Meet Hamlet

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

I always get very nervous when vets don't do multiple tests per day or curves.

That's exactly where I am -- nervous. Ham is not himself along in here. The Theophylline and insulin, both increased today, and his new diet may be doing strange things to him.

We'll see how he is tomorrow.

Percy

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Same story so far this morning. It's as if his brain has been destroyed. He moves slowly and just stands there looking into space. Has not eaten this morning, but has had his shot. I have no idea what to do now.

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Same story so far this morning. It's as if his brain has been destroyed. He moves slowly and just stands there looking into space. Has not eaten this morning, but has had his shot. I have no idea what to do now.

I've been following along, I don't have too much to add to what the others have posted. I'm sorry Ham is worrying you so much.

You said you gave him his insulin but he hasn't eaten, did you give him a reduced amount of insulin? I would be worried that his bg is too low without food to balance it. Do you have a meter you can test him with to check? I saw that you were leaning towards home testing.

I hope Ham perks up for you and this is just a bump in the road!
Mel and Vinny

[jesse girl]

Re: Meet Hamlet

it was 6 months for jesse just to get out of the woods ( multiple problems )

her walks consisted of driving around looking for rabbits

as mel suggested to give a full dose of insulin without food or just a little can be risky . most time its ok to give a quarter of the normal dose but home testing would give a better perspective on how much to give

its very possible his blood sugar is going high or low and thats the reason hes not feeling well

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

it was 6 months for jesse just to get out of the woods ( multiple problems )

her walks consisted of driving around looking for rabbits

as mel suggested to give a full dose of insulin without food or just a little can be risky . most time its ok to give a quarter of the normal dose but home testing would give a better perspective on how much to give

its very possible his blood sugar is going high or low and thats the reason hes not feeling well

Off his food, sleepy, and sleeping; a bit better coordinated. No insulin tonight. So we called off the Theophylline, too -- breathing has been better anyway.

Quicker on his feet than he has been, but Ham is way out of it. Henry is worried about him -- to say nothing of my wife. (Who continues for some reason to resist home testing for BG.)

Tomorrow is another day. My bet is he will be better. Seeing his vet at noon.

Cute about the rabbit trips!

Thanks all.

Percy

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Off his food, sleepy, and sleeping; a bit better coordinated. No insulin tonight. So we called off the Theophylline, too -- breathing has been better anyway. . . .

My bet is he will be better.

Wong. He is not better. Still won't eat. Has become fearful (e.g., could not jump down from our bed this morning, something he's been doing for years without even thinking about it). Still just lies near his water bowl in our kitchen, unmoving. Super-worried now. Vet visit just has to come up with something to explain where our dog has gone -- and how we get him back.

Percy

[amydunn19]

Re: Meet Hamlet

I am sorry he is not better. I am curious why your wife is resisting home blood monitoring? It is really a great tool to unlock some of the mysteries of the disease.

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

I am sorry he is not better. I am curious why your wife is resisting home blood monitoring? It is really a great tool to unlock some of the mysteries of the disease.

Good question. Answer: she wants to own Hamlet's problem and is not willing to have me "interfere." (I do have a history of second-guessing a lot and now is probably not the time to be doing that about Ham's problem or anything else for that matter.) She is the one who has been taking him to the vet, changed his diet when diabetes showed up, found where they had the insulin prescribed, and is the one who injects him. Before all this hit the fan, I at least did the dog food buying and feeding. Not any more.

Ham's BG apparently went way high again on today's blood test and he had unwelcome Keytones, though I do not know at what level, in his urine. So he's been on a drip at his vet's clinic since noon today. He is coming home tonight, though, and I'm hopeful he'll be better in better shape than he was when he left this morning.

Why we are not on the same wave length in dealing with the challenges confronting Ham and what to me seems to me to be a complex disease is hard to fathom. But I'll keep trying to learn about it and to add to what she knows in the hope of giving Ham his best shot at living as well as he can with this. I can only urge home blood testing on her, as I have. Maybe she'll come around to giving it a try.

Percy

[amydunn19]

Re: Meet Hamlet

It is funny - my husband didn't get the whole testing thing at least, why we were doing it. Then, he would help me by keeping her entertained. When I asked him to do it for me, he would say the tester just didn't "work" for him. Finally, I guess he knew there was going to come a time when he would have to do it and one day he actually offered to do it. Now, it is second nature. I really feel like diabetes is a partnership if not in doing the "dirty" work but at least in spirit. There is no keeping score or points as I believe he is right there with me - crying during the really bad days and being joyful during the good times. Honestly, in all these years, the worst of days were early on in the diagnosis and now. The days for Maggie are winding down sadly with the onset of dementia. I didn't want you to think diabetes is all bad times or struggles. Maggie settled in pretty well after a rocky start.

