Dog with diabetes Up date

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WuzzFuzz

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Well, we went back to the vet this afternoon. I got some O.J.T on how to give insulin injections...I didn't faint and she didn't bite me...So we just might make it...

Bought some insulin at Walmart..Bought some needles, but I'll have to go back tomorrow and get some longer ones. The ones I bought are too short.....Since she can be on a high protein diet...eat meat...she's going to be eating better than I do...Beef Tenderloins...Stew meat. cut up into tiny little pieces I can mix in with her dry food. Home made peanut butter...made into some snacks..I guess store bought would have sugar in the processing, so that's out....

Whew!!!! But she's all I've got, she's my companion, so I've got to take care of her....(spoil her more, than she already is)

And she sure does let me know when there's squirrels or rabbits in her territory....When I get the gun, she knows what up!!!!!

WuzzFuzz





Anyone else here have a dog with diabetes? How challenging is it for you to take care of your animal?

My little girl was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. So that's going to be giving her shots twice a day for the rest of her life...She's only 3 1/2 now.

I guess a Dachshund is one of the breeds that is more susceptible to getting the disease. Plus I read up on the subject and it says, female dogs are 3 to 1 to getting it.

I can do it...However...since she's only 3 1/2 now, she'll out live me....I'm already worried (scared) of what will happen to her after I'm gone....She'll be hard for someone to adopt as she gets older, and has medical problems.


WuzzFuzz
 
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Sorry we didn't have a dog but our cat was diabetic. It's pretty common for animals to contact the same type of diseases as us humans. We gave it a shot once a day. Every now and then the sugar level gets a little on the low side and we would have to give the cat a mouthful of KO Syrup with a large plastic suringe. The cat would start walking in circles kind of clumbsy and would not respond to verbal commands. The KO Syrup works very quickly. The vet said he would live maybe 6 months, well he lived 5 1/2 years. It got to the point were he couldn't hold his bladder and we had to put him down. Worst part of owning a pet is when you loose them. It's not a big deal to take care of them but they shouldnt be left alone for long periods, no different than us really. Our cat use to come when we called it and said time for your shot. He would sit right there and let you give him a shot on the back of the neck. In my opinion its well worth treating them, you would put down a person with the same condition, you would treat them, peice of cake. Good luck.
 
My last Saint Bernard was an epileptic. I never expected him to outlive me, but even so, I understand your struggle - and your concern. I wish I had some answers for you. If it is any comfort to you, we got along pretty well with the problem. Saints don't live a long time, unfortunately, but my friend made it to the last rodeo at about the usual time. I kept up with his daily medicine and I think he lived a pretty good life in spite of the disease. I used to take him with me to the gun club on weekends so I would not miss his medication if I happened to get home late. All my skeet-shooting buddies used to tell me when they died they wanted to come back to life as one of my dogs. :D

I don't mean this to sound uncaring but just do what you can to take care of your friend and try not to worry too much. Things will work out for you.
 
I have a cat that is diabetic, along with myself.

The vet put her on a chow made expressly for diabetic cats @ $40/6lbs when she was 3 years old.

She's 18 years old now, and still getting by.

Blind as a bat, (detached retina's in both eyes), moves kinda slowly for a cat, but still great company!!
 
I had a diabetic foster dog a few years ago. She was adopted and is still going strong 5 years later. She was Dx at about 7 years of age. They are not unadoptable. Some people look for special needs animals.

Are you home testing her blood glucose? IMO this is a key to good regulation and goes a long ways for the human's peace of mind. Being able to do a BG curve at home is much better than at the vet's. Most dogs get stressed at the vet's office & the curve may not be accurate.

Lots of information on this website.

www.k9diabetes.com

This is the forum.
http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/

It was a challenge at first but I got LOTS of help and was able to train the dog to let me do her testing rather easily. In terms of time spent it's not much. The thing is that you MUST be with the dog every 12 hours, give or take an hour. That can be the challenge. I happened to be unemployed at the time so that wasn't a big issue.
 
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This is one of those things that no matter how difficult it is, your gonna do it. My last dog developed Diabetes at 10 yrs. old. She needed insulin shots twice a day. I live alone and I was working then but I and the dog managed. She only weighed 11 lbs. and the only bad part was a few months into the program she would squeak a bit when I stuck her. The dog was a victim of poor breeding and other congenital problems killed her, not Diabetes.
One of my current little dogs has epilepsy.
 
In the 70's I lived in New York and had a Four-year old female Weimaraner who was diagnosed with diabetes. Each day I would dip a reagent stick in her urine and adjust the dosage of NPK insulin that was given subcutaneously. Not a big deal at all: Tent the skin and inject the insulin under the fold created by the tent. Her diet became a little stricter and treats were watched. Every few months her Vet would take a blood sample to make a formal adjustment of sugar levels. Now, there is probably a simple blood monitor that does it.

My dog lived another ten years and had a very good life. She developed some problems with cateracts and became blind in one eye. However, she remained active and playful and was a great dog. If your your dog is otherwise healthy, then go the extra step and take care of him/her.
 
I went through this just over a year ago.

It was a bit difficult, for my wife and I in the beginning but we learned. The dog doesnt really like the shot but put up with it. We give her a kong with a snack, so its a fun event now.

A few things I learned

Insulin, if you can use the Novalin N from Walmart. Its about $25.00 a ampule, much cheaper than any others. Syringes are also priced very good there.

You will need to discuss this with your vet.

