My Jack Russell terrier was diagnosed with diabetes 4 weeks ago. He is 12 years old and 24 pounds. Four years ago, he was diagnosed with SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome), which is a condition that causes rapid and irreversible blindness and there is no known cause or treatment. He went totally blind over the course of a few days. SARDS side effects can mimic those of Cushings, so I at first attributed Oliver’s increased thirst and urination to that. However, when his urine became sticky, I knew it was most likely diabetes, which was then verified by my vet.
My vet is my nephew (through marriage), and to put it bluntly, we have very little faith in his veterinary skills. Without getting off on a tangent, trust me when I say we have very good reason to believe this. I am hoping to get some advice before I resort to taking Oliver to a different vet a causing a HUGE family issue!
Oliver was originally put on 7.5 units of Prozinc once a day. Two weeks ago, it was increased to 8 units. This was done because Oliver was still urinating uncontrollably every 1.5-2 hours, yet upon doing a curve, I was told that “his sugars are fine” (sadly, I’m not sure if I trust this). This has literally been the extent of his treatment. There has been no suggestion to change his diet or anything else.
Oliver is still urinating uncontrollably at least every 2 hours. Is this his new normal or is this a sign that his diabetes is not being regulated? Other than that, he does seem to be behaving normally. I would at least like to change his diet and would appreciate any dog food recommendations. I have also been reading here about glucose monitors, and although I have no clue about how to do it, I would like to get one and try it. Is there a particular one that is easier or better for beginners? Is there anything else I should be doing? I would appreciate some guidance because I just don’t trust that my vet nephew knows what he is doing! Should I just bite the bullet and take my dog elsewhere for treatment? I will absolutely risk a major family fight by taking Oliver to a different vet if it means saving his life!
My vet is my nephew (through marriage), and to put it bluntly, we have very little faith in his veterinary skills. Without getting off on a tangent, trust me when I say we have very good reason to believe this. I am hoping to get some advice before I resort to taking Oliver to a different vet a causing a HUGE family issue!
Oliver was originally put on 7.5 units of Prozinc once a day. Two weeks ago, it was increased to 8 units. This was done because Oliver was still urinating uncontrollably every 1.5-2 hours, yet upon doing a curve, I was told that “his sugars are fine” (sadly, I’m not sure if I trust this). This has literally been the extent of his treatment. There has been no suggestion to change his diet or anything else.
Oliver is still urinating uncontrollably at least every 2 hours. Is this his new normal or is this a sign that his diabetes is not being regulated? Other than that, he does seem to be behaving normally. I would at least like to change his diet and would appreciate any dog food recommendations. I have also been reading here about glucose monitors, and although I have no clue about how to do it, I would like to get one and try it. Is there a particular one that is easier or better for beginners? Is there anything else I should be doing? I would appreciate some guidance because I just don’t trust that my vet nephew knows what he is doing! Should I just bite the bullet and take my dog elsewhere for treatment? I will absolutely risk a major family fight by taking Oliver to a different vet if it means saving his life!
Comment