Any Disers with Diabetic Dogs?

[Debbie6221]

We recently found out our 11 year old puppy dog has diabetes. We have currently started her with an at home glucose testing kit plus insulin. Are there any fellow disers who have experience with this?

Will the insulin really work?
Tricks to an easier shot?
Any information or tips would be great.
I can take the good with the bad so tell me anything you want.

 

[momamy]

My dog King was diabetic. He ate a whole box of chocolate covered cherries.

he did really well with the insulin. quickest way to do the shot is between there shoulder blades . after a week of shots he was fine with them and we had it down to a science quickly! The important thing is to stick to a schedule! The vet said to do the shot at the same time everyday!

Good luck and i hope your doggy is feeling better very soon!

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I agree with OP, even though we do not have a dog, my BFF had a diabetic doggie and the shot was given right between the shoulder blades, he got the hang of it and in a week or so didn't even budge when given the shot. The insulin worked well for him.

 

[Debbie6221]

Thanks for sharing....I am looking for someone to understand. Many don't think a dog is worth it. They definitely don't understand.

 

[lwjtwo]

My childhood dog also had diabetes. She was at least 8 when we found out and she was on insulin for 6 years after that. She had a great life, and did very well with the shots. Just know that they can continue to have a normal and happy life. We had 14 wonderful years with our puppy girl.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I am not here to rain on anyones parade but to the op I understand it will be hard my MIL had a yorkie who at an old age developed diabetes which I feel like is livable for anyone or thing I wouldn't want someone to put me down b/c I got diabetes so I don't think you are crazy but after so long he became blind and numerous other things to the point that he could no longer control bodily functions. That was the hardest thing to see him go through. As for the shot location and time I agree w/ everyone else. Again I don't mean to scare you but prepared for anything. Best of luck w/ you family friend.

 

[momamy]

When King got diabetes he was 10. He lived a very healthy normal life until 13. i love my dogs. i couldn't imagine not doing anything to make there life better and last longer... JMO

Had he not gotten the shots doc said he would probably have about 2 to 6 months


When his time did come he was almost blind and he didnt eat. but i really cherished every extra day we had with him!

 

[tami82]

It looks like you caught it early enough that you shouldnt have any problems . The shots arent a big deal once you get used to it. It can be controlled with the insulin and if you are doing daily monitoring would be even better. Just try to learn as much as you can about this disease. It will just become part of your daily routine and you will get used to it.

Now for the down side: My mom's dog has diabetes for the past few years. He is blind, going deaf, & panting constantly probably due to high blood sugars. My mom has been giving 2 shots per day without the daily monitoring of blood sugar. He went blind before my mom new he had diabetes so I guess the damage was already done. My mom is 78 and doesnt think she is doing anything wrong by keeping this dog alive but I feel horrible and have told her why doesnt she put the dog down. She tells me "oh he's still walking around" (yes but he is half dead I feel like saying). She doesnt do daily monitoring even though I had offered to give her a monitor & test strips and it breaks my heart she is keeping this dog alive just so she can have company. ( I have a 3 year old daughter with type 1 diabetes so im very familiar with this-initially gave shots but currently is on an insulin pump). I dont think my mother comprehends much about diabetes and its very sad that she doesnt take the time to learn.

 

[Debbie6221]

Our baby girl is hanging in there so far. When I do the blood test at the peak of the insulin it has been in a normal range. My DH & I (and kids) live in what is basically a two flat (an in-law house) with my parents so luckily there are 4 adults taking care of this one spoiled puppy dog. Chelsea will be 12 in May and the main concern we have right now is that she seems to be sleeping more than she ever did and she does wet without realizing it. Do you think this can get better or do you think it will only be down hill from here?

My Mom is the closest to the dog and she cries every day because she is afraid of losing her. We have been through a lot with this girl since she was one! At one she started having seizures and was put on pheno at about 3 she got pancreatitis and went into liver failure (they told us she would never make it) and after that she started new medication which finally stopped the horrible 3 years of massive seizures and plus lived through the liver failure! We call her our miracle puppy so now we want another miracle so she can live a longer life with good quality. At this point we do see her tail wagging and I am pretty sure she can still see. She seems like she is very content not sickly so.........
Again thanks for sharing and for listening.

