Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

[We Hope]

http://www.caninsulin.com/ideal-BG-dog-mg_dl-p.asp

mg/dl scale:

Ideal blood glucose curve in a treated diabetic dog. Insulin given at 8am.



Normal blood glucose in non-diabetic dogs ranges from 63.1-109.9 mg/dl.

The renal threshold is 180mg/dl.

A stable diabetic dog maintains a blood glucose range of 90-216 mg/dl for most of a 24 hour period.

http://www.caninsulin.com/ideal-bloo...urve-dog-p.asp

mmol/l scale:

Ideal blood glucose curve in a treated diabetic dog. Insulin was administered at 8am.



Normal blood glucose in non-diabetic dogs ranges from 3.5 - 6.1 mmol/l.

The renal threshold is 10mmol/l.

A stable diabetic dog maintains a blood glucose range of 5 -12 mmol/l for most of a 24 hour period.

[eyelostit]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

Thanks Kathy, nice post, informative and easy on the eyes.

[forloveofandy]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

This curve shows fastings at almost 400BG. So that is considered ok as long as your dog

maintains a blood glucose range of 90-216 mg/dl for most of a 24 hour period ?

If this is true then I missed this altogether. When people kept saying they were keeping their dogs between 90 and 216 I thought they meant at all times.

[We Hope]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

Since this is written on the page:

A stable diabetic dog maintains a blood glucose range of 90-216 mg/dl for most of a 24 hour period.

it would appear that these graphics are merely examples.

Just keep in mind the old adage... S...t happens.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

I have never liked the curves they post there as examples as they are far from ideal, including by the standards they list... I think it's just an oversight on their part that the curve doesn't reflect the text.

[forloveofandy]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

Darn I was all ready to feel better. Andy darling, we still have work to do.

Ok just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

[ravenecw]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

How do you determine when to give more insulin? I guess I ask this because so far I have had one curve done (at the vet as I'm still having trouble home testing ) and the low was 144 and the high was 244.

I don't want to go too low of course and my dog seems to be doing very well but I'm just curious if there are any suggestions, if my home testing was going better I would be able to tell more- they want me to do that fruitoscane (or whatever you call it) test in about 2-3 weeks.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

I'd like to see the whole curve but overall those numbers sound pretty good. You could try tightening up the regulation a little more with a very small - no more than half a unit to start - increase in insulin once you're home testing and can get a better idea how things are day in and day out. There can be a fair amount of variability. But this is a curve you could definitely live with long term.

I'm not a big fan of a fructosamine test but you might have to do at least one to satisfy the vet that your dog's regulation matches the curve. Once you can test at home, they're essentially a waste of cash as you can learn more from home testing than from a fructosamine test, which provides only a vague average of the blood sugar for the precedig 2 weeks.

We did a couple of the fructosamine tests because the vet felt like she learned something from them as she was more used to using that than she was frequent blood glucose checks at home. But then I just started refusing them as I already knew what Chris' blood sugar was on a daily basis.

Natalie

[ravenecw]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

I'd like to see the whole curve but overall those numbers sound pretty good. You could try tightening up the regulation a little more with a very small - no more than half a unit to start - increase in insulin once you're home testing and can get a better idea how things are day in and day out. There can be a fair amount of variability. But this is a curve you could definitely live with long term.

I'm not a big fan of a fructosamine test but you might have to do at least one to satisfy the vet that your dog's regulation matches the curve. Once you can test at home, they're essentially a waste of cash as you can learn more from home testing than from a fructosamine test, which provides only a vague average of the blood sugar for the precedig 2 weeks.

We did a couple of the fructosamine tests because the vet felt like she learned something from them as she was more used to using that than she was frequent blood glucose checks at home. But then I just started refusing them as I already knew what Chris' blood sugar was on a daily basis.

Natalie

I will get the whole curve numbers and let you know, I thought the curve numebers looked very good although I would like to be able to do my own curve at home as well. I so hope to be able to do that sometime but we'll see. I do remember you saying the fructosamine test wasn't the best test but again, like you say, until I can home test myself (and at least this time) I will do it for now. I'm not big on wasting cash myself but I also want to try to do the best I can for my dog. Your answer was kind of what I was already thinking but I value your advice alot, thank you for responding.

[eileen]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

Thought I'd chime in here with my agreement in fructosamine tests being a waste of time and especially money when one is regularly home testing. In Mildred's 5 years as a diabetic I think she has only had 2 fructosamine tests done. Both were in the early stages of diagnoses and as it was said, to satisfy my vet. There is no point when one tests on a daily basis and knows where the glucose levels are. Eileen

[ravenecw]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

Another question, I plan on doing the curve starting tomorrow morning. I have been randomly testing lately (to get use to doing it). When you say that the fructosamine tests are of no real value after your testing at home regularly and you can tweak the insulin after doing curves at home and testing regularly at home.... what is testing regularly? How many times a day? Everyday? Just curious, as I am not a fan of "wasting" money of course and if I can tweak the insulin I give my dog to make her even better I want to do it but I'm not sure what you mean by regularly.... thanks!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Diabetes: What's Normal & What's Stable?

There's a lot of variation and some of the decision depends on how flat your dog's curve is and how stable the regulation is.

Chris tended to do the wave with his insulin needs. He'd go along on 7 units and then need 7.5 for a while and then a day or two on 8 and then he's need less, back down to 7.5 and then down to 7 and then start the roll all over again.

So to avoid having to use an amount of insulin that was safe - 7 units - and letting his blood sugar run high on the days when he actually need 8 units, I tested him every day, before three of his four meals. We usually winged the early morning one - who wants to test BG at 5am?!?!?

Some people spot test a few times a week. Some people do a curve once a month... it just depends on your dog's quirks with food and insulin.

Kathy's Lucky wasn't tested at home and had a rock steady regulation so he didn't need a lot of testing. Chris was pretty variable so he needed more to be tightly regulated. And the looser the regulation (the higher the blood sugar is allowed to run on a regular basis) the less testing is needed.

So there's no rules... do what makes you comfortable.