Hattie passed away March 11, 2013

[kitrose08]

My dog was just diagnosed with diabetes. She is 6 years old and weighs 30 pounds. Hattie is a Rat Terrier I rescued from adopt a pet in Tennessee.. I feel so bad.. She is on 10ml of insulin one time a day..I feed her at 7 in the morning and then give her her shot.. I don't know what to really feed her!!!Can she have any snacks??? How often do I feed her?? And what??? I am so confused!!!!Thanks for any help.. I really need it!

[Pumpernickle]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hi i have a pug that was just dx with diabetes in December...im no expert but am here for help as well!! all of these people are wonderful and have soo many tips and some great encouragement.....Keep your head up....i know how it feels i was TERRIFIED...but am getting more confident each day... my pug is not yet regulated it can be a long road but as long as you have help and love for your special friend it will all turn out!!

I feed my pug 2x a day and give him 10 units after each meal!

Good Luck and WElcome!!

[Patty]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hi and Welcome to you!

There are a lot of great people here who can help. Let me ask a few questions to help us better help you.

- Was her starting dose 10 units once a day? or did the vet work up to that point?

At 30 pounds, I would expect Hattie to start around 6 or 7 units perhaps (which is 20-25% of her body weight). Usually this is done with twice daily dosing, 12 hours apart, if your vet is using NPH insulin.

- What type of insulin is Hattie on?

- What was her blood sugar at diagnosis?

- What is she currently eating?

- What time do you feed her in the evening?

- Does the vet want to see her back soon for a curve? (This is where blood sugar is taken before food/insulin then every 2 hours until next shot time, which is usually at 12 hours, to see how well her food/insulin are working together)

One of the most helpful things you can do is learn to test her blood sugar at home. It can give you peace of mind as to how she's doing and save you a lot of money by doing curves at home. Here are some videos of different places you can test: http://www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html

There are many different kinds of glucometers on the market. You can use a human meter, though it may register your dog's blood sugar slightly lower than actual due to the difference in a dog's size/shape of red blood cell. You can always compare your meter to the vet's lab machine after you get the hang of it though to find out how far off it is.

I'm a fan of the OneTouch Ultra2 meter. Test strips are often the most expensive part of testing but can be found quite a bit cheaper online.

As far as snacks, I'd hold off if you can until you know more about her curve. There are things that can be used for treats. Often frozen veggies are a great small treat. But consistency in food/exercise and timing of daily routines will help the most in regulating Hattie.

Again, welcome to you!
Patty

[Fishslayer]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Welcome to the forum. Lots of support & expertise here.

First, don't forget to breathe...

Diabetes is manageable.

Is she spayed? That can be important.

She is on 10ml of insulin one time a day..

What kind of insulin?
Usual regemine these days is two shots daily at 12 hr intervals.
Insulin is measured in International Units (IU). It's very important that the proper syringe be used.

I feed her at 7 in the morning and then give her her shot.. I don't know what to really feed her!!! Can she have any snacks??? How often do I feed her?? And what??? I am so confused!!!!Thanks for any help.. I really need it!

Hills WD is standard for diabetics. Science Diet Lite will do. You will probably wind up with two measured meals at 12 hr intevals along with a post meal injection. Twice daily meals/injections are almost mandatory for keeping good Blood Glucose (BG) levels. Consistency is key. You are going to be looking for consistent BG levels & consistent food intake helps a lot.

Sugar free snacks are OK. Try veggies like carrots.

I can't stress enough the importance of home glucose testing. You will have much more peace of mind, you'll be much better able to regulate Hattie's BG and you'll save a ton of $$$ in vet bills.

[diamondlinks]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

I am glad you found this forum, they have helped me so much with my Beau. I was terrifed when the vet said diabeties, I hate needles. My thought was how am I going to do this, but I sucked it up and said I must, this is my best friend. I am doing my own bg (blood glucose)curves at home because of the cost, but mainly because my dog gets to stressed out going to the vet. When they are frightened their bg numbers will be elevated, so doing it at home was best for my dog. I can't believe that I have been able to do all this, but this forum has helped me all the way. When I first tried to do our own bg testing I thought I would never master it, but I have. So take a deep breath and ask all the questions you need to know, knowledge will be your best friend. Good Luck

[kitrose08]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hattie is on Humulin N..She just started Friday evening on it. 10ml. Her blood sugar was 460.I feed her white meat chicken and some cheese..and a small bit of little caeser dog food. I feed her at night at 6:00...I am supposed to bring her in on Monday at 8 in the morning for all day testing..I forgot to ask.. Do I FEED HER BEFORE BRINGING HER IN AND DO I GIVE HER HER 10ML. OF INSULIN BEFORE I BRING HER IN??????Important questions I stupidly forgot to ask!!!!!!!Thanks everyone for being so kind...I really hope I can do this right!

