My dog Teddy

[jesse girl]

Re: My dog Teddy

remember just one number doesn't tell much. dont know why you saw this number not enough information

your seeing some big fluctuations why we dont know for sure stay the coarse for a bit watch for those big swings

stable flat and elevated blood sugar is when we raise the dose . lower numbers big swings maybe time we lower the dose

of coarse medical issues and medications are the monkey wrenches

[maladuca]

Teddy is up to 19 units of Novolin now. His curve on 12/19 was:
8:00am - 214
10 - 210
12 - 282
2- 490
4 - 308
6 - 339
8pm - 307

My vet wanted me to keep him at 19 units and curve again after a week. Teddy's numbers always jump around so much.

So today - 11 days later these were his numbers:
8:00am - 573
10 - 489
12 - 215
2 - 346
4 - 358
6 - 397
8 - 601!!!

I just don't get it. The only thing that changed it the weather - it's cold and I have trouble getting blood for testing. I'm using a warmed bag of rice just before testing - that couldn't affect the BG #s could it?

I didn't wait to talk to the vet tomorrow - I raised to 20 units tonight. Why when he seemed regulated at 14 units back in October is he still creeping up in numbers week by week? His eyes are seemingly controlled with drops now and clinically he seems ok. Not excessive drinking or peeing. He is actually gaining weight. He is up to 44 lbs. from 38 in June.

At what point do I have him tested for something else or talk about changing insulin? Do some dogs just manage with higher BG numbers?

Confused.

[jesse girl]

Re: My dog Teddy

erratic numbers can point to to much insulin and you do have some clues to that with fairly good numbers at 14 units

might have to drop back down and it can be quite dramatic actually the 14 might have been to much

[amydunn19]

Re: My dog Teddy

It seems when you increase insulin and the numbers go up, that is a pretty good indicator that it is too much insulin. I agree with jessiegirl and I wouldn't increase any more. Try going down.

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: My dog Teddy

Ditto on the decreasing. I think I posted 14 looked good. 20 is double his recommended dose.
The other thing is r u injecting into the same area and rotating left and right? Injecting different spots will give different readings!
R you injecting right after food.?
I, d stop the rice bag to warm the area up just in case its causing a spike.

[k9diabetes]

Re: My dog Teddy

I wouldn't put much stock in that one reading of 601. There are a couple of possibilities - it's a one-off reading or it's a one-off blood sugar. That is, the blood sugar spiked for whatever reason but will go back to what is normal for Teddy without any intervention from you.

Some dogs just aren't very consistent. It takes time and testing to sort that out. And some dogs are very sensitive to little things, like temperature, activity level...

When you think about it, we are trying to replace an exquisitely finely tuned body system with a couple of meals and injections a day.

I often think it's a miracle that it works as well as it often does.

The fact that he's gaining weight tells you that he's getting food into his cells.

I don't have time to go back and look - are you testing blood sugar at home?

If so, perhaps take a step back from individual readings and just observe him for the next couple of weeks while holding everything steady.

Test when you can, even spot checks at a predictable time of day each day, for example. That can give you an idea of how consistent his blood sugar is from one day to the next.

You might find that his blood sugar is always highest between 6 and 8 pm for example, but that some days it's in the 300s and other days it's in the 600s even though you don't change anything.

Every dog has a unique pattern (or pattern of being erratic!) and it can really help to forget about individual readings and focus on trends and patterns over time.

Natalie

Teddy is up to 19 units of Novolin now. His curve on 12/19 was:
8:00am - 214
10 - 210
12 - 282
2- 490
4 - 308
6 - 339
8pm - 307

My vet wanted me to keep him at 19 units and curve again after a week. Teddy's numbers always jump around so much.

So today - 11 days later these were his numbers:
8:00am - 573
10 - 489
12 - 215
2 - 346
4 - 358
6 - 397
8 - 601!!!

I just don't get it. The only thing that changed it the weather - it's cold and I have trouble getting blood for testing. I'm using a warmed bag of rice just before testing - that couldn't affect the BG #s could it?

