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Diabetes Discussion: Your Dog Anything related to your diabetic dog. |
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Hi there, our almost 5 month old Newfoundland puppy has just been diagnosed with diabetes! It is a shock to us, and we don't have a clue how to handle this. The vet showed us how to take care of giving him his shots and what to watch for, but we could really just use some advice tips, or even encouragement to let us know that it isn't as bad as it sounds? If that's true. He is such an awesome puppy and we love him so much, that we are so scared about this diagnosis. What does it mean for him? Does it shorten his life? Is our vet just being nice by telling us that he should still be a normal dog? Can he still become a therapy dog like planned? Is this our fault? Should we be upset with the breeder? There are so many questions and worries racing thru our heads, any advice would be great....
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#2
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hi and welcome
we have seen some puppies here . Nobody actively posting but you maybe able to search them out or they may see your post my jesse was diagnosed when she was 5.5 and she is 12 . still having fun chasing rabbits there was another newfie on here jim's spirit you might want to check out that thread .he was not a puppy but the dose he was on was substantially lower than a normal starting dose i believe he thought the breeds metabolism was slower which meant a much lower dose than normal i think he got 15 to 18 units twice a day which is quite small for a dog over a 100 pounds . so something to consider with your pup Its going to be challenging until your pup gets to adulthood with growing still and that possibly causing a change in the dose of insulin I would recommend testing blood sugar at home its a lifetime commitment and you want to keep your pup safe . large breeds are easy to test . i use the inner lip on jesse no hair and she doesnt feel a thing now play and exercise can drop blood sugar and it can be dramatic while insulin is active another reason you want to be able to test blood sugar at home so you know how your pup reacts . That really cant be simulated at the vet to figure It will be a new normal more attention for your pup that can live a normal happy dogs life with maybe some limitations
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Jesse-26 lbs - 16 years old ,10.5 years diabetic, one meal a day homemade and a vitabone snack . 3 shots of Novolin a day . Total insulin for a 24 hour period is 6.5 units of NPH insulin . |
#3
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We have had a number of diabetic young puppies here at the forum. They are a bit more challenging because their bodies are changing so quickly but otherwise, they are not really different from any other diabetic dog.
How long a dog lives with diabetes is, as long as their blood sugar is decently (not even perfectly) managed, is a function of how old they are when diagnosed. We have dogs here who have lived with diabetes for eight, nine, maybe even ten years and there's nothing saying they can't live longer than that with it. The most important thing for a puppy is learning to test blood sugar at home so you can keep up with his changing need for insulin. It's a bit easier with a large breed - with very small dogs, the amounts of insulin are sometimes really tiny. I will bring up some threads and I think... there is a thread saved in the Archives section about juvenile diabetic dogs... http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6259 Diabetes is entirely manageable. Is your pup neutered yet? He should be neutered as the hormones associated with an intact dog can create blood sugar problems. This isn't your fault and most likely not the breeder's fault unless diabetes was known in the line from which he came. Diabetes is quite common in dogs and is an autoimmune disorder akin to Type 1 in people. So not diet related like Type 2 human diabetes. I see no reason he couldn't go on to be a therapy dog. I guess the one thing I would do is make sure you have a vet who is very good with diabetes - knows more than a couple of rules taught in vet school. Sometimes in special cases like this it can be helpful to have an internal medicine specialist involved. Natalie |
#4
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As you can see, we have had a lot of diabetic puppies recently!
Natalie |
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Thank you all for the responses! This is a scary time for us, and I absolutely love having found this forum!
A few questions: Do you guys test glucose at home with urine strips? That is what our vet recommended. Also, does diabetes cause problems urinating, such as suddenly having to go, incontinence, going for a very long time? |
#6
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Most of us BLOOD test. Urine testing isn't critical enough to manage diabetes. Some folks use common human style blood glucose meters, others use meters made for dog blood. Here is a link to a dog meter: https://www.amazon.com/Advocate-Gluc...monitoring+kit
Uncontrolled urination is a common result of high blood glucose. The body tries to remove excess glucose from the body by urination. Craig
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Annie was an 18 pound Lhasa Apso that crossed the rainbow bridge on 10-5-17. She was nearly 17 years old and diabetic for 9½ years. |
#7
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yes it was scary for us 4 years ago until i got info on regulating my dog. MY vet just gave me photocopies of what to do then i relied on peoples experiences in the forum. I thought about urine strips but they werent as accurate as testing blood. I bought the animal glucose meter the alphatrack2. lancets and strips and started testing RIliey before food and insulin, then 2 hours after.
THE frequent urination is a result of not enough insulin and or a medical or a medical problem like a urinary infection. SUDDEN peeing could be an infection. ITS good to establish a relationshio with your vet. TRY hometesting we can help MO
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Riliey . aka Ralphy, Alice, Big Boy 20 lb male. 5 1/2 nph insulin. 1/2 cup fromms. black cockapoo, dx Apr 2012 . 5 1\2 yrs diabetic. 2000 to 2017 |
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Hello and welcome to the forum.....It's been over a month since I visited and your post is the first one I clicked on. I'm the guy that had a diabetic newfie.
I know it is overwhelming when you get the diagnosis but believe me, your baby CAN live a normal, happy life. This forum was a God-send for me so take the time to do a lot of reading and research on this site. My big guy spirit, traveled the country in our RV, visited nursing homes and played in the lake. He was diagnosed at 4 yrs old and lived till he was 8-1/2 and passed this last June of non-diabetes causes. Your not alone on this journey.......some of the most wonderful people I know are here on this board.
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Jim/Marijane & Spirit, Newfoundland, born Dec 22, 2007, 115lbs. DX Oct. 2011, 18.5 units Humulin 2x per day. Hills WD kibble, Hills WD can made into gravy, boiled chicken. Spirit passed on June 9, 2016 and it had nothing to do with diabetes.....farewell my buddy. |
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