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  • New member and need advice

    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!

  • #2
    Re: New member and need advice

    hi and welcome
    first off please make an appointment at another vets. i agree to keep it out of the family as you dont need stress at this time. your dog needs you.

    a curve is always done before theres any changes in order to increase or decrease food or insulin. was a curve done before the increase to 8 units?

    can you post a recent curve?

    the animal glucose monitor is the alphatrack its the best.

    i started to control my dogs diabetes by hometesting and doing my own curves.

    edit
    is your dog getting 1 or 2 injections a day?

    please have your dog tested soon especially before meals.
    Last edited by Riliey and Mo; 02-19-2021, 08:55 AM.
    Riliey . aka Ralphy, Alice, Big Boy
    20 lb male. 5 1/2 nph insulin. 1/2 cup fromms. black cockapoo, dx Apr 2012 . 5 1\2 yrs diabetic. 2000 to 2017

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    • #3
      Re: New member and need advice

      i was just refreshing , reading up on prozinc insulin. its good with cats.

      Prozinc was developed to be used specifically on cats and doesn't work too well for dogs. The difference between the two species is that dogs metabolize insulin about twice half as fast as cats do. So an insulin like N would last long enough for a dog.
      Riliey . aka Ralphy, Alice, Big Boy
      20 lb male. 5 1/2 nph insulin. 1/2 cup fromms. black cockapoo, dx Apr 2012 . 5 1\2 yrs diabetic. 2000 to 2017

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      • #4
        Re: New member and need advice

        Hi and welcome
        Prozinc is not a go to insulin for dogs . I think its more appropriate for cats

        For a dog your size NPH or vetsulin with 2 shots a day is more off the normal procedure on insulin and injections

        Now managing k9 diabetes doesnt require a vet . I have managed my jesse diabetes without a vets intervention for almost 11 years . I can get Relion N insulin and syringes at walmart without a prescription . In most cases as far as I am concerned a vet just cant give the amount of time thats needed to be invested in regulating and managing the disease . Especially if regulation is more difficult

        I have used a discount human meter for the 11 years of jesse's diabetes and has done the job for her . Its a bit of a learning curve at the beginning but becomes easy after that brief period . We use the inner lip above the canine tooth . No pain or hair to deal with

        You can find videos on how do an lots of info on the site . So you can keep the vet you have and say you are going to manage the disease or get another vet as it does appear he may not have much experience as the vets jesse had and why I went it alone except for help from the forum

        As far as diet almost any diet can work depending on how insulin is given . They say you should stay away from higher fat diets because of pancreatitis can occur with high fat diets. I have given jesse a homemade diet for her diabetic life which has worked well for her and she enjoys her dinner .
        Jesse-26 lbs - 16.5 years old ,11 years diabetic, one meal a day homemade and a vitabone snack . 3 shots of Novolin( under the Relion name ) a day . Total insulin for a 24 hour period is 6.5 units of NPH insulin .
        Jesse earned her wings on 6/21/2021

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        • #5
          Re: New member and need advice

          I would explore the option of a better veterinarian. Having one you don't trust makes everything difficult!

          However, lots of vets still aren't great with diabetes. So you have to do some research and talk with them about it before switching.

          I suggest looking for a veterinarian who actively supports home blood sugar testing with a meter. The most reliable animal meter still seems to be AlphaTrak. There are newer, less expensive competitors but several don't have a great track record. We used a OneTouch Ultra human for all of our testing. The OneTouch meters seem to be particularly good in coming closest to a canine actual blood sugar with a human meter.

          Also agree that the insulin you're using is not the first choice for dogs. NPH is very affordable and works great with most dogs. You can get 1,000 unit bottles of Relion N insulin at Walmart for around $25. And it works with standard sized U100 syringes, which come in many different sizes and some very fine needle gauges.

          Take a look at the main website,
          http://www.k9diabetes.com

          There are many pages of general information there on testing your dog at home, what the blood sugar goals should be, types of insulin, etc.

          Learning to test blood sugar at home makes everything so much easier!

          Natalie

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