I didn't wait to talk to the vet tomorrow - I raised to 20 units tonight. Why when he seemed regulated at 14 units back in October is he still creeping up in numbers week by week? His eyes are seemingly controlled with drops now and clinically he seems ok. Not excessive drinking or peeing. He is actually gaining weight. He is up to 44 lbs. from 38 in June.

At what point do I have him tested for something else or talk about changing insulin? Do some dogs just manage with higher BG numbers?

Confused.

[maladuca]

Thanks everyone! I will hold steady. Teddy is a very anxious dog - which actually has improved since he became blind. Not what I expected! But maybe his BG #s just run high. He does seem clinically fine. Thanks again.

[momofdecker]

Re: My dog Teddy

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had Teddy's thyroid levels checked? Likely a long shot but some of what you describe makes me ask... Allergies/dry skin, erratic bg readings, weight gain with elevated bg, a comment about bg raising with colder weather, anxious behavior, eye and ear infections, etc...

[maladuca]

No - I don't think his thyroid levels have ever been checked. I will be sure to run that by the vet! Thanks!!

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: My dog Teddy

Ya know Margaret my 2 cents worth about Teddy, s insulin dosage. After re reading your thread Teddy seemed good at least his curves did at 8 and 10 seemed better then according to his weight that seemed good but now He, s getting higher numbers on 19 and 20 units. Wow Rilieys 20 lbs cockapoo on 5 iu I havent had adjust for over a year but thats us every dog is different. Teddy is 44 lb cockapoo on 3 x the dose at 19 or 20 iu. His dosage seems too much. His bg keeps rising

I would speak to your vet about decreasing his dose gradually, doing curves along the way. Am no expert but going higher than 20 units is conscerning.. what do you think?

[maladuca]

I agree Mo. I think he was at his best back at 14 units. He had about 2 weeks in the 200s but then the eye infections, glaucoma, and ear infections set in and his levels sky rocketed. They haven't really come down except for a few days and then they go back up again. He is all over the place. I really do think he has something underlying going on! He has tumors all over his body - too many to biopsy all of them. He has had two large ones removed - benign. The large one on his back is also benign. But there are so many little ones I wonder ...
I also think his thyroid levels need to be checked.
Thanks for your comments!!

[Monsters Momma]

Re: My dog Teddy

Hi Margaret!
Sorry I haven't checked in on Teddy recently!! I hope he's doing better! I was wondering if you were reducing his insulin and if it was helping? Please update when you can!
Mel

[maladuca]

Hi Mel! Thanks for checking on Teddy. No - actually Teddy continues to be increased with no indication of lowered BG #s. 😠
He is on 21 units now. He had a full house panel and a full thyroid panel run on Friday. Maybe that will give us some hints as to why I can't get these numbers down. I expect the vet to be calling today. What a ride this has been.
I'm glad things are going well with Vinny!!

[k9diabetes]

Re: My dog Teddy

IHe has tumors all over his body - too many to biopsy all of them. He has had two large ones removed - benign. The large one on his back is also benign. But there are so many little ones I wonder ...

Are they lipomas or actual growths of some kind?

Natalie

[maladuca]

The tumors are lipomas.
Teddy's blood work came back and there are no thyroid issues. His one liver value came down from 1900 to 1300 but I think that is still on the high side? The other liver number was also a bit high which made the vet mention possible cushings.
She gave me several options to try and regulate Teddy - he is currently 45 pounds and receiving 21 units of Novolin N. He is on 3 different eye drops for glaucoma. His clinical signs are fine but he is still reading in the high 300s and 400s. Interesting that the vet got a BG reading of 221. I have almost never gotten one that low. I use the Alpha Trak 2.

1. Check for cushings with an ultrasound.
2. Switch insulin to vetsulin.
3. Keep as is and add supplements to help possible cushings- melatonin and SDG Lignan oe HMR Lignan

Has anyone ever heard of those supplements for this issue?

My feeling is to keep as is - based on his clinical signs. Any input?