Newbie needing help

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Thanks for the advice!
I may try changing my protein (I use the boneless skinless chicken breast b/c if goes on sale often enough around here that I can buy large quantities and freeze it – and of course I have 12 pounds in my freezer now…). A friend who had a diabetic dog used pork tenderloin with phenomenal success, but that doesn’t go on sale often, so I’ll probably try that or tilapia, but both are so much more expensive than the chicken…
Also, my son in law and grandson have a freezer stocked with venison they got last year, but I doubt they’d hand that over easily, but perhaps for Max they may…
I’m reluctant to change insulin yet as my Endocrinologist really wants to keep him on the Vetsulin, but obviously if it doesn’t work well, we may have to…
I started him back on 9 units this morning and my reading was 198 at his usual low time, but I know I have to give the change time to see real results.
Donna and Max the Corgi

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

good job Max
check his bg often Donna.
get the low higher by adding more chicken at tonights meal
Defrost time

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Wow – this is exhausting!! We are now at 248, 2 hours after injecting 9 units – I still have no idea where or how those low numbers came from, but my gut tells me I’ll never know and just cherish what time I may have with him…
Donna and Max th4e Corgi

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

great Donna and Max must be feeling better.

i remember giving Riles bloodsugar a jolt by upping and downing his food or insulin once in awhile. change seems to work for better regulation.

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Interesting as my Endocrinologist said pick a dose and stick with it, but I’m thinking you maybe right! He’s been in the low 200s for the last several weeks, but today went for grooming and was 96 just now, so I may decrease the insulin a bit tonight.
Donna and Max who smells and feels great tonight!

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

96 isn't lol
it's because he was at the groomer
but double check in the next few hours especially at fasting or there abouts.

your doing great with Max

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

So Max has been doing ok – no serious lows, but some serious highs (425 at his curve yesterday). I tried switching his protein from chicken to pork loin, but nothing really changed, so I went back to the 20 plus pounds of chicken I had in the freezer and we’ve been breezing along…
I went to order more base mix of The Honest Kitchen and guess what, it’s not available, and supplier shortages are to blame… I cannot even imagine what parents of infants on formular are going thru now…
I ordered the white fish recipe and I have no idea how to introduce this to his diet? While he pretty much has a cast iron stomach, switching proteins cannot be done gradually with this food.
Do I just cold switch and hope for the best?
Also, he has an appointment with a holistic vet next week that I made a year ago. Any questions that I should ask, or avoid advice from?
Thanks for holding my hand thru all this! He’s my little buddy and I just want him as healthy as he can be for as long as he can be!
Donna and Max the Corgi who thinks I just need to feed him, now!!!

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

Honest kitchen has done well for some diabetic dogs . The fish sounds interesting . Jesse had canned mackerel with her homemade meal and she enjoyed it .As I suggested it took a year to settle on a final routine . I did add and remove some foods after that . She had beef heart but it became to difficult to get so switched to chicken .
It's great your pup has an iron stomach . I never did an introduction to a new food slowly .

[k9diabetes]

Re: Newbie needing help

You might consider using a few different kinds of the Honest Kitchen so he's used to multiple proteins.

We fed our diabetic dog a variety of foods and continued with our nondiabetic dog after the horrible food contamination case at the time. Jack (not diabetic) got three brands of kibble and three brands of canned food, kibble mixed together, canned food rotated, and different protein sources - beef, lamb, chicken, turkey.

We did it so that no one food would be his entire diet because of the toxic incident but it also could work well for dealing with discontinuations of food.

We measured our diabetic dog's different foods by calorie count so he always got the same number of calories from the food regardless of brand. To some degree, protein is protein, as you found with the switch to pork.