[Mickey'sMom123]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

You came to the right place! We are new to the diabetes club as well, and this site and the extremely knowledgeable people here have been unbelievably helpful. Mickey is going for another full curve on Monday. He eats at 6:00 am, will get his shot immediately after, and he'll be at the Vet's by 7:30 am for the start of his curve. These instructions were given to me by my Vet. Hope this helps.

[Patty]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hattie is on Humulin N..She just started Friday evening on it. 10ml. Her blood sugar was 460.I feed her white meat chicken and some cheese..and a small bit of little caeser dog food. I feed her at night at 6:00...I am supposed to bring her in on Monday at 8 in the morning for all day testing..I forgot to ask.. Do I FEED HER BEFORE BRINGING HER IN AND DO I GIVE HER HER 10ML. OF INSULIN BEFORE I BRING HER IN??????Important questions I stupidly forgot to ask!!!!!!!Thanks everyone for being so kind...I really hope I can do this right!

I would stick to your current schedule on Monday of feeding/injecting at 7am.

What was she eating prior to diagnosis? Was it the Little Caesar's?

As Rick said, Hill's w/d food is often a standard recommendation. We do have dogs on all kinds of diets here. The key is to look for something higher in fiber (to match the action of the insulin) and low fat (due to the risk of pancreatitis with higher fat foods). Some members have found that the Blue Buffalo healthy weight has worked well. I'm sure others can comment on canned or homecooked options as well. I would look at putting her on something that is better balanced though.

I'm hoping your vet will consider putting her on 2 injections a day, 12 hours apart. So you'd feed and inject 7am and 7pm.

Also, check with your vet on how many units of insulin she's on. I'm guessing 10 units. 1ml = 100 units of insulin so 10ml wouldn't be the correct term. This would be important if you ever had to take her to an ER, etc. You'll want to have the correct dosing term.

Also, if you don't already know, Walmart has contracted with the makers of Humulin NPH and sell this insulin under their Relion name for around $25. Quite a bit cheaper than other pharmacies.

Hope all goes well Monday!
Patty

[CarolW]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Since you'll be taking Hattie at 8 in the morning Monday, I agree with whoever said, yes, feed Hattie at the usual time (7), and then give her her injection. Tell that to the vet, so the vet will know how to interpret the blood glucose (BG) measurements.

Same as the others said, you WILL be needing to inject twice daily, not once, because the insulin only lasts somewhere about 12 hours. I'd ask your vet about that, too! I suggest making some notes of questions to ask your vet on Monday when you take Hattie in.

It's just TOO hard to remember your questions under pressure like that!

Also, I suggest, get yourself a spiral notebook - sort of medium-size, so it fits easily on your desk. Number the pages. On page 7 or 8 or so, begin journal notes - leave the first pages blank, because later, you can put a kind of table of contents on those first pages.

I put the date at the top of each page, and note the time of the event in the left margin of the page.

Most of us keep journals - logs - recording meals given (with dates and times), injections given and dose, and for those of us who test BG levels ourselves, also any BG readings we take. I also made notes on exercise - what walks, how long, and whether the exercise was moderate, heavy, or light. Exercise affects BG levels too!

Also, I note any unusual events - departures from dull, normal, everyday routine - if a Rat Terrier or an Australian Terrier (my Kumbi) ever HAS such a day. Actually, Kumbi and I had lots and lots of "normal" days, as I kept him to as regular a routine as I could.

(Kumbi died on 8 June 2010 - NOT of diabetes, but of cancer - and I keep similar records now for my new dog, because they are INCREDIBLY useful, especially when talking to vets! - well; they are useful on this forum, too.)

GOOD FOR YOU - for rescuing a dog! I KNOW it's scary as all-get-out at the beginning - well, my vet instructed me SO WELL I didn't have time to be scared - at least, not for very long - but I DID feel scared and overwhelmed to begin with. Asked myself, How the heck am I going to DO this!

As the others have said, you'll find this forum really, really helpful, so stick around! Ask any question any time, and somebody will have some kind of answer for you.