I would give the advice I wish I would have gotten. You will be changing your dogs diet away from some of the high carb foods. Watch how much fat you give the dog in meals and treats. The pancreas is already weak and stressing it with more fat can lead to pancreatitus.

My last advice is, dont get nervous (we did) and the dog will know and get nervous too.

It get easier the more you do it, make it a fun upbeat event!

Best wishes to both of you ;)
 
FYI Fuzz-insulin is much cheaper in Canada if that is possible,or a concern for you.I treated my dog for several years,I would bet you will do just fine with yours.
 
My Jack Russell terrier is diabetic and needs shots of insulin twice a day his diabetes was very hard to get under control and in the process he has gone blind. Wheelgun28's advice about Walmart is spot on they are an excellent source for insulin & syringes. You will also need to change your dogs diet as mentioned. It's not to tough to establish a routine and my dog has no problem with the shots, your Vet will show you the best way to do it.
 
Wheelgun,

When we were at the vet yesterday, he mentioned that the insulin from Wally World was much cheaper than I could buy it there...Tomorrow we go back and I get some O.J.T. for giving her, her shots..We/I got the food she'll be on now...some Hills W/D...

I want to find out what kind of treats I can get for her now....What I read up on, are things like freeze dried veggies...raw baby carrots....I guess dogs like the crunchy????


It's just that (I) have some issues about taking care of her....Like I took care of my Mrs. here at home...Did all the nursing when she came down with her cancer..Basically did hospice work for her...And then she died here as I held her.....Then later, I took care of Skippy, originally her dog, but I was always around since day one...And I had to hold him when he got so old and I had to put him down...

I'm emotionally drained from holding someone or animal and they get sick or die...And as I mentioned...even though I'd take care of her here at home...I know she'll out live me....And the time will come to try and have her adopted out...It'll be hard to do as she gets older.

Giving her shots every day....That I can do...keep her on her diet..that I can do...Taking her for walks...even now, I have to use my scooter to walk her any great distance, because I can't walk much more than a block or two without pooping out.

I tell you, I'm torn over this...She's my girl.....It's just her and me.


WuzzFuzz
 
As for treats, Hills has prescription ones that are a bit pricey. We were giving (with vets blessing) regular Iams Senior treats, and a few others.
Our dog likes rawhide and she can have that too. Just not fancy rawhides with flavors or meat wrapped.

Sounds like you will have no troubles with this. My wife and I are bad with this stuff and its just become our routine.

If you like to read the website in the above few posts has lots of info. When you start reading posts just be sure to look at the dates. I got a bit depressed when first skimming through. They all start out my dog was diagnosed then they end with my dog passed, however if you look at the dates many years may have passed from the start of the thread until the end of it.

I can say our dog was happier and more active once we started insulin. She was only showing symptoms for a week but in retrospect she was getting lethargic and disinterested in things. Shes now active and interested in things again!
 
WuzzFuzz, don't be so sure that it will be hard for her to be adopted when she's older and has medical issues. As Fishslayer mentioned, there are people out there who have a big heart for senior and/or special needs dogs. I had a senior Doxie, Angel, with many medical problems for which she had to take meds every day, that I adopted from a Doxie rescue. Part of the reason I chose her was because she was a senior and many people do pass them over for younger dogs and puppies. But I know there's others out there like myself, who get a lot of satisfaction in making sure a senior dog gets to spend the last years of his/her life in a loving home. You might want to look into your options now, as to where she will go, so you'll not have to worry about it any more. Check around with family, friends, local vets, etc. I really think you'll be able to find her a future home. In the meantime, enjoy each others' company. Best wishes for both of you. God bless.
 
Well folks....Thanks for all the encouragement...

I guess the ole Good Lord, never gives us more than we can handle.

I can handle it.....I ain't dead yet.

WuzzFuzz
 
Both my Dad and his Chahuahua were Diabetic. Dad was insulin dependant for a couple of years before "Poco" became diabetic.

Dad would take his readings in the morning and dose himself and then dose "Poco" with Insuin from the same bottle.

After a couple of weeks "Poko" got used to it and didn't have a problem with it. It was part of his routine.
 
We have had 2 Rotties with diabetes, they can lead very good lives. Both were 9-10 y/o. If she outlives you, there will be someone waiting, but you might try talking with your vet about this. I'm sure their are rescues for your breed too. WalMart's Relion insulin is the only way to go. You will find a 12 hour feeding schedule works well, with the insulin shot to the nap of the neck while they are distracted/eating. You can use a regular human blood glucose tester and supplies if you suspect she needs dosing adjustments. They do read different but you'll get the trend. After awhile you will become very good at reading what is going on. Just one of those things, I'm glad she has you, you'll both be fine!
 
How do I make this thing go back to the first post????


WuzzFuzz
 
Yeah...

roadhog96 said:
Sorry we didn't have a dog but our cat was diabetic. It's pretty common for animals to contact the same type of diseases as us humans. We gave it a shot once a day. Every now and then the sugar level gets a little on the low side and we would have to give the cat a mouthful of KO Syrup with a large plastic suringe. The cat would start walking in circles kind of clumbsy and would not respond to verbal commands.
Click to expand...

Start walking in circles kind of clumsy and not responding to verbal commands. Yeah, that describes me pretty good.

Our big Beau Beau has thyroid problems and manages ok with meds.
 
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Wuzz

She's lucky to have you! As was said before, look around for persons who may love to take her when that time comes.

Perhaps there is a Dachshund rescue place you can relay your concerns to as well.

Best wishes for you both!

Best

Bob
 
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