Do You Have/Have You Had A Diabetic Pet?

[randomkid]

Our 15yo dog almost died this last week from out of control diabetes, which we obviously did not know he had. A year ago, he had bloodwork and he wasn't diabetic, now he is. I am feeling totally overwhelmed and want to get a handle on this. If any of you have a diabetic pet or have had one in the past, I would be so grateful for any tips, advice, suggestions that you might have.

Thank you,

[Java]

Our dog was diabetic (severely diabetic - in the high 500's, low 600's). Unfortunately we didn't discover it until we lost our german shepherd to cancer and we took her in for a full health screen (I was devastated and feared losing her too). She was 11 years old at the time. We were never able to stablize her diabetes - we had to take her in for monthly bloodwork to make sure we kept it in check. Her levels fluctuated so much that the vet constantly had to play around with her insulin levels until we found the right combination. And even that changed as time went on. We were giving her twice daily insulin shots so that was rough in terms of planning outings. She had to be fed the same time everyday, same amount, no more snacks (or at least not too many and only specific kinds). We really had to watch her diet, no table scrapes and watch her water intake (drinking too much = another vet visit to check her levels).

It was scary in the beginning but totally doable. You just have to get into a routine and stick to it.

The best place to buy syringes and insulin I've found is (unfortunately) Walmart. I actually have an almost full box of syringes I can send you if you want. And I think a bottle of insulin. I haven't been able to toss them out yet (I know - I'm a dork).

What worked for us was a short needle, 31 gauge syringe (the higher the number the smaller the needle). Do it when they're eating and they won't feel a thing.

Let me know if you have any questions. Like I said once you get into a rhythm, it's no big deal. The big thing is watch his diet, watch his activity level and watch his water intake. Towards the end, Sami started losing her eyesight which is one of the side effects of diabetes. Or it could have been old age too. Probably in our case it was a combination of both. DH and I decided that when she didn't find enjoyment in eating, then it was time. We finally let her go at age 13.

[Kyras mom]

I had a diabetic cat for years. Twice a day the routine was:
1)measure blood glucose (ear prick- Right ear in the morning, left at night).
2)feed measured amount of food.
3)give insulin injection (amount based on glucose level and amount eaten- He had a chart to follow, i.e. if his glucose was 250 and he ate more than half of his canned food, I would give 2 1/2 units).
4)give oral meds.

I kept a log of his daily bg's, amts. eaten, and insulin doses.

He had to live seperately from other cats because of his special diet, although I let him out for visits and socializing.

I work in a vet hospital, so I got my supplies (syringes, insulin, etc.) from work.

He was well controlled, the routine only took 10 minutes twice a day, and he was a good patient.

Good luck with your pooch.

[val01]

We have a 13 year old diabetic cat. We had no idea until he dropped about 4-5 lbs in about 3 months. He was 19 lbs, and now is 13. We give him glypizde (sp?) twice a day. We cut the pills in half, and mush it into a treat. He takes it without question.

We get his meds from Walgreens - it's $15/month. It still cracks me up to go through the drive through for "CAT LAST NAME".

Valerie