Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

[eyelostit]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

I use the Glucopet meter, this seems to work best for me.

http://www.animaldiabetes.com/

[peggy0]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dogs name/Breed: Forbin Lab/Border Collie Mix

Weight: 77

Diet: blue lamb and Rice; chicken protein strips for treats

Insulin: Vetsulin 2x a day 15 at the moment; just started this; nerve racking

I just found out forbes is diabetic. He's 9 and a big boy. Not fat, but long legs/shaped more like a shepard. He has cataract in one eye and starting in another.

My vet started him at 20 Units 2 x a day and he came up negative on urine strips for 6 hours so he dropped him to 15 yesterday. Today he is again negative for 6 hours. He is acting perfectly normal. Gave him a few extra treats. Have to see what the reading is at 6p to determine if I give him a shot tonight.

I know I have to have patience, but this is very stressful

[EllasDad]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's name, breed:
Ella, Greyhound

Weight:
About 55 pounds and a little too thin

Diet:
Purina DCO, 3 cups twice a day - looking for a better fit for her

Insulin:
Currently trying Vetsulin since mid Decmber; had used Humulin NPH since May 2008

Number of units per injection and injections per day:
Had been on 6 U of NPH; up to 6.5 U Vetsulin and increasing slowly
2 injections of above doses per day, every 12 hours

Brand of BG meter if home testing:
Use AlphaTrak (Abbot); also tried AccuCheck Advantage (Roche) but did not like it as much (larger blood volume, not specifically for dogs, less confidence)

Ella has an unnusual BGL curve and we continue trying (as yet unsuccessfully) to get her into a good consistent BGL range.

Regards,
Dan

[PattiIvie]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Name: MOlly

Breed; Brittany Spaniel High energy dog!!!
age 3yrs.

Weight before Diabetes 38lbs
now 30lbs. Can't seem to get her to gain
we've been trying to regulate since before
Thanksgiving;; this is really tough.

food; Am and Pm 1 1/2 cups dry

Vetsilun 2x aday just changed to 6 units every 12 hours. we were at 5-5 1/2.am and Pm.. can't seem to consistently get below 300. Tried higher doses and went into rebound...

Meter --Reli-on Ultra... test Am - noon and Pm.. We have done curves weekly...

We are very frustrated>>>

[Lawless' Mommy]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Breed: Chihuahua almost 10 yrs old
Diet: Hills Presc. Diet w/d
Insulin: Humulin N
Haven't used a glucose meter yet.


I have not ever posted in a forum, but my baby "Lawless" was diagnosed 12/22/08. I have not been having an easy time with him. His first 3 injections went smooth then when he realized that it was gonna happen everyday, he has been resisting. I just got back from the emergency Vet at 2:00 am with a possible pancreatitis (not sure if I spelled that right) attack. I found him on the floor laying in a pool of vomit. They tested him and I will get the results back tomorrow. How long does it usually take until everything is stable. I am very scared that he will have a hard time adjusting. He seems to traumatized when he comes back from the vet. I can use any and all advise, hope, help.... I want him to live a happy life.

Thank you

[Fishslayer]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Great idea. I'm keeping a log on Lucy but always nice to have stuff stored online.

Also nice to have info posted where experts can have a look.

Dog's name: Lucy
Breed: Australian Cattle Dog
Dog's weight: 1/12/09 28#

Brand of BG meter if home testing: One Touch Ultra 2
Tested during Lucy's spay. It reads 41 points low.

Curve by vet 12/26/08

1 - 442 @ 10:30 AM
2 - 406 @ 1:30 PM
3 - 450 @ 4:30 PM
4 - 454 @ 2:30 PM
5 - 300 @ 4:30 PM

HUH? OK. They totally hosed the time entries. What else did they screw up? I'm guessing the times should be every two hours, but which is which?

Vet initially advised 5 units twice daily on 12/20/08. This was the curve that made them advise going up to 7 units twice daily. No check was done after that.

Not confidence inspiring...

