Newly diagonised with questions

[browndogbakery]

My 9 year old lab sophie was diaganosed on saturday. I am seeing the vet again on this friday but wondering about some things that maybe you all can help with. she tested saturday morning at 470 with no food in her. that seems really high. at what point is it dangerous???? I feel really bad that i did not catch this sooner. she started having symptoms when my hubby and i were out of town for vacation and my 21yr old daughter was watching her. she said she was getting up several times a night to pee. i was horrifed when we got to vet and she had lost 14 lbs. now she is at 74 lbs. she is doing 17 units twice a day right now but was up again last 2 nights to pee. any advice or help would be great!

[CraigM]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Welcome to the forum! Don't beat yourself up, your story is pretty much the same as we all had. Our Annie was having "accidents" for several weeks before we even thought to take her into see her vet. We thought she was just being hardheaded!

Is your pup using NPH (N) insulin? If you haven't read around this website much, you will be happy to learn NPH insulin is a little under $25/vial at Walmart and Sam's Club. BIG savings from what your vet might be charging.

You said Sophie was 470, do you have other readings, or just the one? Do you know if the vet plans to do a day long "curve" (blood tests every 2 hours, all day)? The 470 reading is only for one moment in time, it's important to see the entire range Sophie presents. Important to remember we adjust insulin by the lowest number in the cycle. The 17 units, if using NPH (N), is a pretty normal starting dosage for a 74-80 pound dog.

I'll take a short break to see if anyone else posted to you...

[k9diabetes]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Fortunately for dogs, they are quite a bit more tolerant of high blood sugar than people are. So blood sugar that high is pretty common when first diagnosed.

The main thing to be concerned about is ketones, which are a by-product of the body attacking itself trying to get some nutrition. Anything more than trace to moderate ketones is an emergency and would require her to be treated in the hospital.

Presumably your vet checked for them, but if you have any doubt you can check for ketones yourself using urine test strips called Ketostix and Ketodiastix. They're sold in pharmacies but may not be on the shelf.

You could also check with the doctor to make sure they tested for them.

If she generally seems to be feeling okay other than probably very thirsty and drinking a ton, serious ketones are unlikely. But they are the one thing that can be fatal if serious and untreated so important to know if they are present.

The 17 units is a reasonable starting dose.

You can learn to test her blood sugar at home, which will give you a lot more peace of mind and allow you to monitor her regulation.

There is a quite a bit of general information on diabetes in dogs - which is somewhat different from that in people, usually in good ways - at the main website, www.k9diabetes.com.

Natalie

[CraigM]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Is Sophie eating normally? Two meals per day? Most find two meals, and two injections, works best. There are exceptions - You'll hear that each dog is different and what works well for one might not not work for another dog. What food is Sophie currently eating?

For most dogs, it's important to keep the food as consistant as possible. I weigh Annie's dry kibble because just a little variation will make her blood sugar (BG) really jump around. Between meal snacks probably should be discontinued until you have a good idea how they affect her BG. Annie gets a small ice cube as a treat after mid day blood tests because ice cubes don't affect the BG.

I'm sure others will welcome you this evening. If you have questions, just ask away. We've all been where you are!

[jim maceri]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Welcome to the most informative and helpful site for canine diabetes. You will get tons of support and great information here. Rest assured you are on the right track to manage your pups diabetes. The more info you can post as you get it the more feedback you will get. We are all here to help each other and learn from what each of us experiences and tries with our pets.

Some things to consider:

Home testing is a HUGE advantage in getting this under control. Lost of info here and video's on you-tube to help you with that.

Feeding 2x per day, 12 hours apart helps. What type of diet works for your dog. We all have various ways wether it is store bought prescription food, home made food or a combination of both.

Keep a log, what you feed, how much water is consumed, when you take walks, insulin dose, shot location ect....it will be a great reference to look back on.

Doing a BG curve once a week in the beginning will also help (testing BG every two hour for a 12 hour cycle.)

Doing pre walk and post walk tests to see the impact on BG from exercise.

Most important is to be PATIENT with this disease and work on one thing at a time so you know the impact that action has on blood sugar. If you work on insulin dose then don't change diet at the same time. Once the dose is acceptable then move on to food ect...

Keep in mind that every dog is different in how it reacts to insulin and food.

Read as much as you can about your dog having a hypoglycemic incident and know what to look for. Always keep Karo Syrup, honey or something else in the event that happens. I have a vile that I take on walks, keep in my car, and in the house.

When trying to get the BG to a good level for your pet always look for the LOW numbers. That is what you will use to base insulin changes in doses. Sometimes it can take several days for an insulin dose to give the right or desired reaction.

