diabetic....she got cataracts pretty bad. We considered the surgery for her eyes but then decided against it, not because we don't love her like crazy! But because of her age...we were concerned to have her under anesthesia at her age & with her being a diabetic. She can see very little now, but she acts like it bothers my husband & I a lot more than it bothers her! Star is about to turn 11 in October & this summer I have noticed that she has slowed down more than she has in the past. I guess her age is catching up with her. She was diagnosed 3 1/2 years ago. Now "IF" it does turn out to be diabetes..try not to panic, ok?! I promise....it CAN be treated & she can be regulated. Of course it isn't curable but it is treatable. Its definitly NOT a death sentence like some people told me when Star was first diagnosed! I actually had people say that I should out her to sleep! Made me mad! She has lived a normal life with diabetes for a long time.
But, your vet may very well be correct....it may just be the process of aging. When our pets start getting older it is very sad....None of us want them to get older & we certainly don't want to lose them. Please keep me posted...I'm anxios to find out how her vet visit goes.

Stacee

[DaxAriel's toy]

Stacee - vet doesn't think it's diabetes. Metcam for her pain and we'll go from there. The weight loss hasn't continued and she's actually gained a few lbs (must be muscle from swimming).

She doesn't drink more water than the puppy and he checked her out pretty good.

So we'll just keep a close eye on her and make sure she remains happy. Getting old sucks - I know.

[Rip's Girl]

Ripley isn't diabetic, thankfully, but I'm starting to wonder about Buster. He's been drinking tons of water, and actually gaining a little bit of weight. (He's always been SO hard to keep weight on, so this is unusual)

Staceew, Star is lucky to have such a devoted mom. It made me so mad, I saw a 2-year-old diabetic schnauzer in a vet's office, and the owner was isnsisting that they wanted the dog put to sleep, because it was 'too much work' for them to try and control mild diabetes with a proper diet. The vet re-homed the dog, BTW.

[staceew]

[staceew]

DaxAriel-That's good news that the vet doesn't suspect diabetes! Very good! I'm glad for you! It's (diabetes) very manageable.....but can be very tricky too. There are so many things to watch out for when you have a diabetic pet. But, it's become second nature to me with Star. It's just our way of life now. Star is very patient & "puts up with me"! haha! She's a good girl! :-) By any chance did your vet do a blood glucose test? Just a small amount of blood & check the blood sugar reading? Just curious. I know..getting old sucks! We just have to love our furry kids while we have them with us. That's all we can do. Just enjoy them. Your's loves to swim too?? Star LOVES it! Its great exercise for them.
You will get a pretty good idea if she had diabetes.....the drinking will get to be a LOT...I mean a LOT....& the urinating will also be a whole LOT! Just trust your vet, he sounds like he is on the ball. I'm sure it IS just the sad effects of aging....as much as we hate it, it happens.
Good luck & keep me posted on your girl! :-)

Grace-Thank you for the kind words! Yes, some people are so frickin' lazy & ignorant that they just want to put an animal to sleep at the first sign of any problem! Makes me so mad! That is so cool that your vet found another home for the dog! What an awesome vet! Some people tend to think that diabetes is a death sentence...so NOT true! Star is living proof of that. If you are curious about Buster then you should get him checked....the test is so easy & it takes just a few seconds to find out. Or, if you have a diabetic in the family or someone you know that has a handheld meter then you could take a quick blood sample & check it yourself. Its sooo easy to do. I use a human handheld meter to test Star at home. That way we don't have to run to the vet as often. The vets knows I do this & he likes it....it helps him to keep track of Star. I just email him the results that I get at home. Of course he still checks her often himself. I had never heard of a diabetic dog until Star was diagnosed. Now I say...when in doubt, test for it.
It may just be the summer the reason that Buster is drinking more water. It's so hot! We are in Louisiana & man does it get hot here! Although my spoiled dogs spend 99% of their time laying under the AC vents! They are so spoiled!

Keep me posted & good luck to you both! :-)

Stacee

[Rip's Girl]

Stacee, um, pardon my ignorance here, but how do I actually *GET* the blood sample? The "pin-prick-thingy" as my family calls it isn't heavy-duty enough to get through buster's skin, and I don't just want to go stabbing him with all sorts of needles.

I'm going to take him in with me when I volunteer at the vet's office next time (All he'll do is sleep on the couch in there. Ripley is another story, lol) and when the vet has a lull in customers he can probably do Buster's bloodwork.

[staceew]

Grace, That is NOT an ignorant question at all! My dog was a diabetic for 3 1/2 years before I ever tested her blood at home, I always let the vet do it before. Then I realized how easy it was so I just do it myself now.
Ok, you know the part of the tester that a person would poke themselves with? The part that "pops" & sticks in their skin real quick? Ok, what I do is I don't use that device. I simply just use the lancet (the little needle) & I DON'T put it into the little "popper" thing. I stick Star with the lancet on her callous on her elbow & then I get a little "ball" of blood....not much, you won't need much. Only about the same amount as a human would get when they prick their finger. Then I simply put the test strip up to the blood & it sucks it right up in there & gets a reading. The reason I don't use the "popper" thing that holds the lancet (needle) is because it isn't long enough that way to get blood from Star....the dog's skin is so much thicker or something! What kind of dog is Buster? I ask because not all dogs have the callous on their elbows. I belong to a dog diabetic web site & I know a lot of people "prick" their pups in different places...some use the ear, some use lip, & some use tail. I wouldn't use the lip or ear myself..I think OUCH...that has to hurt! But the tail may work well for you if Buster doesn't have an elbow callous. They say the tail but actually it's the area just above the tail....kinda where their back & tail meet. Just pull the fur back & try it there. Remember...Just a little bit of blood is all it takes! Be sure to wipe the area with alcohol before & after you do it if you give it a try, ok?
Oh of course, I understand....you don't want to go poking around all over poor Buster! Poor baby! haha! He'll be mad that you met me, huh?!
Let me know if you do it & what reading you get. If you feel uncomfortable then wait & let the vet do it. When my vet does Star he draws blood from her vein....I can't do that! No way! That's what I pay the vet for! haha!
Good luck!
Stacee

[Rip's Girl]

Hmm, OK, I should try it. I'm not uncomfortable with a little drop of blood, and he probably won't feel it any more than a shot.

My grandpa was diabetic, and I'm sure we still have some lancets & I *THINK* we still have a monitor. I'll let you know, if I have the stuff, what his reading is.

Thanks for the help!

[staceew]

You are very welcome! :-) Let me know how it goes!

Good luck!

Stacee