Jenny Diabetic & Cushings Poodle is an Angel...

[HarrysMom]

Re: Question about protein in diets

I would be interested to see what the members say on the Cushing site, but I would be suspicious with the Lysodern affecting Jenny so quickly.

You sometimes question why you need to question a vet!!

Lysodren and Trilostane would show immediate impact with PU/PD and hunger. It would take a while for skin / coat improvement as well as pot belly / rearend weakness.

[Patty]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Judi,
Is Jenny on any Omega 3/fish oil supplement? Or vitamin E?

Eileen went through difficulty with her Mildred triglyceride levels. You might do a search and read through her thread as well.
Patty

[HarrysMom]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Her cholesterol and triglycerides are high. I haven't seen it but the cholesterol is over 300 and the triglycerides are over 1200

Judi,
Cushing's could cause high cholesterol for sure. Harry's cholesterol had been really high - but Trilostane brought it down into normal levels.
You might also try fish oil (from deep sea source) - they help reduce triglycerides as well as low-fat diet.

[Judi]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Patty: I will look for Mildred's thread - thanks. She had been taking some milk thistle but I had put the liver meds on hold pending all of her other issues. We can do omega 3.

Harry's Mom: her appetite is getting a little less ravenous. She no longer tries to steal her brother's food. I'm taking that as a positive sign.

thanks, Judi

[Judi]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Judi,
Cushing's could cause high cholesterol for sure. Harry's cholesterol had been really high - but Trilostane brought it down into normal levels.
You might also try fish oil (from deep sea source) - they help reduce triglycerides as well as low-fat diet.

Thank you, I will definitely be looking into the vitamins for her.

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Hi Judi,

Just checking in on your and Jenny? How is everything going. I saw that her triglyceride levels, and Abby's were too, but not too high to give any alarm to her vet, as she did not fast. Did they do blood work on her before she ate, because this could have an adverse affect.

I do have Abby on Fish Oil, as well.

[Judi]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Hi Barb: I will get some fish oil but may not start it till Friday.

The day they checked her blood they didn't tell me ahead of time so she had eaten at 6am. They took the blood sample at 4pm so a good 10 hours had passed.

Her 2nd vet, the Cushings/Diabetes guy wants to do another curve this Thursday since we increased her insulin to 6 units twice a day. He is 50 miles away and opens at 7:30. He doesn't want me to give her her insulin till he gets the first sample. He is more open to me testing her at home so after he checks my monitor against his he will let me start testing at home.

Thanks so much for keeping up with me & Jenny. I'm totally second guessing every decision I make but my husband is adamant that he would like me to give this vet a chance before I go rushing her down to the University.

Hope Abby is continuing to thrive!

Judi

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Question about protein in diets

Hi Judi,

I will keep looking for your posts. Prayers are being sent your way.

[eileen]

Re: Lancets?

Poodles...forgive me if you have posted your name,

I don't see that you have your own thread so will post this here in hopes that you see it....

Mildred has had continual issues with high triglyceride levels, so bad that in 2009 she suffered a stroke from what the vet thinks was the sludge in her blood.
She was able to fully recover from the stroke but we have had to carefully watch her diet.
At the time of the stroke her vet put her on an all veggie diet for a period of about 3-4 weeks at which time we retested her triglyceride level and it had come down from 6330 (not a typo) to the lower end of 'normal'.

Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with in the way of suggestions for lowering Jenny's triglyceride level.

[eileen]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

Judi,

Mildred's diet consists of talapia, brown rice and pure pumpkin, we went to this after her strict all veggie diet.
Vet suggested rabbit but there is not an available source locally.

Vet also has her on Epakitin which is actually for kidney support but he says it is found to help with the triglyceride levels too.

[Judi]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

This is so helpful Eileen, thank you. I think Jenny needs to do a veggie diet also. She is at the vet for her curve today and I am anxious to go get her.

Judi,

Mildred's diet consists of talapia, brown rice and pure pumpkin, we went to this after her strict all veggie diet.
Vet suggested rabbit but there is not an available source locally.

Vet also has her on Epakitin which is actually for kidney support but he says it is found to help with the triglyceride levels too.

[eileen]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

This is so helpful Eileen, thank you. I think Jenny needs to do a veggie diet also. She is at the vet for her curve today and I am anxious to go get her.

If you do change to an all veggie diet to help with her triglyceride levels do be aware that the insulin needs can drop drastically.

High triglycerides can attribute to higher glucose levels, Mildred had climbed to an all time increase of 12u.

With switching to an all veggie diet her insulin needs dropped from about 12u twice daily to between 1-3u twice daily.

Once we added back in white fish, and at the time, barley, her insulin needs went to about 5u which she is still requiring.

[Judi]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

wow Eileen that is amazing that her insulin needs changed that much from her diet.

Jenny's diabetes/Cushings vet thinks I should wait till we have her blood sugar stabilized before messing with her diet. I saw him today. I'll see what her opthamologist thinks tomorrow. But she is improving! I am so happy

[Judi]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

Jenny's blood sugars continue to improve!!! We saw 200's for the first time today

last 2 rounds were:

6/27/2011 been on 4 units twice a day for two weeks

4 units of insulin and 1/2 can of W/D at 6:05
8:30 406
10:40 469
12:30 559
2:30 492
4:00 502

7/6/2011 5 units of insulin twice a day for a week

given insulin and 1/2 can of W/D at 6:05

8:13 304
10:09 338
12:06 416 they fed her lunch
2:20 497
4:10 511

7/14/2011 6 units of insulin twice a day for a week

8:00 am fasting 277
fed 1/3 can W/d and given 6 units of insulin
10:00 276
12:00 234
2:00 249
4:00 234

they didn't feed her lunch today. There is no curve but these are the best #'s she's had!! yay

at 4:00, my One Touch Ultra read 178 to their 234

The vet tech and I working with different lancets and other devices she had, tried to get a blood sample from Jenny's ear or foot pad. The poor girl had been so good for them all day but that was enough, she cried loudly so we just compared my meter to theirs which is waaay off and dropped it.

My order for 21 gauge lancets was cancelled by mednet. The vet wants me back for a curve next week so I will go but I will probably try her lip again once she has settled down since he increased her dose from 6u twice a day to 7u twice a day. I told him I thought this was a pretty drastic jump but he wants her under 130.

So I think it is imperative I manage to get blood from my baby as for the first time she could go low. At least I am around Friday afternoons and all weekend.

Sorry this is so long, AGAIN. Thank you all for your help, support and suggestions. I reread the dog threads quite often and appreciate it very much.

Judi & Jenny

[eileen]

Re: Jenny 11 y/o Poodle

wow Eileen that is amazing that her insulin needs changed that much from her diet.

Jenny's diabetes/Cushings vet thinks I should wait till we have her blood sugar stabilized before messing with her diet. I saw him today. I'll see what her opthamologist thinks tomorrow. But she is improving! I am so happy

I agree that you should wait if her triglyceride levels are not at such a point that she is in dire need of immediate help.
For many if the triglycerides are high it contributes to higher glucose levels too.

For Mildred being at 6330 and having suffered a stroke she required immediate attention to bring the triglyceride levels down.

Glad Jenny is improving, good luck with the OP tomorrow. Mil had cataract surgery back in 2005, a lens implanted into each eye.