Yuki has crossed the bridge Dec 2020

[Raysaint]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

With those curve numbers, I'd say he's just a bit under-dosed. My dog is 25 lbs. and now takes 9 units of NPH.

Fast acting insulin can vary on what it does to blood sugar each day because the body does different things on its own each day with just the normal insulin. Otherwise your curve would be identical every day, and we know that doesn't happen.

Myself, I just kept increasing until the curve got better, I've only used fast acting when sugar was abnormally way high on a day here and there. Last time I used it, his fasting was 28.1 {510}, I gave him one unit of fast with his normal dose, and 4 hours later he was at 10 {180}. It can be pretty dramatic.

I'd increase his normal insulin another unit and give it a couple weeks.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thanks you guys - I will try to increase to 12 units and see what happens. Also, I am using the U-40 syringes and my syringe only goes up to 12 units - should I buy the .5 syringes next? Mine say .33 volume.

Thanks,

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Not sure what you mean with the change in syringe to half unit markings for u-40 syringes as i did not think they made that style

Now if your suggesting using u-100 syringes with vetsulin there is a conversion for that but you have to make sure everyone is on board so there is no confusion among all the parties involved describing how much insulin is given .

I probably would not give a short or fast acting insulin with vetsulin as that is already done within the structure of that insulin

[MikeMurphy]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thanks you guys - I will try to increase to 12 units and see what happens. Also, I am using the U-40 syringes and my syringe only goes up to 12 units - should I buy the .5 syringes next? Mine say .33 volume.

Thanks,

Yes. You can certainly go to the .5cc (mL) syringes. They have a 20 unit capacity and some like this brand have half unit markings...

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thank you - I was getting worried that I would have to inject him twice if the insulin went past 12 units.

[Raysaint]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I think you're doing the right thing, just increasing the dose. That's the standard procedure in regulating diabetics. Give it a couple weeks, spot check fastings and nadir times.

You might need another increase in a couple weeks. And maybe another. Your curves will decide. And do 2 curves during a new dose, maybe 3 days apart. Curves can be very different on any given day. Nice to compare numbers and pattern.
You want to make sure you're basing decisions on what the consistent and typical numbers/patterns are.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Hi Everyone,

I noticed the last week or so since I switched Yukon to the Royal Canin Glycobalance he has been pooping 4 times a day, quite a lot each time and I weighed him today and he is down to 28 pounds. He was 30 pounds a couple weeks ago.

Also, he keeps licking his paws like crazy all day and night and he is starting to shed a lot.

He hasn't done this the last few month being diabetic and I am very concerned.

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

The food may have allot of fiber in it . I know other members who fed WD ( prescription food for diabetic's ) Had the same thing happen .

sounds like an allergic reaction with the paw lick

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I hope he isn't allergic to something in the food. I did stop his allergy injections because the vet told me too. He has lost 2 pounds in the last 4 days and I have no clue why. He is very lethargic too.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Check to see if you are still feeding the same number of calories as of the prior food too. When we first started a low calorie high fiber food with our diabetic dog, we weren’t feeding enough of it.

Unfortunately, though, it seems an allergy could be occurring so it may not matter if you have to change foods because of the allergy.

Natalie

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Hi Natalie,

Thanks for the tip. I looked at both bags and the new dog food has 276 calories per cup, the old has 304 per cup.

Also, my old food the hydrolized protein was for allergies and sensitive skin. Since he has been on the new dog food he has been losing hair like crazy and licking.

I am going to mix the old and new again and see if he starts to feel better. There must be something in the new food that doesn't agree with him.

The sad thing about it is the new food has dropped his BG levels quite a bit. They are still in the 300's though.

This is so frustrating

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Has anyone given their dogs Fromm dog food? I am trying to find a healthy food for Yukon.

I am in the process of weining him off the Glycobalance - only gave him 1/4 of the Glycobalance and the rest his hydrolized protein. He is not licking anymore and is feeling better.

It must be something in the glycol balance that he's allergic to. I am just trying to find a well-balanced dog food besides the hydrolyzed protein because I'm afraid that his numbers are going to get back Up into the 500s like they were when he was strictly on the hydrolyzed protein.

I would like to stick with chicken because he's allergic to beef and lamb and with his allergies and sensitivities I don't want to try duck or fish.

Any ideas? It would be greatly appreciated. I know dogs differ in their food but I just wanna find some dog foods that have been successful with diabetes

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I have been giving jesse a homemade diet for her entire diabetic life which has worked fairly well . It was a process of adding and removing things for decent blood sugar

I have altered her diet as things change and as she gets older . She is always excited about meal time

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I would love to make his food, but I just don't know what to use because I know they need certain vitamins and minerals. Where did you get your recipe from? I just want to make sure I'm feeding him all the nutrients he needs. Other than that I have no problem making his food for him.

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

actually i came up with her recipe. I pressure cook skinless chicken breast . boiled eggs and some canned mackerel. That completes her animal protein . On the vegetable side i give her pressure cooked pinto beans , cooked sweet potato yams , I use 6 different vegetable that go into a food processor to be grind down to small bits and cooked and i sprinkle on top yeast flakes to give some tasty flavor

I use to give a commercial supplement so she got all the vitamins and minerals which there are many you can check out but i stopped some years ago with that as i believe she gets all she needs from her homemade diet and i was just wasting money buying the added supplements

The only mineral i do add is calcium which i get from the egg shells. i grind them up in a coffee grinder to a powder

I do hear this all the time that you cant properly feed a dog a homemade diet. Well i wonder what they ate 50 years ago and before . Humans for the most part dont check the vitamins and minerals they are getting .

for me if you provide a balanced diet for the most part the dog should do great . You control the ingredients you want to use for you individual dogs situation and its fresh and human grade . Jesse has done well for almost 9 years diabetic so it shows that it does work