My dog has diabetes

acermaple

Hi all,

I have just been told our lovely (and much loved) 10 year old terrier has diabetes. I know there was a bit of discussion on here about a year ago but we have to go back down to the vet next week to discuss treatment. Does this always involve insulin injections? How hard is it to administer and regulate these in conjunction with diet. How costly is this disease to treat and what are the likely effects of the disease on the dogs quality of life? Are there any relevant questions I should ask the vet about the disease?

Vurnon San Benito

I feel sorry for you and your dog.

I don't really know what it entails but it's a daily task.

Hope he gets better.

Dee_animallover

Hiya, we had a diabetic sheepdog years ago, she started drinking lots of water and lost a lot a weight so thats how we knew something was wrong, any way we had to give her insulin twice a day (i think?) It was very easy, myself and my bro used to take turns - I was only about 13/14 at the time (my dad also had diabeties so it was a bit of a running joke that diabetes ran in the family - even our dog had it )

Once we started giving her the insulin she came back to her old self - oh just remembered she temporarily went blind aswell - gained weight/got her eye sight back etc.

Lived for a good 4 years with it -she died due to something else.

As far as I can remember it wasnt expensive and she was the happiest dog, she used to know when she seen us coming with the syringe that it was time and she would sit in the same spot in the kitchen coz she knew she would get a little treat after!

anniehoo

Hi OP sorry to hear about that diagnosis. Diabetes is a manageable disease but its a bit of a pain for the owner and if not managed properly the knock on effects (blindness,kidney and nerve damage) are your pet will eventually succumb to (sorry). Its not the diabetes itself its the mismanagement and its complications that are the problem.

You more than likely will be required to give twice daily insulin injections within a 12 hour time frame of each other. I had a cat with it and it was done at 9am and 9pm. It doesnt sound like a big deal but you only have a 30 minute window either side of this time frame as it basically relates to the peak and trough of your pets glucose curve which fluctuates throughout the day. This is where the hassle comes in as someone needs to be there everyday at whatever time slot you pick to keep it regulated.

Your pet will not be allowed eat outside of these times (food=glucose rush) so no treats!!A diabetic animal needs constant access to water (always thirsty) and regular vet checkups to make sure their glucose levels arent low (hypoglycemic) or too high (hyperglycemic).

As i said your vet will probably give you a batch of insulin (caninsulin or lentevet) to last a month or so and will determine the amount of insulin to give by trial and error until his glucose level stabilises. Good luck..as i said it is very manageable but requires huge effort on your part im afraid.

acermaple

Thanks for all of your replies which have reassured me a bit. She is in fairly good form at the moment so hopefully we have got it at a reasonably early stage before too much damage. Vet did say that she has some small cataracts in both eyes though so obviously there has been some effects already. Hopefully when we start the treatment next week we will be able to manage it ok and get a bit of a pep back in her, she is a bit more lethargic than normal at the moment, although sometimes it's hard to tell cos she always was on the lazy side! :)Anyway thanks again to those who posted.

ooter

my dog has unfortunately also been diagnosed with diabetes,he was getting a blood test for something else and his high glucose levels were discovered.
i've been reading up on it a bit this evening and i'm not as downhearted now as i was earlier when i first heared the news.
i would be willing to put the time and effort in to control it and so long as it's not too expensive i'll get the proper food and injections but the vet seems to think that there are problems with his other organs (heart in particular) so i'm wondering what exactly will his quality of life be?
could it just be that he's having problems with his heart at the moment because the diabetes has gone untreated and is it likely to improve now?
it's heartbraking to see him go downhill so rapidly and i'll do everything i can to try and help him but i don't want to be putting him through further pain either.the diabetes sounds difficult enough to control without the dog having any further complications...

seamus

Diabetes is relatively easy to control, the disease is well studied and understood and if you take care of it properly, the dog is unlikely to experience any reduction in quality of life and may not even have a reduced lifespan.

Heart and other organ problems and diabetes do often go hand-in-hand, and although you're unlikely to reverse damage to organs, proper management of diabetes will prevent any more damage being done. A stricter diet and exercise regimen may actually improve their overall health and vitality.

