My Max, one year since diagnosis

[k9diabetes]

Re: My Max, one year since diagnosis

There are a few possibilities but low blood sugar is definitely one of them because he threw up and so had no food to go with his insulin.

In response to seriously low blood sugar, the liver releases some sugar to prevent severe hypoglycemia. It basically "corrects" the problem. Which is the basis for "rebound hyperglycemia" - that, in response to too much insulin and resulting low blood sugar, the liver dumps a bunch of sugar into the bloodstream, causing the BG to go from very low to very high.

I have low blood sugar myself occasionally unrelated to diabetes. If it doesn't go terribly low, I can just ride it out and let my body get back on track. But if it's dropping too quickly and too far, I eat something sugary to avoid having shaking and, worse yet, a potential seizure.

Dogs chronically going extremely low because of dosing errors can exhaust their supply of backup glucose and suffer fatal hypoglycemia.

Natalie

[Susan M]

Re: Stroke?

jesse girl,
I have followed your posts for a long time. It keeps me hopeful when I see that someone managed their pet for so many years as you did. Its good to know that it is possible.
I am getting a meter and will be monitoring at home soon. Im sure I will be needing advice and support with that too! I am so grateful for everyone here. This forum and the dedicated members have been my best resource for managing Max's diabetes. Thanks to all of you!!!!

[jesse girl]

Re: Stroke?

Loosing his food and a full dose of insulin could lead to a low blood sugar event and once levels come up they can come back to normal like nothing happened
Hard to say with not knowing blood sugar levels . Remember what's tested at the vets office maybe once a month or longer doesn't say what's going on at home

You have been doing this for a while so it may have been a flare up of the pancreas also which is something we see with diabetic dogs so something maybe to check while at the vet . Especially if you continue to see digestive issues

Hopefully its just an odd ball event and yes I would get a meter . I used a budget human meter on jesse her entire diabetic life . They are not perfect but they give a good idea where your dog is trending as far as blood sugar and most meters are fairly close at the lowest levels where you need to know the most

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Stroke?

because the problem started around an hour after insulin its a good possibility he had a hypo .

home testing relieves alot of stress not knowing. you.ve done a few years of clear sailing without testing. its probably time to know more.

and knowing what their blood sugar is before they eat, then after they eat if its below 200 wait till its over before injecting insulin, test half hour after food if bg is high theirs usually too much food, testing 1 1/2 hours after insulin will tell you if the food and insulin have met up.

if this happens again test right away .get him to eat his vomit or refeed him even put some alittle karo syrup on his gums, treat if it is hypo bring up his blood sugar. i always had a bottle of syrup on the kitchen counter. if he doesnt eat inject 1/4 of his insulin.

theres a few good human meters to buy and the Alphatrack for dogs you can get on amazon. FYI buy extra strips to start off with.

i tested Riles on his upper lip a good blood supply. put him between my knees started the meter, sound off on meter, jabbed with just the lancet not the device
hopefully it wasnt a stroke. am assuming hes had a recent wellness checkup.

[Susan M]

Re: Stroke?

He was at 7-1/2 units until it was increased to 8 in mid sept.
He was started at 5 units when he was diagnosed over 3 years ago.
Always did curve with vet to verify his numbers and make sure. It was not a hypo incident. In fact when I got to the vet he was totally normal. Vet didnt think it was a stroke but Im not sure I agree. Im going to start checking bg at home. I have been apprehensive but I know he needs to be checked more often and Its so costly at the vets office.

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Stroke?

hi Susan

8 units seems alot for 17 lbs. a starting dose would be 4 units.

were curves done each week ? can you post recent curve just to see how you got up to 8units

i dont know just guessing as theres not enough info.

when was the insulin increased? 2 weeks ago?
if he got ill after the 8 unit injection he might have had a hypo incident?
what was his bg at that time?
was there any other changes health wise?

[Susan M]

Stroke?