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Honestly, in all these years, the worst of days were early on in the diagnosis and now. The days for Maggie are winding down sadly with the onset of dementia. I didn't want you to think diabetes is all bad times or struggles. Maggie settled in pretty well after a rocky start.

Very, very sorry to hear about your Maggie.

I did not think it would be "all bad," and you're kind to remind me that beginning all this properly is a rocky, uncertain road, something several here have made plain. Ham, who spent the night with a catheter in his front, right leg and ate a fair amount last night (justifying giving him his full "new" standard shot of three units down from the five he got right after this latest event), and wife just left for the vet. We'll see what today brings.

[Linda1]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Hope Ham has improved enough to come home.

When Jake became diabetic, I was the one who jumped in and took over. I'm glad that I later decided that my husband needs to know how to take care of Jake too. Life happens. I was in the hospital for 12 days in March, and I am so grateful that my husband easily took over. Now we have it set up that my husband does the morning testing, food and shot and I do the evening routine. I sure hope your wife will soon want to start testing.

[Judi]

Re: Meet Hamlet

when we first started out I was questioning everything. The food, the dose. I was obsessing over everything because my dog had cushings too and it took a long time before her levels went down.

At one point my husband asked my why I didn't just go with the food the vet recommended. He said you've trusted him all these years can't we just try it this way?

So I did, (the WD). and it was good for her regulation while she was willing to eat it.

So we were like the opposite of you and your wife.

I will say that my vet did not want me to home test until we had Jenny regulated. That took over 3 months and $1,200 and one day they accidentally fed her lunch so it was a big waste of time.

You can let your wife know that in hindsight, knowing what I know now, you get a real comfort from knowing where your dog is at by being able to test and the curves are more accurate because their routine is not disrupted by having to go hang at the vet's office all day.

My last year or so with Jenny my vet didn't even test her sugar. He'd just say "you are handling her dosage right?" and I'd say yes. In the middle I'd email him curves and he'd call me with his recommendations. Occasionally he'd send me a bill for a phone consult.

Sorry this is so long but I feel for both you, your wife, and Hamlet.

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

Hope Ham has improved enough to come home.

When Jake became diabetic, I was the one who jumped in and took over. I'm glad that I later decided that my husband needs to know how to take care of Jake too. Life happens. . . . I sure hope your wife will soon want to start testing.

Me, too!

Percy

[PercyK]

Re: Meet Hamlet

when we first started out I was questioning everything. The food, the dose. I was obsessing over everything because my dog had cushings too and it took a long time before her levels went down.

At one point my husband asked my why I didn't just go with the food the vet recommended. He said you've trusted him all these years can't we just try it this way?

So I did, (the WD). and it was good for her regulation while she was willing to eat it.

So we were like the opposite of you and your wife.

I will say that my vet did not want me to home test until we had Jenny regulated. That took over 3 months and $1,200 and one day they accidentally fed her lunch so it was a big waste of time. . . .

You can let your wife know that in hindsight, knowing what I know now, you get a real comfort from knowing where your dog is at by being able to test and the curves are more accurate because their routine is not disrupted by having to go hang at the vet's office all day.

Sorry this is so long but I feel for both you, your wife, and Hamlet.

Grateful for your tale. Ham is home tonight, looking (and sleeping) like a crushed rat, still with his IV in his leg. BG down to high-mid 300s, but, you know, that's where he got to all day with the vet keeping him on his IV with goodness knows what going in when. He will go again tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

My wife pretty clearly has no confidence in her own ability to keep and translate the meaning of blood numbers. So she does not collect them and doesn't want to take them. She's wrong, of course. She also probably wants to shift responsibility for Ham's future to the vet. No fair!

We will struggle along. I need him to get down out of the 300-range pretty soon. And he needs to feel better than he does. Will he eat tonight at all? Dunno. Hope so. If he does, they want the injection raised again to 4 units. What if he doesn't? Have to give him at least half even if he does not eat or he'll shoot up again, seems to me. Nothing to eat tomorrow before he goes in. This is making me nuts!

It is helpful to hear from you and others. Your dogs made it -- and ours will, too.

Percy

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Meet Hamlet

rule of thumb is to inject 1/4 dose when they dont eat. 1\2 a dose if they eat half

try toppers to the food like string cheese, salmon oil. lite cottage cheese