Finley, the pug ….Newbie.

[Riliey and Mo]

good job catching the low.

6.5 sounds good for 7 days then curving. i wouldnt inject 7units at night ,you might not catch the low. but doing a curve will catch it then reduce.

batril, having to stop it once might not be a good idea along with starting diabetes insulin.

is there another uti antibiotic to use.?

i dont understand the 89 low before half a meal. does he get fed 1/2 meal and when was the 89 please?

yes your doing great in your first 2 weeks!

[k9diabetes]

Have any of the things you mentioned below improved?

Regarding hind leg weakness, my experience over the years shows that weakness related solely to high blood sugar in dogs comes from sustained very high blood sugar and gradually improves once the blood sugar is in a decent range.

But what often happens is there are other stressors on communication over the spinal cord, which seems likely with Finley. And in those cases, even moderately high blood sugar can lead to weakness because it adds a layer to whatever else is already going on.

And I would expect that extra layer to improve somewhat after blood sugar is better for a while.

How is the lethargy and breathing now?

Allergies to foods and medications can make them feel poorly too. Usually with insulin, NPH is more likely to cause an allergy because it contains a protein. But dogs sometimes just respond to one kind of insulin better than another. So if his blood sugar gets under control but he's still lethargic, that's something to consider.

If you have access to a veterinary neurologist, they can be simple non-invasive tests to determine where the weakness is coming from and whether it's spinal or perhaps brain related. Vestibular syndrome is something that can cause dizziness, making them unable to stand and unsteady on their feet. Subtle differences that can't be sorted out over the phone and are unlikely to be well understood by any GP vet.

Our diabetic dog had what was ultimately determined to be a TMI (transient stroke). We had a better than average vet and he noted that some of his symptoms looked like vestibular and but others didn't, so sent us straight to a neurologist. I have seen neurologists be invaluable, even if just for a one time consult, in clearing up what's happening with symptoms you describe.

Natalie

Originally Posted by Fin2010

Hi Everyone, I’m brandnew here with my 11 year old pug Finley just having been diagnosed on 1/3/2022.He was put on Vetsulin twice a day (presently at 7 IU) immediately as his BG was well over 500 (no ketones).

I’ve spent the last two weeks educating myself on diabetes and I understand it takes a while, but I can’t find much information on the hindleg weakness, the shortness of breath/cough/apnea type episodes, and the overall mopey disposition he currently displays. He’s responding well to the Vetsulin in that his number are down and range from 320 (right before insulin) to 145 (insulin peak) during a 24 hr period (for the last 2 days). We are still fine tuning and he wears a Libre.

But I don’t see much difference with his lethargy, his hindlegs, I believe he already lost most his eyesight (in treatment for eye issues related to diabetes) nor his breathing. I ran all possible diagnostics available to us on 1/3/22 when he was diagnosed. Lungs look fine, legs are atrophied (but he’s already in rehab for that since atrophy began about 3 months ago and we falsely attributed it to his age). We did ultrasound, X-rays, and aside from an UTI (also being treated), he is fine. Btw, in Oct 2021 we did a full CBC and no diabetes…but I started seeing off signs as early as mid—November.

How long does the hindleg weakness last? He sways, stumbles and falls a few times a day, tho I do believe it got a little better. His vet said neuropathy mainly happens in cats, but he’s had other cat side effects from illnesses and meds before and I saw here that there are other dogs struggling with this.

He’s also very slow now and seems confused half the time. Seems mopey and not interested in anything but food after about 7 am. It’s like he crashes mentally and physically for the rest of the day even tho his BG is decent. Also, I check daily for ketones — none.

His breathing is still strange but his lungs are fine. The wet cough sounds like he’s trying to cough up phlegm. His vet thinks because he has a currently enlarged liver, it may be pressing on his diaphragm but it freaks me out to watch him. The episodes are short but some days are frequent. No heart disease, saw a cardio in June.

Does anyone have any input on the time frame of the neuropathy, the mental fog, the cough/breathing? I would so appreciate it. Just for my own peace of mind ….