Hi,
I havent been on here for a while but have always gotten great info and
help here. My 7 yrs old terrier mix has been diabetic for over 3 yrs. He recently
spent the night at the vet (mid sept) and had to get his insulin increased. He
is on 8 units twice a day. He has been fine until today. He threw up about an
hr after eating and started acting paranoid. He was walking backwards and
had his tail tucked between his legs. His back legs looked wobbly and weak.
I should also mention that the vet thinks he possibly has cushings. We have
not as of yet confirmed that. On our way to the vet now....

[amydunn19]

Re: My Max, one year since diagnosis

Congrats on a year! You are doing great! Once you get past the learning stage, it becomes your routine and life goes on. I didn’t realize how strong I was until Maggie became diabetic.

[MikeMurphy]

Re: My Max, one year since diagnosis

Nice

Congrats to you and Max!

[k9diabetes]

Re: My Max, one year since diagnosis

Aw!!!! Congratulations to you and Max - wishing you many many more Sugarversaries

Natalie

[jesse girl]

Re: My Max, one year since diagnosis

Congratulations to max and you making a great team to get max to enjoying a dogs life .

It really isnt a big deal and it all becomes a new normal

[Susan M]

My Max, one year since diagnosis

Hello,

The first thing I want to say is thanks to all the members here for the valuable information I have gotten from following your posts. It was scary at first, and I didnt have a clue how we were going to get through this but here we are one year later and Max is doing great! So far no cataracts and any issues that have come up have been minor.
When he was first diagnosed I was overwhelmed. The shots were so awkward and I was consumed with the "what if's" These days the feeding schedule/injections are routine and no big deal. I no longer look at him as a sick dog..... he's my baby just like he has always been.

To anyone new at this, there is hope!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Out of control barking!

I agree with checking for a medical issue such as hypothyroidism.

If all seems fine physically, find a good positive-methods-only trainer to help you.

His barking could be frustration because he wants to play but it also could be an expression of fear of other dogs and he barks to tell them to stay away from him.

Regardless of the source of the behavior, some simple training techniques can make a big difference. For example, one thing trainers do is show your dog that the sight of other dogs makes treats "rain from the sky" and so is a positive thing, especially if he is scared. And even if not scared, distracting him with treats teaches him over time to ignore other dogs. You can also distract him by working on other behaviors, such as sit or heel or tricks - replacing his barking with some kind of fun interaction and treats as rewards. If he's concentrating on you, he won't be concentrating on the other dogs.

A good trainer could really help you out with just a session or two and sometimes classes are another good way to deal with this.

Many more dogs are fearful than people realize. Even terriers!

We have a dog who was so fearful that he would bite what scared him. We worked with a really great behaviorist and also ultimately gave him anti-anxiety medication because he was so fearful - he still needs management, but our walks are a joy. He ignores other dogs and people and just enjoys himself because he feels safe.

Natalie

[jesse girl]

Re: Out of control barking!

Just one more thing to add me and jesse would run into a small poodle who would just scream on walk like a child if he saw another dog . It was quite a spectacle and me and jesse worked with that dog also . The owner did do some training and was able to gain more control of the situation . It took allot of work and consistency to make progress

I give you credit for continuing to take max out on walks as i know it must be stressful hope you can find a solution

[momofdecker]

Re: Out of control barking!

If it's a newly developed behavior it may be worth a vet visit. My diabetic boy had an obsessive love of barking (was a mixed breed with strong herding instincts). Over the years his barking got out of control. About six months after being diagnosed diabetic, he was diagnosed as being hypothyroid. Some of the earliest signs of hypothyroidism in dogs can be behavioral changes. This belief is somewhat controversial and not all vets believe that low thyroid levels cause behavioral challenges, however, it was something my family experienced first hand. Some vets also believe that hypothyroidism does not occur in younger dogs and will only test their T4 levels. A T4 level is less expensive but will not give you accurate answers. Your vet will need to run a full thyroid panel to accurately assess thyroid levels (especially in a diabetic, as the diabetes alone can cause the T4 level to be low).


A twice daily, inexpensive pill allowed my dog to regain the balance he'd started to lose when he was about three years old. He was eight when his hypothyroidism was dx.