Upside down glucose curve

[smaryman]

I have had a diabetic dog (chi mix) that got diabetes about 7 months ago due to steroid use. We have discontinued the steroid (and he is on other medications in its place), but the diabetes didn't go into remission. After several glucose curves over the months and adjustments to his insulin, he has seemed stable and it is well controlled (appetite good, weight holding, not too much excessive thirst and urine; much better than before he started insulin). All of his curves have been normal.
But, he had a glucose curve yesterday (Friday, 2/12), after 7 weeks since the last one.
The vet informed me that it was an upside down curve (like a bell instead of a bowl). She is puzzled as to why since there are no other signs of being uncontrolled.
She is going to do a specialized blood test to see how well controlled his diabetes really is. She doesn't think it has to do with his other medications because he has been on those for months (cyclosporine and leflunomide). If the new blood test shows that the diabetes is really uncontrolled, she will refer me to an internist.

Anyone have this issue with their dog's curve(s)? Being normal (bowl shape) and then upside down (like a bell)? If so, what was the cause, if I may ask?

Thank you very much for your input.

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Upside down glucose curve

hi
its hard to say with no data

check the bg before injecting insulin to catch any lows

sometimes the food gets ahead of the insulin . or viceversa .it would be good to measure the food on a scale and or check the feed guide for that manufacturer and feed by weight.

my dog took predniisone after surgery then 2 yrs later developed diabetes.

i.d be doing curves once a month

[jesse girl]

Re: Upside down glucose curve

Hi and welcome . Can You post the complete curve and maybe a normal curve

There are many different types of curves and as long as they are consistent and within adequate range it really doesnt matter what they look like

I presume you are testing blood sugar at the vet and not at home . if so this maybe more normal than you think as this method doesnt see much blood testing where at home you probably would be testing allot more and would catch the pattern .

My jesse's curve was constantly in change and I believe the reason was based on her starting numbers .If she stared high at the onset of a curve she would end lower at the end . If she started lower she would end higher which made sense because if the body recognizes blood sugar is lower to begin with and with a new dose of injected insulin could lead to low levels of glucose so the bodies internal sugar reserve will be called upon to lessen that strength of injected insulin . Sometimes the body can overdo it leaving a dog much higher which is called rebound but other times it does a better job at balancing itself with injected insulin . If starting out higher than the system is turned off and sugar is left to be removed from injected insulin . Now this is my theory from watching jesse's numbers at home for a decade and that's what I have come up with .

[smaryman]

Re: Upside down glucose curve

Thank you, Jesse. The curve was done at the vet's office. However, Peanut's vet ran a special blood test, that has to do with fruitosomine and the results were that his diabetes is well controlled. She can't explain the upside curve. So, in another month, she will do another fruitosomine blood test, and then in another month, a regular blood glucose curve and see how that turns out. He is acting fine and no adjustments to insulin are needed at this time. Thanks for your help.

[smaryman]

Re: Upside down glucose curve

We are doing curves every month and they were all normal "bowl" shaped curves until this last one which was "bell" shaped. However, a fruitosomine blood test showed that his diabetes is well controlled and no adjustments to insulin are needed. Next month, vet will do another fruitosomine test and see results and then a month after that, another glucose curve. Yes, he developed diabetes within 3 months of being on the prednisolone. We were in the process of weaning him off pred when the diabetes happened and it didn't reverse when the pred was stopped.

[jesse girl]

Re: Upside down glucose curve

Yeah its not unusual to see dogs becoming diabetic after steroid use . As long as you use blood glucose curves as the priority for adjusting the insulin dose and only using the fructosamine test as a complimentary test to curves you are in good shape