Emergency complications newly diagnosed

[ChunkyMunky]

My beautiful Rott was diagnosed a couple of days ago. Harsh wake up call for me since I've been aggressively keeping a previously diagnosed thyroid condition under control for almost a year now and assumed he was getting better. His sugar is just way too high. Vet says if we cant get it down he probably won't make it. He refuses to eat anything. And his liver is taking a pretty hard hit. I have tried everything possible. He's throwing up almost every hour. Hasn't been to bathroom in about a day. Hind quarters are so weak he won't even get up. Levels were over 600 so the vet told us to give him insulting even if he doesn't eat. I assume this should have made his levels drop drastically but we just can get it down. I'm at a complete loss. Please help! How can I get him to eat something? Does anyone know why the insulin isn't working. Advice for weak hind quarters?

[amydunn19]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Your dog sound like he has a bad case of pancreatitis or DKA and should be seen by an emergency vet without delay. He needs fluids and some fast acting insulin. And if pancreatitis, some meds. Please try to find a vet to take him to.

You can test his urine for ketones. Go to the pharmacy and get ketone test strips. This is very important and could be life threatening.

If he does have pancreatitis, he doesn't need to eat but does need Iv meds.

[ChunkyMunky]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Fortunately I have a very dedicated vet who has been on call for us since yesterday. When he wasn't getting better by this morning he made is come in and gave him an iv and a whole bunch of other stuff to boost his appetite and control the vomitting, and uti I guess. He will be seen again tomorrow for a glucose test and if it's still high we will be checking him until we can get him stable. Problem is that it's expensive. And while I'm fully prepared to pay >$3000, I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. I know there's no miracle cure all here and this a tough uphill battle. Just want to help my baby as much as I can

[amydunn19]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Did he test for pancreatitis? Or check ketones? The reason I ask is because diabetic dogs usually are in DKA or a pancreatitis attack if they are vomiting excessively and not eating - it is not a normal thing. It is a sign of distress. If he is actively vomiting, then I wouldn't encourage much food. You could boil some chicken and try that with some of the broth from boiling the chicken. But, I would avoid kibble and let him eat only bland liquid type foods.

Are you testing his blood sugar at home? That would help cut some of your cost in the long run and give you a better idea of what is going on.

[jesse girl]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

yes this sounds like an emergency situation and your pup needs to be on iv fluids

trying to feed a dog in this state is not prudent . the vet may let you give fluids at home but your pup may also need some fast acting insulin to get the sugar levels down

my jesse had pancreatitis and was DKA and also had emergency surgery for a uterus infection she pulled though but she was in hospital for 8 days . she did not eat at that time and drank very little. did not pee for 5 days or longer. she was on iv fluids for mostof that time . that was over 6 years ago

so there is hope but if in your pup has any of these problems hospital treatment maybe all that can be done to stabilize

hope for a turn for the positive

[ChunkyMunky]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Yes he does have a bad case pancreatitis we've been treating for a couple days. I really have the best vet ever who rushed over whe I called about My baby suddenly having a hard time breathing. He's had a whole bag of fluids. And A change in mess. We are avoiding food at the moment and sticking to boiled chicken. He will be getting an insulin in a few hours. He seems a little bit perkier as of now. My amazing vet has been with for nearly 13yrs with my other dog. And has been there every step of the way since day one of rescuing my baby.

[Auddog]

Sounds like you have an amazing vet! I'm glad to hear your pup is acting a little perkier, and I hope things continue to improve. I agree with Amy in that I'd take the extra step and test for ketones, even if your very has done so already, because they are quite dangerous. Just a few questions for you:
What's your pup's name?
How much does he weigh?
What kind of insulin are you using, and how much?
Has your vet talked to you about home testing your boy's blood sugar?
I know you're super stressed out right now, but you can do this! Once his blood sugar comes down, and the pancreatitis is treated things will get better. Treating diabetes is a marathon and it may take some time for his blood sugar to become regulated, but it sounds like you've got a good start on things.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Audrey

[Rover]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Nice to hear that your vet doing great for his treatment. Hope his condition will improve soon, I used Humulin N for my baby and this best dog food for dogs with diabetes for his daily maintenance and It's work for him, feels like nothing wrong with him and he is always active, I know he can live longer with the proper treatment and care. Thank god for having a sweet boy in my life, I love him so much, I do everything for him, I know you will do the same thing good luck keep us updated.

