New member Hugo JRT

[HugosMom]

Hi Everyone, just wanted to jump in and introduce myself like Weese. I too have found this site to be a saviour! (Getting choked up here!) My Jack Russell "Hugo" was diagnosed this past Friday and I go to pick up his first dose of insulin today. Thanks to your site, I am already making educated decisions! I'm requesting an alternative to Caninsulin after reading about the issues lately.

Big thank you to CaroleW who's site on painless injections is already helping to build my confidence. We'll see how I do with my first needle tonight.

Thanks everyone... for just being here.

Kirbi

[Patty]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hi Kirbi,
Just wanted to say welcome to you! I see you're in Canada. I wondered with the mention of Caninsulin. A good alternative would be Humulin NPH or Novolin NPH. They are often used interchageably but are made by different companies.

Be sure if you are switching from Caninsulin that you also switch syringes. Caninsulin is a U40 insulin and NPH is U100. The difference has to do with the concentration levels and so the syringes must match the insulin for proper dosing. You can get syringes with 1/2 unit markings to make fine tuning the dose a bit easier.

Tell us more about Hugo
How much does he weigh?
What type of food is he eating?
Does your vet have you starting with injections twice a day? Twelve hours apart?

Good luck with your 1st shot tonight!! You'll be a pro in no time
Again welcome!
Patty

[CarolW]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hi Kirbi - fellow Canadian; fellow Terrier-creature! Love those Jack Russells!

I see you have quite a start already! Kumbi was started on Novolin-NPH insulin from the beginning, so I never had any switching to do. I do like the NPH insulin idea; Caninsulin IS subject, they say, to the same kind of problem Vetsulin has - not surprising, as it is really the same insulin. I think it's a lot easier to manage with insulin if the dog does well on NPH.

Do pay close attention to which syringes you buy; as Patty said, they need to be U-100 syringes - you can probably get them, and the insulin, too, at any pharmacy, without a prescription. Check with your pharmacist on that.

I get mine on Senior Day at Shoppers Drug Mart in the city (I'm old [grin]) - get a 20% discount that way, both on syringes and on insulin.

Looking forward to your further reports! Glad you found the painless-injection series useful - you are patient to have read through all that!

I DID find that paying close attention to all that excruciating detail was helpful - and Kumbi (and Kwali) helped me do it! (So did my vet!)

And a big, fat welcome to you!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:16:04

[eyelostit]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

HI there,

Welcome to you and Hugo

You found the right place, glad you found us.

You may get the hang of an injection right off the bat, but if not don't be too hard on yourself, you'll get the hang of it.

Niki's been diabetic for 7 yrs now and we're still goiing strong.

Please let us know all your info as Patty mentioned.

Again Welcome!

Dolly & Niki

[ladysmom06]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hi Kirbi,

Welcome to you and Hugo.

Love those Jack Russells!

Me too!

Looking forward to hearing more about Hugo. Good luck tonight and know we're all here to help you.

[Ladybug]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Welcome Kirbi and Hugo!

"Hugo"....gotta love that name!

You certainly have come to the right place! Everyone here has so much knowledge and everyone is so helpful!

Love those Jack Russells!

My Ladybug has the "jump off the wall" personality of a Jack Russell! LOL!

I know you and Hugo will be doing "happy dances" soon!

Linda and Ladybug

[CarolW]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Kirbi - it just occurred to me, if you haven't bought syringes yet, going by Hugo's likely range of doses for NPH insulin, I will bet you would ABSOLUTELY LOVE the syringes I use.

They're by BD; called BD UltraFine II, and they have these specifications:

capacity: 3/10 cc (0.3 cc)
needle gauge - 31 (that is THIN!)
needles are SHORT (actually called "short") - 8 mm or, 5/16"
and they have
half-unit markings on the barrels.

These are an absolute dream to use. The only care you need to take is not to bend that thin needle - just a bit of attention when filling the syringe, and - uh- when holding your dog just a bit still during injections - will do the trick, so the needle doesn't bend.

I love these for two reasons. The dog just about doesn't feel the insertion of the needle. (And with warmed insulin, won't much feel the insulin going in, either.)

And - you can adjust doses by quarter-units. Often, with smallish dogs, it's REALLY useful to be able to adjust doses in those small amounts.

I use a magnifying glass, hand-held, to check when I'm filling the syringe. To extrude, say, a quarter-unit from the syringe after I have filled it to something more than I'm going to inject, I carefully twist the plunger a bit, while watching the needle-tip, till I see a bit - a drop, maybe two drops - of the insulin falling out from the needle tip.

That's REALLY getting into detail, but so useful!

My vet would often increase Kumbi's dose by quarter-units at a time. Sometimes, but more rarely, by half a unit at a time. 'Cause that's for a single dose, and, of course, we inject twice a day - and this NPH is powerful (concentrated) stuff!

Just wait till you see how much better Hugo feels - it won't take long! Although it takes from three days to a week before a particular dose change settles in (my vet prefers two weeks before changing doses), Hugo is likely to start feeling better after only a day or two. Ah, 'tis lovely to see!

P.S. If you already bought syringes, perhaps the pharmacist would exchange unopened packets or boxes for the ones I just described.

Keep us posted!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:48:07 (PDT)

[peggy0]

Re: This is all new to us!