You can rely on what is said here. I am a real stickler for accuracy and being sensible, and you will find Natalie (owner), and Patty and Peggy (moderators) in particular VERY careful and responsible and accurate in what they have to say. Other forum members learn from them, and produce similar accuracy and responsibility. This is the very finest forum I know on canine diabetes.

I'll be following your questions and reports. Can't by any means answer all questions myself, but I'll be watching, and helping where and when I really can.

So, take a few deep breaths, and try to relax some; that will help Hattie relax. Dogs really know when we're upset! Please give Hattie a little snuggle from us!

And here, along with our Big, Fat Welcome to the forum, is a hug for you as well.

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 18:03:45 (PDT)

[kitrose08]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hattie is getting 10 units.. I just didn't know the difference between ml and units...Now I know and appreciate all your help. I just fed her white meat chicken, 1 tablespoon of fat free cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon of fat free plain yogurt, and 1/2 jar of turkey baby food with some crushed Purina One Beyond dry kibble mixed in..I know she won't eat the Hills..I was leaving the dry out all day.. I guess I can't do that anymore?...She never really ate that much of it...I have soooo many questions.. I want to do this right! I made some treats 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 2 jars of beef baby food mixed it up and put it to bake for 15 minutes.. I gave her 1 small square earlier. So milkbones are out???????What about her having raw hide basted chew bones????Thank you for all your help. It is hard trying to figure this out by yourself.. You guys are a Godsend! She only used to get 1/4 of a can of the caesers before.. mainly ate the white meat chicken.. with TOO MANY SNACKS during the day,,,,,,,

[jjefferjo]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

From one rat lover to another
Ed my Rattie and I are newbies and we are cheering you on. You will be okay
Welcome Jj

[CoolGram]

Re: Dog just diagnosed with diabetes and I am afraid!

Hello and welcome to you and Hattie! Repeating what others have already mentioned -you have come to the right place for advice and support. We all started out feeling scared and overwhelmed, but things will get better as you get answers to your questions and learn just what you need to do and how to do it.

I, too, would suggest that you write down any questions you can think of to ask the vet on Monday, and remember - there is no such thing as a dumb question. My vet has always been very informative right from the beginning in showing me how to give the injection, how to store the insulin, what to feed and not feed Gretel and when, among other things. If your vet isn't as forthcoming with all the information you need, it will be all the more important for you to ask questions. Being new to this, you may not at this point even know what questions to ask, but the experienced folks here on this forum can help you to know what questions need to be asked.

I am certainly no expert - still learning , although it's been a yr. and a half since Gretel was diagnosed, but I notice you said you'd been free feeding Hattie - leaving dry food out all day. I believe that you'll need to stop doing that as it will be too hard to get her regulated since you won't have any idea how much she ate and when she ate it. Her blood glucose would be all over the place without any control of her eating. But this is something else you want to talk to your vet about.

Good luck to you and Hattie. I'll be watching to see how you're getting along. Just keep visiting the forum and you'll get all the support you need.

Carolyn

[kitrose08]

Help!..Hattie got shot at 7 and is now acting strange!

I gave Hattie a shot at 7 .. fed her first and now it is 9:30 and she is panting and her nose is warm and she is drinking alot of water.. just isn't acting right.. doesn't even want her chew toy..WHAT SHOULD I DO????????

[SandyL]

Re: Help!..Hattie got shot at 7 and is now acting strange!

Hi and welcome to you and Hattie!!

First of all try to stay calm, I KNOW it's hard with all the changes!!
Watch her closely, if she's drinking that much water, she might very well throw up her meal. Mind you I'm by NO means an expert....My Tiggy was just diagnosed in Feb., but I have been one of the very lucky ones that the transition to this new lifestyle has been fairly easy compared to others.

What did you feed her this morning, and how much insulin did she get?

Do you have an emergency vet? You might want to give them a call or even take her in if she seems she in real distress.

Others MUCH more experienced will be on the board this morning I'm sure so try to hang in there and just try to comfort her, believe me this will all get easier.

Sandy

[kitrose08]

Re: Help!..Hattie got shot at 7 and is now acting strange!

I gave her 10units of insulin..She is panting and restless.....The Vet I am taking her to does not do emergency calls.. I am going to another Vet on Friday that does take them.....I don't know if I should give her something sweet?????She just started on the insulin on Thursday.. all was well until this morning..Gave her white meat chicken,small bit of yogurt, half a bottle of beef baby food and some cheese....Maybe I did something wrong!!!This is horrible......