Anyone have diabetic dogs? - FaunaClassifieds
FaunaClassifieds  
  Tired of those Google and InfoLink ads? Upgrade Your Membership!
  Inside FaunaClassifieds » Photo Gallery  
 

Go Back   FaunaClassifieds > Mammals > General Discussions

Notices

General Discussions This is a general purpose forum open to all topics related to Mammals.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-20-2018, 11:42 AM   #1
Insomniac101
Anyone have diabetic dogs?

So, being the sucker that I am, I adopted this dog from Craigslist last week, after losing our 19-year-old rat terrier.

The guy said she was was up-to-date on vaccinations, and 100% healthy. NOT!

I managed to track down her former vet, through her old rabies tag. She hadn't been vaccinated for two years, had a belly full of hookworms, and is (untreated) diabetic. I noticed immediately how thirsty she was, and the frequent peeing that goes along with that.

Our vet did some bloodwork and urinalysis; surprise! - glucose 3+ in urine, and serum glucose over 400.

She's on twice-daily insulin injections, and I'm taking her for a checkup tomorrow. Hoping to get her stable, and feeling better soon. Her name is "Lizzy".

Kathy
Attached Images
 
 
Old 02-20-2018, 05:41 PM   #2
Helenthereef
Well she's very lucky, even if you're not. Sorry can't help with the diabetes, but good to know a neglected dog is getting a good second chance. And she looks like she's packed with character!
 
Old 02-20-2018, 06:36 PM   #3
elena
I've worked with a number on diabetic dogs, and I'm diabetic myself. In addition to the medications, it's also important to provide her with plenty of exercise, and a low-carbohydrate diet. Blue buffalo Wilderness, Wellness Core and Instinct are all great low-carb diets available at most pet stores. I fed Instinct to my last cat, who also had health problems that necessitated a low-carb diet.
 
Old 02-20-2018, 11:46 PM   #4
Insomniac101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helenthereef View Post
Well she's very lucky, even if you're not. Sorry can't help with the diabetes, but good to know a neglected dog is getting a good second chance. And she looks like she's packed with character!
Thanks Helen! She's a very sweet dog, and doesn't deserve to be dumped for being sick. She's safe, and being cared for now. Of course, the guy we got her from won't return my calls/texts.


Quote:
Originally Posted by elena View Post
I've worked with a number on diabetic dogs, and I'm diabetic myself. In addition to the medications, it's also important to provide her with plenty of exercise, and a low-carbohydrate diet. Blue buffalo Wilderness, Wellness Core and Instinct are all great low-carb diets available at most pet stores. I fed Instinct to my last cat, who also had health problems that necessitated a low-carb diet.
Thanks Elena. The vet had recommended a few prescription diets, but I haven't bought anything yet. She has a checkup tomorrow, and I'll ask more questions.

We just found out about this a week ago, and I've been trying to find affordable insulin. I will definitely check out the foods you mentioned. I would rather find something I can buy at the pet store. The products my vet recommended have to be ordered, and I don't want to end up with no food for her if there's a shipping delay, holiday weekend, etc.
 
Old 02-21-2018, 05:07 PM   #5
Helenthereef
Quote:
Originally Posted by Insomniac101 View Post
I will definitely check out the foods you mentioned. I would rather find something I can buy at the pet store. The products my vet recommended have to be ordered, and I don't want to end up with no food for her if there's a shipping delay, holiday weekend, etc.
I don't know much about dog nutrition, but I do know in cats that diabetes can be caused by the high cereal (ie starch and sugar) content of some dried foods, so if you are looking at regular dog food I'd suggest looking at the cereal content and getting the lowest you can find. Also wet tinned dog food may be lower in that than dry kibble style.
 
Old 02-21-2018, 06:23 PM   #6
Insomniac101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helenthereef View Post
I don't know much about dog nutrition . . .
I'm learning, quite a bit!

I was reading for a couple hours last night, and diets for diabetic dogs seem to be similar to humans with diabetes. They need protein and lower fat, and a small amount of complex carbohydrates.

There are a lot of high-quality dry foods available, and I'm leaning toward the "Orijen" brand. It's made in Canada, but has good reviews for a diabetic canine food choice.

We'll see - I'm new to this, and it's going to be trial and error for awhile, trying to keep her blood sugar stable. I need to be a lot more disciplined with feeding times too, as she needs her insulin injection right after she eats. Before, we all kind of just grazed 24/7!

Kathy
 
Old 02-21-2018, 06:30 PM   #7
Helenthereef
Just out of interest - does she suffer mood swings/ personality changes as some humans experience when her blood sugar dips?
 
Old 02-21-2018, 06:46 PM   #8
elena
Orijen is a great choice too, just as good as the others I've recommended.
 
Old 02-21-2018, 10:03 PM   #9
Insomniac101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helenthereef View Post
Just out of interest - does she suffer mood swings/ personality changes as some humans experience when her blood sugar dips?
Hard to say. We've had her less than two weeks, and I found out that ours is her third home in less than a month! I'm still trying to get a feel for her personality while she decompresses a bit.

I notice that she gets sleepy later in the day, when it's getting close to meal time, and her evening insulin. I ordered a canine glucose meter, but it hasn't arrived yet. If I can check her blood sugar levels at home, I can make adjustments in her feedings/snacks, and hopefully avoid extreme ups and downs with her levels.
 
Old 02-21-2018, 10:10 PM   #10
Insomniac101
Quote:
Originally Posted by elena View Post
Orijen is a great choice too, just as good as the others I've recommended.
A friend of mine has a diabetic cat, and she says the cat does really well on that brand. I called her yesterday to find out what brand she feeds, and I was glad to find out they make dog food too. Stuff's really expensive though; I'm glad Lizzy is only 18 pounds, so she won't go through it like a Great Dane!
 

Join now to reply to this thread or open new ones for your questions & comments! FaunaClassifieds.com is the largest online community about Reptile & Amphibians, Snakes, Lizards and number one classifieds service with thousands of ads to look for. Registration is open to everyone and FREE. Click Here to Register!

 
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Now they are doing it with dogs!!!!! SPJ SOUND OFF!!! 9 07-24-2015 06:33 PM
Hot dogs... Bella17 Ball Pythons Discussion Forum 9 11-23-2006 07:13 PM
Dogs Lucille Lonely Hearts Club Forum 52 08-01-2006 02:34 AM
What do dogs like best to eat? Lucille General Discussions 14 04-08-2006 04:09 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:26 AM.







Fauna Top Sites


Powered by vBulletin® Version
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Page generated in 0.06161404 seconds with 13 queries
Content copyrighted ©2002-2022, FaunaClassifieds, LLC