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Hi everyone, I've been reading along behind the scenes for a month or so off and on, and finally have a question or issue that I could use experienced voices chiming in about.
First, Bean shall have her intro (although frankly she'd be happier if you'd just throw the 'toy' for her, be that a ball, mulch, leaf, or baby pine cone). Bean is an 11.5 year old Border Collie, and as the title says, a medical weirdo.
June 3, 2018 her 15.5 year old "big sister" passed away from kidney and heart issues. Prior to this, Bean had been acting a little dizzy occasionally, but it would resolve fairly quickly. 28 hours after her sister was gone, Bean woke me up by having a seizure in bed next to me. A few days later we were at the vet getting a likely diagnosis of an Insulinoma, with a BG of 42 (they didn't measure insulin, no idea why). Ultrasound confirmed a pancreatic mass with possible lymph node involvement. Fast forward a week or so, we're talking to a veterinary surgeon, and going ahead with surgery to remove the mass and get a biopsy. Or, as it turned out, the world's most expensive biospy, since the tumor had spread in the 2 weeks since the ultrasound, and was in both lobes and the center of the pancreas, lymph node, and on her liver. He said that optimistically she might make it to the end of summer. Biopsy results returned consistent with insulinoma. Off we went with our prednisone, frequent feedings and some desperation.
At this point I put her on a bunch of supplements, hugged her a lot and tried to be as normal as possible (if you don't count the random tearing up while driving around for work). About a month after surgery, she suddenly started producing poop similar to an EPI dog, so back to the regular vet we went. At that visit we decided to casually throw in a BG measure, to see where she was, having seen no hypo episodes, and on 5mg prednisone. Tiny problem, her BG was in the 500's.
It took about a month (changed to the vet I like best at the practice, weaning off pred, and me getting an AlphaTrak2 all my very own) for the vet to concede that it wasn't a fluke and she is in fact really honest to god diabetic. Meanwhile, we've resolved the poop with vet strength OTC porcine enzymes (so much cheaper than the vet ones), continued with all the supplements (for the tumors and for general nutrition and liver support). So for the past month-ish, we've been working on her insulin dose, having started ultra-conservatively due to the vet having NO IDEA where the heck her insulin went. I took her to see an internist at the emergency/specialist place, and got a $160 shrug and a "keep testing". He has no idea where her insulin went either, and says it makes no sense at all. Also no idea where her enzymes went during the Clay Poop Weeks, since they have 2 different avenues of delivery, despite being produced by the same organ. I tried weaning her off the enzymes, but while her poop seemed to stay mostly normal, it spiked her BG, so the vet said it can't hurt to keep her on them.
Right now Bean's BG readings are hanging out in the 250-350 range. We had some food changes, so we're due for another curve in a couple days when she's had her standardized meals for a couple days. Her energy is fabulous (and I just have to laugh when she's being a complete jackass because she feels so darn good!)
Data stuff and then the actual question that started this War and Peace intro:
Insulin stuff:
Novolin N 3 units (~7:30-8 am/pm) [yes, dose wise we're still below the usual starting point, because weirdo, we've walked up from 2 units to start]
monoject u-100 3/10 1/2 unit syringes.
testing: lip
shots: scruff
Food:
Primal frozen patties, down to 3/4 per meal now that the enzymes/insulin have allowed her to come back up to weight and rebuild rear leg function that had been lost (from struggling to walk up 5 stairs and occasionally needing to be carried to doing 2 flights in a row solo and jumping in the minivan side door unaided!!)
Raw Kefir for dogs with turmeric and cinnamon
Ziwi Peak dried lamb and tripe bits as a post-test treat (Poke-Treat
)
Supps:
CBD oil, at sick dog dose
Apocaps, full dose now that off prednisone
K9 Immunity Plus (mushrooms, colostrum, omega-3) sick dog dose
Probiotic
Dr Dobias supplements (vitamins, minerals) and liver cleanse
Pantenex enzymes, 30 minute incubation on room temp raw food
Partridge in a Pear Tree (kidding, but she's totally eat the partridge, and the pears, and ask you to throw the tree for fetching)
The Actual Question:
Her only exercise has been in the yard with other dogs for 2 hours a day roughly, going at her own pace, much perkier now than most of the summer after she was cleared to be off leash post surgery. In just under 2 weeks, I get a weekend off and she's feeling so well that I thought we'd head up to some land I have to tromp around the woods. Since my plan is to work on boundary marking, she'd be free to roam around near me with her OCD 3 year old "sister" and my pace would be somewhere between mosey and glacial, so nothing like the speed implied by "going for a hike".
Part A of my plan is to bring all her supplies along in a backpack (meter, strips, insulin, needles) and some carbohydrate sources of varying speeds in case she looks like she's going hypo and confirms it by testing low.
I'll do a 12-hr curve either Wednesday or Thursday, just to get an idea of what kind of range we're getting. Our travel food is the same brand and variety as the frozen, so I can shift over to that a few days before we go.
Should I start ramping up a regular walking program now that she's stronger and energetic (and it's not 90 degrees feeling like 100) and see where that lands us before fiddling with her insulin dose? It might put us at roughly what we'd be doing in the woods (although that's a big old fuzzy ballpark guess) so wouldn't be as big a change, which seems like it would make sense, and then after getting that pattern down, adjust insulin if needed...?
(oh cr...ud, I'm about to be late for work, so that'll have to be it, i think that's all of it anyway... for now...)
Rys (and Bean)
First, Bean shall have her intro (although frankly she'd be happier if you'd just throw the 'toy' for her, be that a ball, mulch, leaf, or baby pine cone). Bean is an 11.5 year old Border Collie, and as the title says, a medical weirdo.
