Newbie needing help

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Definitely Keto is a no go for Max - for the first time in his life, he had dire rear today and high readings even though I've only added a few pieces of kibble, and he's always had a cast iron stomach his whole life!
Sticking with the Acana

Donna

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Stopped the Ketona today and he's had no stools today and his BG seems to be dropping again. Just took it now and it's about an hour from dinner and it was 90. He's been in the 300s at this time all week.

Donna

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

This is getting weird - I'm getting readings in the 30s after injection, but then an hour later in the 300s! He not showing signs of low glucose and I'm reluctant to do the Karo syrup...
Help???

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Sorry - n0 signs of a low glucose event.

[Judi]

Re: Newbie needing help

sorry I missed this and glad you are testing. how did he do through the night?

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Every time I think we’re where I need to be, he throws me a curve ball… Yesterday was perfect, he maintained between 107 – 161. I’m just having a hard time understanding why, if he’s fed the same thing, 12 hours apart religiously, he can go so low/high randomly? I understand stress plays into it, but honestly, he’s an 11 year old dog who couldn’t be bothered chasing squirrels anymore... Even his walks are getting shorter and shorter and he calls the shots. When he’s had enough, he turns himself around and starts marching home and everyone with him does the same, despite my GSD wanting to summit a mountain…
Yesterday at this time, he was 161, 2 hours after breakfast. Today, in the exact same sequence as yesterday, he’s 302. I guess this is what I’m not understanding, along with the random extreme lows.
Donna and Max the Corgi

[Judi]

Re: Newbie needing help

weird little guy! I know Natalie always said to give them their insulin based on their low readings since they can deal with higher blood sugar better. Seems like you are doing that!

We did have someone who's dog was sneaking out and eating bird food off the ground

I've got nothing but support!

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

Thank you for the support! Yeah, he’s a horse of a different color for sure! And also the Physician’s Desk Reference’s worst nightmare! LOL
His real lows are so short lived, I don’t feel like I can count on them for his glucose dose. As I said, he can swing from a 24 to the 300’s within a half an hour. We started at 3 units, quickly going up to 6. The vet said we can go to 7, but with that being said on a Friday, I decided to go to 6.5, which is where we’re at. He’s 27-28 pounds.
I test him a couple of times a day. I’d like to do it more, but he’s not having it! While he’s a real trooper and comes willingly for his insulin shot, he’s not a fan of bleeding… And he’s quite stingy with his blood!
Donna and Max the Corgi

[Bellandanny]

Re: Newbie needing help

We also had numbers all over the place the first 4 months or so, seems pretty common. And the food thing can be tough too, most changes we've made have resulted in diarrhea for a day or two.

I will say that looking back the turning point for us was when a highly respected internal med vet said to stop worrying about numbers so much and just stick to a plan for a few months with no changes. At the time Bella was all over the place so it was a scary idea, but lo and behold after a few months of following that suggestion she was in fact in a much more stable spot, both numbers and outward health wise. So, certainly keep an eye on things, but perhaps consider not worrying too much. I do think Bella picked up on my stress early on, not to mention the constant poking and prodding, as she has been noticeably more happy since we relaxed on all that a bit.

And we'd love to have numbers as good as your pup! Seems like you're doing pretty good.

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

We're only two months into this thing, so stay tuned...
Donna and Max the Corgi

[jesse girl]

Re: Newbie needing help

I would not worry about it to much but if you are seeing numbers below 80 or sttep drops in sugar in a short time you can see rebound to higher levels and many times you did not catch the event . Sometimes a small dose reduction in insulin can be helpful .

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

I made a vet appointment to assess Max. unfortunately, I couldn't get in until mid November.
He spent the last few days ranging from 97 - 161, then all of a sudden, I got a 380 today... I watch him like a hawk, so there is no way he's supplementing his diet...

I just don't get it...

Donna and Max the Corgi

[Riliey and Mo]

Re: Newbie needing help

hi

seeings Max wont be seen by the vet till november it be beneficial to him to do a curve with the handheld meter. include everything. post it okay
lets take a look
its been awhile since we,ve seen an update curve.
your doing great!
Max your a special dog keep up the good work

[k9diabetes]

Re: Newbie needing help

It helps to get used to unpredictability as normal!

Blood sugar levels aren't like a thermostat you can set and forget. They are affected by just about everything - food, adequacy of digestion, speed of digestion, allergies, inflammation, stress, weather (literally, temperature changes can have an affect), exercise/activity level is a huge one!, other health issues and just plain old Whee, let's see what we can do with this baby!!!!

Occasional high readings are not a problem and should be "corrected" with changes in their regimen. They happen and don't necessarily mean anything.

High numbers that persist for more than a few days warrant more attention but still may not qualify for changes in the routine.

So you learn to take craziness in stride. Occasional highs also have basically no long-term affect on their health. It's sustained high blood sugar that does damage.

I once did a chart of all of our dog's readings over a period of time just to see how much variety there was. It was amazing how high his reading sometimes went - he had a lot of health issues - even though overall his regulation was very very good.

[MomtoMax]

Re: Newbie needing help

I’m at a loss… Every time I change his insulin units, he does wonderful for a few days, then BAM, we’re back to high numbers…
I saw a new vet on Wednesday as my current one is on maternity leave. She came highly recommended as compassionate, caring and very knowledgeable. While she ticked the first two boxes, she’s not had a canine diabetic dog, only cats… That said, she’s not a know-it-all, and frankly admitted it! She agreed to work with me and had never used Vetsulin, only human insulin as .cats have Type II diabetes, while Max has Type I…She looked up the Vetsulin dosage and said for 29 pound dog, he should have stated at 6.5 units, but understood why his vet started him at 3 being cautious…But unlike the new vet, filling in for her, she didn’t freak out over me going to 7 units, which I did on Wednesday night.
Once again, he did wonderful for a few days with numbers closer to 97 – 160, but that was short lived as he’s back in the high 300s and actually hit low 400s today.
I have not done a curve in a while and plan on doing one tomorrow. Will let you know what that is before we increase units, again….
Donna and Max the Corgi