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

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!

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 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. :angry:


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.

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.

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

Just out of interest - does she suffer mood swings/ personality changes as some humans experience when her blood sugar dips?

Orijen is a great choice too, just as good as the others I've recommended.

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.

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!