Diet: 1/12/09 1.5 cups W-D/1.5 cups Kahoots x twice daily


Insulin: 1/12/09 Vetsulin
Number of units per injection and injections per day: 7 x twice daily

Vet visit 1/13/09

1/14/09 Vetsulin increased per vet instructions after lab test: 8 IU x twice daily

Lab test: BG - 399
Fructosamine - 631

Weight: 30#

Began home testing

Meals are at 8:00 AM & PM

1/16 6:30 PM.... BG 283
1/17 10:00 AM.... BG 351
1/17 6:00 PM.... BG 363

Note: Lucy's energy level has been noticeably higher since increasing dose. Keta-Diastix reading have gone from consistent 2000 to consistent 500-1000.


Lucy's home test curve 1/22/09

7:50 PM 296
6:08 PM 282
4:24 PM 334
2:07 PM 375
12:22 PM 402
10:03 AM 420

8:00 AM Injection 8 IU Vetsulin

7:45 AM Meal 1 Cup Kahoots dry/1 ½ Cup Science Diet W-D dry
7:38 AM 343
7:00 AM Keta Diastix 1000 Ketones Negative


1/23/09 Diet change: 1 cup Kahoots/ 3/4 cup W-D/ 3/4 cup Science Diet Lite x twice daily

Weight still 30-31 pounds


1/26/09 Lucy's Vetsulin increased to 9 IU x twice daily per vet's instructions


1/31 BG Curve.... meals at 7:45 AM & PM...Injections at 8:00 AM & PM




2/11 Weight 30 pounds.

2/11 Vetsulin dose increased to 10 IU x twice daily per vet instructions

Still getting 500-1000 Ketadiastix readings... Ketones Negative

2/17/09 Lucy got spayed today!


3/03/09 Insulin change: Started Relion N Nph @ 8 IU x twice daily



3/12/09 Rabies vaccine today. Lucy weighs 32#

3/30/09 Parvo, distemper, kennel cough vaccines today. Lucy weighs 32.8#

[bontemp]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Name: Black Magic
Breed: Minature Schnauzer - 11 y.o.
Weight: 28 # before diagnosis, 24.5 # currently
Diet: Science Diet R/D, 1 cp twice a day
Insulin: Vetsulin U-40
Injections: Started at 6 units once/day, now at 10 units twice/day and BG at 400 last week - returning to vet

Black Magic did the norm, drinking excessively and urinating in the house, vet started him on Vetsulin in early November 2008. His weight dropped rapidly as did his muscle tone and at Thanksgiving he was so weak in the hindquarters that he could barely walk. Continued weekly testing and insulin adjustment - now his weight has stabilized and his energy level, alertness, and strength are improving every day. Blood glucose remains above 400 even with the twice per day insulin. More testing this next week. Two kinds of Cushings tests were negative. Looking forward to getting the B.G. back into normal ranges.
1-21-2009 update - B.G. tests showed 400 AM, 280, back to 400 in PM so vet said to go to 12 units Vetsulin 2X/day - energy level and alertness are good
5 - 2009 update - B.G. under control with 13 units U-40 twice a day, just had SUCCESSFUL double cataract surgery

[pgcor]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's name, breed: Pip, Miniature Pinscher

Dog's weight: Right around 23 lbs.

Diet: He will be getting 8 1/4 oz. of turkey or chicken
5.5 oz. of both green beans and zucchini, 2.5 oz. of pumpkin, and 1 oz. of chicken hearts - twice per day

Insulin: Humulin N

Number of units per injection and injections per day: 6 units twice per day

[KittyDog]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's name, breed:
Lily..Chihuahua

Weight:
Currently 6.6 pounds...was 12 pounds 3-08 at DX

Diet:
Gerber Meat sticks with carrots, home cooked chicken, hamburger, Bill Jac puppy dry,

Snacks: Pup-peroni lean, Dingo Bones

Insulin:
Humlin N

Number of units per injection and injections per day:
1 units per injection
twice a day

Brand of BG meter if home testing:
Freestyle...have not had luck drawing blood but once.

Trilostane 2.5mg twice a day for cushings

[janspack]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's Name: Dazzle

Breed: Border Collie (10yrs)

Weight: 15.6Kgs (34 lbs)

Diet: Tripe, chicken, wholemeal biscuit.

Insulin: Caninsulin 6 units twice a day.