Natalie

Natalie

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

So I brought Max to the holistic vet on Friday (the one I had to wait a full year for an appointment with), and she was amazing! She will now be my primary vet, as mine had retired and sold the practice to some corporation that can’t seem to hire anyone with real world knowledge… She spent 30 plus minutes with us (loving on Max the entire time) going over his history. I had done a curve the day before and she was impressed with the numbers! She finally got it thru my fat head that I was never going to get human BG numbers as dogs cannot talk to tell you what they are feeling, but she said Max’s numbers were the best she had ever seen and I was doing an excellent job. She said we were both so in tune with each other and it was very apparent to her.
We talked diet and she wants him to remain on The Honest Kitchen base food and that I should alternate proteins, which you have all suggested as well. Yesterday I baked some boneless pork chops, trimmed all the fat, and that will be his diet for the week. Next week I’ll defrost some of the 12 pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken breast and cook that. The following week, he’ll go back to the Honest Kitchen white fish formula he’s been on, then start the rotation all over again.
She also suggested that I purchase urine test strips, which I did, and test him weekly. Although he doesn’t have ketoacidosis, I need to keep an eye on it. She also suggested I do a weekly temp check to watch for infection, as we need to keep on top of this. Last week he was feeling like his crazy Corgi self and chased his big brother into a shepherd hook in the yard giving himself a banged up nose… And last but not least, she added artificial tears to his prescription Ketorolac eye drops for his daily regime. .
Thant’s my latest update for now.
Donna and Max – the crazy blind Corgi who isn’t letting diabetes hold him back!!!

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

Sounds like a wonderful appointment . You have entered that place in dog diabeties that you are very aware of your dogs tendencies . You become an expert of your dogs diabeties so to speak . Hope thing continue to go well but there will always be ups and downs . Hopefully a lot less of the downs .

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

So I think I finally figured out that Max’s lows come from excitement. So will be careful with them, although they are few and far between for this blind and senior Corgi.
Yesterday, a bit after breakfast at 5:30, he went for a very, very, short walk (he may have only walked ¼ of a block, but could smell roadkill ½ mile away) and this BG# was 128 (9:30). I took it again at 11:30 after resting (poor guy was exhausted and slept soundly for a couple of hours) and it was 213. Then around 4:00, he went for a ride with daddy in the truck and it was 110 when they came back. He LOVES his rides with daddy and gets very excited! I gave him his dinner at 5:30 and his BG number was 283 a half an hour later.
All in all I think we are doing ok and plugging along…
Donna and Max

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

Over time my Jesse's body adapted better to injected insulin . She just did a better job at balancing out this new reality of injected insulin . We went from reactionary dealing with lows an highs to balance and stability . Her last few years I did not need to to test her much and kind of lived like a non diabetic dog except for her 3 shots .

It was amazing to think where we both came from at the start of this adventure

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Thought I’d give an update here on Max and ask a question: Per our new vet’s suggestion, we purchased some KETONE test strips and began testing his urine weekly. His results have been between trace and small. As I don’t really have a baseline (I’d bring his urine to the vet and they’d tell me it was fine), is once a week good enough or should I be testing more often? He has never had Ketoacidosis from the beginning of his Diabetic journey. How often do you think I should be testing his urine?
For an update: He’s pretty much back to himself, minus his sight, but it doesn’t bother him at all. Yesterday, my husband had tuna for lunch and as his routine has always been, whenever dad eats tuna, Max gets to clean the can. He taught himself to take the can in the family room and put it on the carpet for better traction as the tile floor is too slippery. Then, he takes the can back into the kitchen for it to be put in the recycling bin. Yesterday, my husband took the can and put a tiny bit more tuna in it and the look on Max’s face was priceless – For me!?! The routine was repeated much to his delight! I know, he shouldn’t be getting treats between meals, but you cannot teach an old husband new tricks I’ve found… My vet is aware of it and understands where I’m at…
Donna and Max the Corgi who’s favorite day is anytime tuna is served for lunch!

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

If your not seeing higher numbers across the board like 400 or more I don't see a reason to test for ketones . I never tested Jesse for ketones because her bloodsugar did not give a reason to do so . Now it can't hurt so basically it's more of an inconvenience and an additional cost .
I use to let my Jesse clean my plates . That was her treats once she was regulated I felt confident to small treats on occasion was ok . The plate cleaning had no affect on her bloodsugar