[carleilam]

I got this app to help track my dog's glucose levels. He was just diagnosed yesterday with diabetes. I started to notice that he was drinking a lot more water. At first I just thought this was from the summer weather. But then the uncontrollable urination started this weekend. I am in the medical field and have a glucometer that I keep in my EMT bag. I checked his BGL and it was 475. Dogs range about the same as humans - maybe a little higher. I immediately took him to the vet and we are now starting the process of regulating him with insulin. He is on 5 units of NPH twice a day. Today his BGL is ranging from 260-295 - still too high but we are getting there.

My dog - or puppy or Max - is my baby. I rescued him from a horrible person. I watched her throw him out of her car on a busy highway. I took him in with the intention of finding him a home. That was 10 years ago. We have a very special bond that is evident to anyone who meets us. I'm committed to helping him with this disease. And heartbroken that he is going through this.

If you have a diabetic pet, I would love to hear about it. I feel fortunate that I can financially afford to take care of my baby. I am sure there are plenty of folks who just can't and therefore have to make a very difficult decision about a member of their family.

I would love to hear about any tips and experiences you may have. I'm going to try to keep a blog of how puppy is progressing as well.

[dano]

Welcome to the Forum!

There are several cats, Max is the first dog that I know of. Good luck with his control and management.

[carleilam]

Sugar is back up to 368 this morning. Can't wait for him to be regulated. We are doing a glucose curve on Sunday. I am dreading sticking him every hour to check his sugar.

The best place I have found to check him is to stick the inside of his ear. It's possible to use the paw pads but haven't been able to get any blood that route. Right now he has a bad infection in one of his ears so I'm limited to one ear. He handles it as well as can be expected. This is one of those times that in wish he could talk!!!

[carleilam]

Very difficult day with my sweet puppy. His sugar spiked to 502. Since its the 4th of July, we had to go to the emergency vet.

With humans, there would be a sliding scale that would cover situations like this but not with dogs. The vet gave him 2 units of regular insulin and then we agreed to up his dose of NPH to 6 units. I have a feeling that it will need to be increased further.

The really scary thing is that I learned today that with canines, blindness can happen very quick - even within hours. Maxie's eyes are already starting to show some cloudiness. I'm praying I can get him regulated in time to save his eye sight.

I'll call I to my regular vet tomorrow to update her on his status and she what she thinks of the increased dose. His current BGL is in the mid 200's so obviously there needs to be another adjustment.

[carleilam]

Better day today. Maxie's sugar got down to 211. Unfortunately it did not stay there. It's back up in the mid-300's again.

Had the pressure checked in his eyes today and the good news is that it's good. The cloudiness that I am seeing is more from normal age process at this point. Glad we did it because now I have a good baseline for the future.

Had to see a different vet at the office today. I can see that it's going to be a little frustrating because of differing philosophies. However, I did convince this vet to give me script for regular insulin. That will save a trip to the ER vet should he spike again.

After some googling today, I found that there are some sliding scale protocols for dogs. I think the reason this vet was so nervous about giving me the regular insulin is because she is concerned about hypoglycemia. I understand but I think once we were done talking she felt i was diligent and knowledgable enough to feel comfortable.

She also feels that tight regulation is keeping him between 200-300. I disagree as research has indicted that sustained glucose levels over 180 cause the damage to the eyes and kidneys. In the end we agreed to up his insulin to 8 units and do the glucose curve in 7 days.

Overall the puppy seems to be feeling better but generally
Not happy about being stuck all the time. I don't blame him!!!

[muffin]

Hi! Sorry to hear about your baby I can empathize with you. I am a vet tech and see this all the time I'm assuming he is on a diabetic food? It can take a few months to regulate him don't get to frustrated. Also instead of pricking him u can get results on a urine dip stick like ketones glucose ect may be better then sticking his poor ears? I dk if they sell that at the pharmacy if not ask the vet to get u a bottle of urine strips. Hope this gave u some help

[wendylaw]

I began using glucosebuddy a few weeks ago to help track my Yellow Lab, Sophie's, BGL. She was diagnosed in March '08. I didn't begin home testing until last month because things had been going smoothly with her diet of WD and insulin. On July 23rd she refused to eat her dinner for the first time EVER. I was beside myself. After a couple days of her being picky I took her to the vet and they kept her for over a week. She's 11 and also experiences pain from arthritic hips (not dysplasia). Lab work indicated that she has some kidney damage, not unexpected with an elderly diabetic dog. The vet increased her insulin doses from 30 units to 35! When I initially brought her home she ate OK but not eagerly as she did before. Then her lack of appetite worsened, I couldn't give her normal insulin doses and her BGL has been a rollercoaster. I still haven't gotten her stabilized. We've been to the vet twice since she was released. It quickly became clear that 35 units was way too much and I've been slowly trying to increase it from 28 units. Her numbers have been horrible, Sunday she reached an all time high of 649! It's always on a weekend. I gave her more insulin and it slowly went down during the day but it has continued to be way too high despite her refusal to eat. We saw the Dr. today and he wants me to give her 30 units regardless of whether she eats. I'll go with my gut based on her BGL before injection time. She also has a bladder infection that we're treating. I hope that is what has been affecting her appetite. He gave her vitamin B injections to stimulate her appetite. I'll learn whether it worked later tonight when I offer her dinner. I've tried baby food, chicken breast and broth mixed with her food, you name it. She no longer eats WD, canned or kibble, but seems to like Royal Canin kibble IF she's inclined to eat. PS, I began testing her urine for ketones and there isn't any trace. Strips are reasonably inexpensive and available at most pharmacies.