Meter: Will be using an AlphaTrak

Dazzle diagnosed on 6th Feb 09. She has concurrent EPI. chronic pancreatitis which has damaged her pancreas so it now no longer functions at all.

Jan & Dazzle (UK)

[BaileyBear]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's Name:
Bailey (male - 7 years old - diagnosed 1/09)

Breed:
Lab Mix - mixed with what...who knows
(looks like a yellow lab, with shorter legs & an upward curling tail)

Dog's Weight:
60lbs

Diet:
Currently 1 1/2 cups DCO dry with 1 scrambled egg & cucumber chunks added.
One Newman's Own Organic Chicken Dog Treats after each injection and as a "bedtime biscuit".

Insulin:
NPH (Humulin N from Walgreen's, or Walmart ReliOn labeled version)
26 Units, twice a day

Meter:
TrueTrack from Walgreen's (generally within 15 points of vet's readings)
26 Gauge Lancets
He's super easy to test with the lip method.

Meds:
Thyroxine for low thyroid

[rickrev]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's Name: Kui (Female, 10 years old, diagnosed four years ago)

Breed: Lab Mix (Lab/Springer Spaniel)

Weight: 62lbs

Diet: Chicken thighs (2) and slightly more broccoli with 1 1/4 cup Hill's W/D dry--so roughly equal amounts. She gets the same in the morning and evening and a noon time snack of about 5 broccoli florets and periodic dried chicken snacks.

We buy bulk frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs and frozen broccoli florets and prepare three days portions of chicken at a time. In the summer we don't thaw the broccoli--especially as snacks.

Insulin:
27 units of Vetsulin, twice a day (after each meal).

Exercise:
A walk of about 20-40 minutes a day in the morning. Sometimes a short walk of about 15 minutes in the evening. (Without the walks she starts to show some wear.)

Prior to her current menu she was at her weight recommendation of just W/D cut in half portions for AM/PM with 28 units of Vetsulin after each meal. She was coping but had periodic accidents.

Since partially substituting on the W/D in the last year, she has actually gained weight with no accidents at all. This is such a big difference from when she was first diagnosed with diabetes and pancreatitis. She went down to about 38lbs from 68lbs. The vet thought she was a goner. (She recovered from the pancreatitis on a diet of just lean chicken meat.)

Balancing diet, medicine, and exercise is tough but worth it for our whole family.

[BrtWooster]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's Name: Hailey

Breed: Husky - female

Age: almost 15 years old

Diagnoised: 1 April 2009

Weight: 46 Lbs. (she lost weight cos of her diabetes)

Diet: Hill's W/D It is canned atm, but going to get dry from the vet on Mon

Insulin: 13 units Vetsulin every 12 hours

BG Meter: Precision Xtra (one of my old meters - sometimes it is handy being a diabetic yourself!

So far, I have had NO success in getting a BG reading. I am getting frustrated.

[forloveofandy]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's name, breed: Andy, Dachshund

Dog's weight: 19 lbs

Diet:Home cooked Eye of Round Beef or Fish - green beans chopped fine and long-grain brown rice. All the ingredients are mixed together in a large mixer once a week so his food remains consistent. Vitamin supplement.

Insulin: NPH N

Number of units per injection and injections per day: 6U 2x a day

Brand of BG meter if home testing: AlphaTrak

Andy has always had allergies. As a young dog his many trips to the Vet consisted of steroid injections and prescriptions for prednisone. At the age of 6 he developed diabetes, probably as a result of all the steriods. Now we manage allergies without steroids or predisone. It can be done.

[Barbara Erwin]

Re: Your dog's diet, insulin, and meter used

Dog's name, breed: Harriet, West Highland White Terrier, 8 years old
Diagnosed: March 2009
Dog's weight: 15.9 pounds
Diet: Orijen adult, 1/2 c. twice daily
Insulin: Caninsulin
Number of units per injection and injections per day: 6 iu twice daily
Brand of BG meter if home testing: Alpha Trak

Harriet also exhibited some signs of Cushings while on prednisone (for almost seven years), but those symptoms are subsiding. She may have to go on Atopica for atopic dermatitis, since I won't put her back on prednisone.