[ChunkyMunky]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Munky is a whopping 122.5. Almost at the weight he was when we rescued him a little over a year ago. The highest it's been since I've had him. While we assumed this was because of his thyroid and upped the dosage on that, it wasn't until he stopped eating completely that we grew concerned and ran blood work. So far he has only received insulin directly from the vet. But we were given novolin and invested in a home testing kit. I haven't really done anything myself since the his vet has been so active in the treatment.

He doesn't seem as spaced out as he has been. But he still not up and walking around or eating anything. His breathing is still heavy. He is currently curled up in my lap. Or as curled up as a 120lb rot can be at the moment. Keeping a very close eye on him. Vet will be here in the morning to check in on things.

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Welcome to you and Munkey! I love your name, it's what I call my cat, Chunky Monkey!
Sounds like you have a great support system, but always remember that's what it is, a support system. You are on the front lines as it were. It wouldn't hurt to get used to testing Munkey in between visits from your vet. You can give him more info on how Munkey is doing and can help you feel more in control. And test for key tons if he hasn't. That is so important! That would be my advise.
It does seem overwhelming at first but soon it will become part of your daily routine to take care of Munkey. You can do it! We'll be here to help support you on this journey as well.
Sending prayers for healing,
Mel and Vinny

[jesse girl]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

a severe attack of pancreatitis can take some time to completely heal and something to think about preventing in the future because they can become prone to the disease with future episodes . for jesse it became the priority over everything else including diabetes and worked that disease around the prevention for pancreatitis

[ChunkyMunky]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

So good news and worse news. Sugar is down. And no sigh of ketones when tested. The bad news...looks like his liver is failing. We honestly don't know. Eyes are yellow one minute and then ten minutes later they look better. I'm at a loss. We're still fighting. But at what point am I being selfish. The last thing I want is for him to suffer more because I can't let go. Maybe it's my pride but I just refuse to give up on him.

[Joan]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Dont give up for sure. Those high glucose levels can elevate the liver and bile acid test results making the liver problems seem much more exaggerated than they may be in a week or so.

I have had several dogs with liver enzymes elevated more than 10-20 times normal and they survived and lived happy healthy lives for many years. One of these was also diabetic, and the diet can be challenging for these 2 conditions combined, it is not impossible.

I am sure your vet has gone over diet etc with you re the liver issues. But if not, one of the most important things is small frequent meals, not too much at one time, but do not go over 4-6 hrs without some food.

With the pancreatitis, low fat food is a must. With liver issues, you must stay off commercial food, and red meat in particular. No food that produces ammonia is important. With most illnesses, if a dog refuses a meal he is more likely to eat the next one, so we dont force feed. However, it is the opposite with hepatitis. If the dog skips one meal altogether, he is more apt to refuse the next one and so on. Has to do with the ammonia building up and making them fell nauseous.

You may find that once you MAKE him take one bite, the next is easier. I have one current pug with CAH that for 3 yrs now, I have to force a few bites down every single meal, and then he eats (sometimes gobbles) the rest on his own. Except for that he a normal happy healthy dog.

On these guys anything they will eat (low fat) is better than nothing. You may have to adjust the insulin daily with the multiple meals, but you seem as if you have a wonderful vet that will help you with that.

I have been through this, and it IS hard, but worth it! the dogs do feel nauseous at first, but not in pain, so please give him the chance, it will not usually take long to see improvement. My first diabetic pug many years ago had acute hepatitis, and her liver values were 30 times the norm. My "vet" told me to put her down, I refused. She lived another 3 yrs and was only visibly uncomfortable for a few wks after diagnosis, and we got her liver enzymes down to just over normal in just 3 months or so.

[ChunkyMunky]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

Decided to keep fighting. Syringe fed him critical nutrition about an hour ago and so far he's kept it down. No vomiting. He has a catheter but no urine. Very heavy and shallow breathing but I'm determined to stay positive. Thank you all for the feedback. I'm glad to hear that there's hope for us

[amydunn19]

Re: Emergency complications newly diagnosed

So, is he getting fluids intravenously ? Dehydration is another factor that makes this situation more critical. Is there an emergency vet hospital available? I think he really may need more help than you can give him but if this is not an option, I would try to get him to drink to keep him hydrated. Maggie's liver values were always terrible when her pancreatitis flared. Then, back to normal when she got better.

I wouldn't force feed. There is a very good reason the pancreas is not working and you really want it to rest - this is why I.V.s are important at this stage.