Welcome to the board. We're here to help you whenever you have a question or concern. Don't be shy; we've all been through this and have helped each other tremendously!! food, shots, treats, exercise, making mistakes, patience hats........We've talked about all o of it. Hugo will be his jack russell self soon!

[k9diabetes]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hi and welcome to you and Hugo!

How'd the shot go?

We have three JRTs next door to us - mom, dad, and son Cash, so named because he had to be delivered by c-section!

Natalie

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hi Kirbi and Hugo,

Welcome you will be fine on this forum lots of help and support

My last dog was a Jack Russell he was a character.

You will get loads of information.

Marg

[HugosMom]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Thank you everyone for the welcoming posts! It is making a world of difference during this adjustment.

I spoke with my Vet about my concerns with Caninsulin and requested Novolin NPH. We hadn't yet started Hugo on insulin so there was no need to transition him. The vet suggested the cartridges might be easier.

Thank you CaroleW and Patty for your reminders about the different types of needles and sizes. I was able to get the size you recommended Carole and you were so right! I wasn't told about the temperature or bevel during my "lesson" at the clinic but I made sure to use what I have learned on this site. He still has his very long, furry winter coat on and I had to ask if it even went in! He was such a good boy. I shook for a while after but it was much easier than I thought it would be.

Taking the blood sample was the hard part. I was taught to do it on his ear with a larger needle and by "ripping" the skin a little. I didn't do this part and poor Hugo flinched and whimpered. I thought of the video of Chris having his sample taken from his lip and thought I would try it. It was awkward at first but he didn't seem to mind at all - once he stopped trying to play of course. BTW, I'm using the One Touch Ultra mini meter.

I was so preoccupied with everything that I didn't catch his current weight. He has lost a lot of weight in the last little while. He is on 3iu twice a day, 12 hours apart. I was told continue to eat his Purina Pro for adult dogs for now - 1 cup in the morning before his insulin, a small portion as a snack during the day and 1 cup in the evening before his insulin. We'll see if that needs to change later on.

His glucose reading was 31 at 5:45pm today just before his insulin and 32.6 at midnight. Not sure how that translates into US measurement. I haven't noticed any changes for the worse in him so I'm feeling good about everything so far. This morning, his number was 28.2 taken before he ate (hope that's right).

Sigh. I'm so glad you are all here.

Kirbi

[HugosMom]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Called the vet and as of Friday, he is a skinny 9.3kg (20.5 lbs). He's usually on the tubby side around 14kg (30ish lbs) so I've increased his food by 1/4 cup at each of his 2 feedings. I've also added a handful of food as a snack in the afternoon. Unfortunately I didn't notice the weight loss at all because it was winter and we always let him grow is scruffy coat.

[CarolW]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Hey, Kirbi, you're really under way; fabulous good job you're doing!

Many vets just don't KNOW about using the LipStick or the callous or the carpal pad - or they haven't bothered to learn. They rather have to use the ear for cats, because cat-bites are so very dangerous (get infected too easily), so they may just do the same for dogs, since they're practiced at it.

Luckily, my vets do know about the LipStick; they and their techs showed me how. It's SO nice for the dog! Doesn't possibly hurt, with extremely rare exceptions; if you DO happen to poke a nerve ending, just re-poke in a slightly different place.

I'm REALLY loving my 21-gauge lancets - one prick, no warming, and we're done! Kumbi doesn't bleed all that easily, which is why I went (after a long time) to 21-gauge instead of the not-very-effective-for-us 25-gauge.

Natalie's video with Chris is excellent; however, I don't use a device, but Stick by hand - much easier for us. And no noise, no jarring of any sort. But, then, Natalie says about injections that she doesn't like to see the needle go in - maybe she's the same about lancets! [grin]

So my BG tests are now looking like this:

1) Pick up Kumbi's lip
2) Pull test strip all the way into the meter (I've left it put in, but not far enough to turn the meter on)
3) pat-pat-pat exposed lip with dry paper towel
4) pick up lancet, aim with care, touch "lip" (really, inner lining of the mouth) with it, then press firmly, but gently, till lancet needle has sunk all the way (The push is quick.)
5) Watch while the blood wells up
6) Pick up meter, apply test strip to blood drop, checking meter to make sure it says "Apply blood" (That could be specific for the OneTouch; I don't remember, but other meters will also cue you appropriately.)

It works, works, works, reliably! It's the moment of aim of the test strip to the blood drop that counts.

There's more I want to say, but I have to rush off; back later.

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:30:14 (PDT)

[HugosMom]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Thanks again CarolW! By the way, I've created a couple of photo albums of Hugo's animal families. Have a look!

[CoolGram]

Re: New member Hugo JRT

Welcome Kirbi and Hugo,

I'm pretty new also, but was overjoyed to find this forum, it has been such a help to me (and by extension, to my mini-schnauzer, Gretel).

I don't think there's a question you could ask that someone here wouldn't be able to answer for you.

I only have one thing to comment on right now, and that's to second Carol's endorsement of the short, thin needles (refer to her post). I think they're absolutely the best, especially for a small dog. Mine don't have the half unit markings on them, but next time I will get those because Gretel is on 12-1/2 units now and they would really be helpful.

Good luck to both of you!

Carolyn