 

[tami82]

your welcome

 

[tmarquez]

We had a diabetic dog when I was growing up. The shots worked well and were very easy to give. He didn't mind at all after the first few times.

For SOME reason (don't ask me why) my mother gave the job of giving the dog his shot to my brother who was about 10 at the time. He gave it to him every morning. Well one Christmas morning us kids got up early (cause we liked to sneak a peak before parents got up) and after we looked...my brother gave the dog his shot. Apparently my mom thought he didn't so she gave him another a little bit later. It was bad. He had seizures and we had to take him to the vet emergency room. We ended up having to put him down because of the damage from the seizures.

So just be careful...maybe keep a daily log or something.

 

[aripantaloon]

I don't have a diabetic dog, but I do have a diabetic cat. So far, she's doing great with her insulin shots 2X a day. I think she's been getting them for about 4 years now. You do need to be very careful about giving the shots at the same time of day. The vet said that the "window" is about an hour early. We have accidentally forgotten to give her shot on time, so we just adjust the time of the next shot so that it's 11 or 12 hours later. You also need to make sure that your doggie eats right before having the shot to make sure that the glucose level is at its highest to prevent too low blood sugar. If you do notice that your pet is acting strangely and suspect blood sugar that's too low, you can rub a little karo on his gums.

We bought a glucose monitor (FREE from CVS with a rebate - watch for them)so that we can test her at home. It saves on vet fees when she needs a periodic check. I think it took about 6 months of ramping up her dose to find the one that worked for her. Then, we had to adjust again 6 months later when we tested and found that her blood sugar was too low. With pets, it's not an exact science. What works at one point, may not work at another point.

We haven't had any of the other issues that the other posters have spoken about. Maybe we've been lucky or those issues were more related to that pet's age than the diabetes?

I wish you the best with your doggie!

 

[Debbiebee68]

My mother's cat had diabetes and did quite well on the insulin. My one bit of advice though would be to teach a neighbor or trusted caregiver to give your pup the shots BEFORE you have to be away from the house for any period of time. We had to go away on short notice and we had to train my uncle at the last minute to give Midnight his shot. We would have been much more comfortable if he would have had a little more experience before we left. That would be my advice.

The cat did not seem to mind the needle at all- did not even flinch! What a great cat he was! Diabetes did not get him- old age did!!

Enjoy your pup!!

 

[Debbie6221]

I don't have a diabetic dog, but I do have a diabetic cat. So far, she's doing great with her insulin shots 2X a day. I think she's been getting them for about 4 years now. You do need to be very careful about giving the shots at the same time of day. The vet said that the "window" is about an hour early. We have accidentally forgotten to give her shot on time, so we just adjust the time of the next shot so that it's 11 or 12 hours later. You also need to make sure that your doggie eats right before having the shot to make sure that the glucose level is at its highest to prevent too low blood sugar. If you do notice that your pet is acting strangely and suspect blood sugar that's too low, you can rub a little karo on his gums.

We bought a glucose monitor (FREE from CVS with a rebate - watch for them)so that we can test her at home. It saves on vet fees when she needs a periodic check. I think it took about 6 months of ramping up her dose to find the one that worked for her. Then, we had to adjust again 6 months later when we tested and found that her blood sugar was too low. With pets, it's not an exact science. What works at one point, may not work at another point.

We haven't had any of the other issues that the other posters have spoken about. Maybe we've been lucky or those issues were more related to that pet's age than the diabetes?

I wish you the best with your doggie!

Thanks. We do test her at home and it is a big savings. I am used to that now too. I just want her to live forever ya know! She's been such a blessing to our family. She has given us a lot of love!

My mother's cat had diabetes and did quite well on the insulin. My one bit of advice though would be to teach a neighbor or trusted caregiver to give your pup the shots BEFORE you have to be away from the house for any period of time. We had to go away on short notice and we had to train my uncle at the last minute to give Midnight his shot. We would have been much more comfortable if he would have had a little more experience before we left. That would be my advice.

The cat did not seem to mind the needle at all- did not even flinch! What a great cat he was! Diabetes did not get him- old age did!!

Enjoy your pup!!

I know I am more concerned with someone sticking to the strict schedule than actually giving the shot to her when we want to go out of town.