June 3, 2018 her 15.5 year old "big sister" passed away from kidney and heart issues. Prior to this, Bean had been acting a little dizzy occasionally, but it would resolve fairly quickly. 28 hours after her sister was gone, Bean woke me up by having a seizure in bed next to me. A few days later we were at the vet getting a likely diagnosis of an Insulinoma, with a BG of 42 (they didn't measure insulin, no idea why). Ultrasound confirmed a pancreatic mass with possible lymph node involvement. Fast forward a week or so, we're talking to a veterinary surgeon, and going ahead with surgery to remove the mass and get a biopsy. Or, as it turned out, the world's most expensive biospy, since the tumor had spread in the 2 weeks since the ultrasound, and was in both lobes and the center of the pancreas, lymph node, and on her liver. He said that optimistically she might make it to the end of summer. Biopsy results returned consistent with insulinoma. Off we went with our prednisone, frequent feedings and some desperation.
At this point I put her on a bunch of supplements, hugged her a lot and tried to be as normal as possible (if you don't count the random tearing up while driving around for work). About a month after surgery, she suddenly started producing poop similar to an EPI dog, so back to the regular vet we went. At that visit we decided to casually throw in a BG measure, to see where she was, having seen no hypo episodes, and on 5mg prednisone. Tiny problem, her BG was in the 500's.
It took about a month (changed to the vet I like best at the practice, weaning off pred, and me getting an AlphaTrak2 all my very own) for the vet to concede that it wasn't a fluke and she is in fact really honest to god diabetic. Meanwhile, we've resolved the poop with vet strength OTC porcine enzymes (so much cheaper than the vet ones), continued with all the supplements (for the tumors and for general nutrition and liver support). So for the past month-ish, we've been working on her insulin dose, having started ultra-conservatively due to the vet having NO IDEA where the heck her insulin went. I took her to see an internist at the emergency/specialist place, and got a $160 shrug and a "keep testing". He has no idea where her insulin went either, and says it makes no sense at all. Also no idea where her enzymes went during the Clay Poop Weeks, since they have 2 different avenues of delivery, despite being produced by the same organ. I tried weaning her off the enzymes, but while her poop seemed to stay mostly normal, it spiked her BG, so the vet said it can't hurt to keep her on them.
Right now Bean's BG readings are hanging out in the 250-350 range. We had some food changes, so we're due for another curve in a couple days when she's had her standardized meals for a couple days. Her energy is fabulous (and I just have to laugh when she's being a complete jackass because she feels so darn good!)
Data stuff and then the actual question that started this War and Peace intro:
Insulin stuff:
Novolin N 3 units (~7:30-8 am/pm) [yes, dose wise we're still below the usual starting point, because weirdo, we've walked up from 2 units to start]
monoject u-100 3/10 1/2 unit syringes.
testing: lip
shots: scruff
Food:
Primal frozen patties, down to 3/4 per meal now that the enzymes/insulin have allowed her to come back up to weight and rebuild rear leg function that had been lost (from struggling to walk up 5 stairs and occasionally needing to be carried to doing 2 flights in a row solo and jumping in the minivan side door unaided!!)
Raw Kefir for dogs with turmeric and cinnamon
Ziwi Peak dried lamb and tripe bits as a post-test treat (Poke-Treat
) Supps:
CBD oil, at sick dog dose
Apocaps, full dose now that off prednisone
K9 Immunity Plus (mushrooms, colostrum, omega-3) sick dog dose
Probiotic
Dr Dobias supplements (vitamins, minerals) and liver cleanse
Pantenex enzymes, 30 minute incubation on room temp raw food
Partridge in a Pear Tree (kidding, but she's totally eat the partridge, and the pears, and ask you to throw the tree for fetching)
The Actual Question:
Her only exercise has been in the yard with other dogs for 2 hours a day roughly, going at her own pace, much perkier now than most of the summer after she was cleared to be off leash post surgery. In just under 2 weeks, I get a weekend off and she's feeling so well that I thought we'd head up to some land I have to tromp around the woods. Since my plan is to work on boundary marking, she'd be free to roam around near me with her OCD 3 year old "sister" and my pace would be somewhere between mosey and glacial, so nothing like the speed implied by "going for a hike".
Part A of my plan is to bring all her supplies along in a backpack (meter, strips, insulin, needles) and some carbohydrate sources of varying speeds in case she looks like she's going hypo and confirms it by testing low.
I'll do a 12-hr curve either Wednesday or Thursday, just to get an idea of what kind of range we're getting. Our travel food is the same brand and variety as the frozen, so I can shift over to that a few days before we go.
Should I start ramping up a regular walking program now that she's stronger and energetic (and it's not 90 degrees feeling like 100) and see where that lands us before fiddling with her insulin dose? It might put us at roughly what we'd be doing in the woods (although that's a big old fuzzy ballpark guess) so wouldn't be as big a change, which seems like it would make sense, and then after getting that pattern down, adjust insulin if needed...?
(oh cr...ud, I'm about to be late for work, so that'll have to be it, i think that's all of it anyway... for now...)
Rys (and Bean)
I'm almost certain that we've scrapped our weekend plans, I may be able to get a weekend off next month, maybe we can try then. Her sugars have dipped down a bit lower than I like, so hopefully the pumpkin will balance that out, because I don't know yet if I can feed her regular treats without setting off digestive issues. I just finished paying off the $$$$ surgery-turned-biopsy so I might as well rack up another vet bill with my list of tests.
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