Commercial dog foods for Diabetic

[Holly]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

Hi Kal,
When we discovered our dog had diabetes we switched to Evo Weight Loss also, but feed for maintenance because he is a small breed (Westie) and had already lost 4 lbs. He tolerates the food really well and has not experienced any problems with it. We feed every 12 hours and then inject. We also feed chicken and a little meat for treats. I will leave the high numbers after exercise to the senior members. Good Luck
Holly

[amydunn19]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

All dogs are different but my Maggie has had pancreatitis several times. I was told she can only have low fat food but I discovered that anything with white potatoes or rice is something she cannot tolerate. Thats tough to find plus she is a picky eater. I don't know if all dogs with pancreatitis are the same, but those are two things she will not tolerate.

I use a food with moderate fat, Nutrisca, and she does great. It can be a little difficult to manage as her blood sugar is a tightrope. She also eats at least three meals a day. She can't get by on two. I would love if she would eat something different just because I hate fighting low blood sugar but it beats emergency vet visits and the pain of pancreatitis.

[sibhus]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

thanks for the feedback,

Currently my dog Sierra is eating twice at 7pm and 9:30pm, cooked chicken and hills ID canned. Ive tried really hard to get her to eat in the mornings but its a no go and she is a stubborn eater.

Therefore, ive been giving Sierra 4 units in the morning with 2 iams biscuits and chicken jerky. At night i am giving her 13 units of Humulin N. I still have not been able to get a BG profile but have taken a few random readings which ranged from 110-290 with this combination.

[amydunn19]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

If at all possible, you need a curve. That is quite a difference in insulin and I would want to know Sierra is not going low. I think you need a 24 hour curve. Do you know what time her low point is? You must find this out because it is playing with disaster guessing.

[Rubytuesday]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

Yup, I definitely agree with Amy. Like I said different feeding routines can be achieved but there needs to be some numbers backing it up to be sure it is safe.

Tara

[jebsmom]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

Did you happen to test her just before the walk to know how much she went up? I've found with my dog that his response to exercise is different at different times of day, depending on whether he's in the process of going up or going down. A curve would be really helpful in understanding what's happening throughout the day.

[sibhus]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

Ive had a wail of a time trying to get my husky on 2 feedings but made a start today with half feeding in the morning with just raw chicken. I wasnt able to get a proper bg profile but was able to get somewhere. I was hoping someone could advise on dosage and the fact that i used a freestyle freedom lite meter as i know it will read somewhat lower and im unsure of the offset amount.

9am bg 211 gave 8 u Nov N ate raw food half feeding, went for 40 min walk
11:15 am bg 228
2:45pm bg 183
5:45pm bg 289 went for 30 min walk at 7:30pm
9pm bg 259


Thanks for the help, Kal

[jesse girl]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

your walk times and amount seems to be working out great no big fluctuations . it appears the insulin dose is appropriate for the food given and seems to be working with insulin very well.

now you maybe able to use this as a template for how much food is consumed

curve looks really good

[sibhus]

Re: dog food and exercise questions

As my husky is diabetic and has had occasional pancreas flareups and some GI issues due to hypercalcemia, i was advised by my vet to give 3 smaller meals through the course of the day. The first one ends up being 1/3 meal around 9am and i administer insulin. The second and third end up being at 6pm and 9pm. im giving insulin at 9pm. Im somewhat confused how to handle the dosage and timing for this. Curious if anyone has any suggestions.

[sibhus]

Cataracts treatment

So ive noticed a gradual film developing over my diabetic dogs eye, im wondering if anyone here has tried eye drop treatments such as colloidal silver or the N Acetyl Carnosine drops? Im just wondering if the drops are effective in the early stages or if they are just a snake oil.

If not i was curious if anyone has found a canine surgeon whom charges a reasonable price if surgery is the only resolution. Preferably on the east coast.

Thanks Kal

[jesse girl]

Re: Cataracts treatment

hi and welcome

you would think by now somebody would have thought of a way from slowing the progression of cataracts . there is a medical trial going on for dogs to prevent cataracts from forming and there is a member dog on the trial .

there is a wide range of dogs developing them very fast and some never developing them but that is quite rare but there has to be a reason . so something out there helps for specific dogs just don't know what that is .

i would say it cant hurt if it has been out in the market for awhile and you do have a general consensus with reviews of the product as not doing any more harm . it seems some drops to lubricate can be helpful to prevent inflammation and a vet will usually prescribe something for that . so staying on top of thigs can be helpful .

there are many success stories with cataract removal and lens replacement but there are risks also you do want to your research

its something to stay on top off cause there can be additional complications with cataracts . the process can be slowed with better regulation of blood sugar but there usually is no quick way to doing that . its a slow methodical process but home testing of blood sugar can move thing forward a bit faster

[amydunn19]

Re: Cataracts treatment

I would be leery of putting any of those all natural drops in my dog's eyes. But, I am super cautious. I just feel that some of those remedies can do harm since they aren't really regulated and there is no real evidence except claims that come from the company.

My advice is find a specialist and get their input. Perhaps, there is something you can put it now to help. You might look into one of those trials as well.

Maggie's surgery was pretty cheap by comparison to several dogs I have seen. Her doctor is in Memphis and hers was about $3000 with drops and everything. Her specialist teaches at the vet school at Ole Miss in Oxford, MS.

[sibhus]

Frosty Paws?

With summer time near, im curious if anyone here gives their dog Frosty paws. I used to give this to my dog prior to her becoming diabetic and am wondering if its safe to give. Ive pasted the ingredients and i dont see any sugar. Just looking for opinions on a safe frozen yogurt/ice cream treat for a diabetic dog.

Thanks Kal

Ingredients for Frosty Paws Cups (Original Variety): Water, Whey, Soy Flour, Coconut Oil, Dried Whey Product, Whey Protein, Soy Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Mono And Diglycerides, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Cellulose Gum, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Polysorbate 80, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.

[amydunn19]

Re: Frosty Paws?

I like Yoghund - there are about 4 or 5 ingredients and the calories are low. Maggie eats the blueberry vanilla and the apple cheddar.

[CraigM]

Re: Frosty Paws?

Haven't heard of Frosty Paws, but I think the ingredients sound OK. Like soy for the fiber & protein: http://www.livestrong.com/article/42...lour-diabetes/

I have sometimes given Annie some of MY non fat yogurt: http://www.joybauer.com/photo-galler...at-yogurt.aspx

Craig