These are just some basics to consider.....there is a wealth of information here so read, read, read and know that we are all here for you and we have all gone thru what you are about to embark on.

WELCOME!!

[Patty]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

You've gotten some really great info already so just wanted to add my welcome to you!
Patty

[CarolW]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Hi to you and Sophie! What I'd start with now is, get some ketostix (test strips) at your local pharmacy, and check Sophie for ketones. It's VERY easy to do, and the instructions are on the bottle. You can get ketodiastix instead if you want.

Then I'd collect any information your vet has, such as, if your vet did a serial blood glucose curve on Sophie, get the numbers from your vet, and post them here. If your vet didn't do that, likely it will be done when you take Sophie in next. And so, get THOSE numbers and post them here.

My Kumbi was diagnosed at age nine, and he finally died, about 3.5 years later - of CANCER, NOT diabetes. We got his diabetes well-regulated, after some time. It doest take time, so don't worry if everything doesn't fall into place instantly!

Here's a Big, Fat welcome to you and Sophie, to this magnificent forum on canine diabetes.

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:50:09 (PDT)

[JayneN]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Nothing to add, I'm pretty new myself, and what the others have posted is the best info/help...but wanted to say Welcome!!

[Shellie]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Welcome to the group to you and Sophie! So glad you found it! As you can already see...we have a wealth of information here for you...from us and the site. No question too small or large..

One thing you may find as you start this...it is overwhelming to say the least! We have all been thru what you are going thru now and understand how you feel. It's a lot to take in right off the bat and there is so much to learn and understand. Just know that most likely Sophie will be fine as you figure this out.

Jim mentioned that patience is a big factor of dealing with this...and it is. With yourself and with Sophie. Just take one thing at a time, take a lot of deep breaths, and you'll get it..really!

Welcome again! Hugs!

[browndogbakery]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Yes this has been really overwhelming! Sophie did not have ketones in her urine last saturday so thats good. My vet is great she did send me to walmart to get insulin so we got the humulin for 25$ a bottle. had to go back to her office to learn how to inject. I hate needles so it was a leap of faith but it has not been as hard as i imagined it to be. She has been getting up to pee at night so I know we are not yet where she needs to be. as for food both of my dogs have been eating acana or orijen. These foods are grain free and they have been on them for at least a year. Its funny because I own a pet bakery and I sell a lot of food lines as well. The vet i use has for a long time been sending customers to me that their pets have diabetes for food advice. Now Im one of them! I just wish i had noticed the signs sooner. I have always feed my dogs at 7 am and 7pm so schedule really has not changed. I really need a list of questions to ask tomorrow so if you can think of anything please post! I will talk to her about a meter... i don't want to have to go every week to test her as they will get expensive real quick.

[browndogbakery]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

oh forgot to add a HUGE thanks to you all for being so welcoming! you have been awesome and I really have no ones else to talk to about this. sophie and sadie say big dog kiss!

[Cebe]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Just wanted to add my welcome. I also encourage home testing. It gives you so much more control.

I am curious about your experiences with Orijen food. My dog has food allergies and she is on Pinnacle. She has been on California Natural and Hill's Prescription w/d, z/d, and d/d in the past - all limited ingredient foods. How has that Orijen been? Thanks.

[jjefferjo]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

I am interested in your feedback as well regarding the Orijen 75 ( I think)
It was recc to me mixed with a can food for duration since it is grain free.
Protein level and fat is failry high Thougts (?)

[browndogbakery]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Ok here's my opinion and it's not always popular with vets in town. Never feed hills or science diet product prescription or otherwise. Even my non diabetic dogs that come in same advice. Toomany bad ingrediants. So that said the basics for food selection are .....no wheat no.corn no byproducts no preservatives. For dogs with diabetes the list is smaller. Grain free is. A must. Orijen is by far the best grain food available. Their raw material sourcing is very stringent. So for the lab maybe. Butwould Need moreinfo onthe allergies. Iwould probably say orijen 6 fish. For the dog with pancretitis the fat and protein swill be too high.orijen sister arcana will bebetter. Ifyou have morequestions email me and if I can help I will! Browndogbakery@Aol.com. fyi my fav canned food is weruva. awesome food. Diabetic safe andi swear u. Would microwave and eat lol. Sorry for long post can talk dogfood all day.

[browndogbakery]

Re: Newly diagonised with questions

Ok brain fart for the lab mix. Claifornia natural has a new grain free food. Limited ingrediant. Flavors venison, fish, and yes kangaroo.....