If you read up on diabetes in humans, that'll help you understand the underlying cause of the disease and so you'll be better able to understand the whys and hows of managing the disease in your dog.

The disease itself doesn't necessarily cause any suffering, instead it's the secondary symptoms such as blindness and heart disease that do - however these only tend to become a problem when the illness isn't being properly managed.

acermaple

Hi ooter,

Really sorry to hear your dog is having problems, I'm not sure about heart etc but as regards the diabetes my dog is now doing great! She did experience some(permanent) worsening in eyesight while the vet was trying to get her insulin dosage balanced but at the moment she is in great shape. She has to get two injections a day at meal times but both of us are used to this now. It does require a bit of organisation to make sure things are kept 'regular', but to be honest it's no big deal especially if you can share the load. As regards cost the vet has not put her on any special diet, she still gets her normal dogfood though we do have to avoid treats between meals and an overreliance on 'scraps' (her favorite kind of food!). The insulin and syringes I buy in a box and I cant remember the exact cost but I think a vial of insulin comes in at approx €6 and one would last me the best part of a week and my dog is on a fairly high dose so you may do better. cant remember about the syringes but a box lasts for ages.
There was a bit of expense bringing her in and out of the vet to get her blood tested initially but she seems very stable at the moment so it's just the occasional visit now. If I can be of any further help pm me, in the meantime the best of luck and hope it all works out fine for you and your dog.

ooter

thanks very much for the replies.i'm definitely going to get the vet to do whatever is required to sort the diabetes.i just hope it sorts him out cos looking at him now he's a shadow of the dog he was a couple of months ago,it's amazing how quickly he has slowed up and lost energy.

ooter

my dog has definitely improved over the last week but the vets bills are up around the 400 euro mark already,while it's encouraging to see the improvement i honestly wouldn't be able to afford too much more money or visits to the vets.
i've been up there 3 times today and they want me back another 3 times on thursday,a lot of time and money.
i'm injecting him with insulin twice a day and he's on 2 meals a day,we haven't got around to giving him any specialised food as of yet,no doubt that's going to cost more money.
i've been doing a lot of reading about diabetes over the last week and some people seem to be testing their dog's glucose levels at home,i brought it up with the vet but she said it's best to bring him in to them to have it checked.
maybe better for them and my dog but certainly not better for my wallet.:eek:

Tryst

The reason for you not testing them at home is that you don't have a clue if the result is within the acceptable range or not and it allows the vet to keep an eye on glucose levels and to adjust the dose accordingly. Plus you would need needles, syringes, clippers to shave away the hair ideally, surgical spirit to prepare the leg and vet wrap to apply pressure to the leg afterwards and a glucometer to check the glucose levels and strips for the machine. Plus you have to deal with your pet moving its a two person job and if the other person doesn't know how to restrain your pet correctly there is a risk one of you could get bitten. even though they are probably lovely no animal likes having blood taken. Then there is the correct disposal issue of the bits and pieces afterwards since its blood it is medical waste, the sharps need to go into a sharps container etc etc. All in all its easier to let your vet and staff deal with it. Once glucose levels are stable you should only have to check them once every 3-6 months depending on how your vet operates and this should cost only 15 euro or at least thats how much it costs in the clinic i worked in. A special diet shouldn't really be necessary unless they mean putting him on science plan/royal canin dried food which isn't special per se it just allows you to have complete control over what exactly your pet is being fed. Unless your pet is over weight in which case feeding them the r/d food is probably the best thing for them until they get down to the right weight. R/d is expensive but he won't have to be on it for life. The other general foods aren't that pricey.

ooter

Tryst wrote: »

The reason for you not testing them at home is that you don't have a clue if the result is within the acceptable range or not and it allows the vet to keep an eye on glucose levels and to adjust the dose accordingly. Plus you would need needles, syringes, clippers to shave away the hair ideally, surgical spirit to prepare the leg and vet wrap to apply pressure to the leg afterwards and a glucometer to check the glucose levels and strips for the machine. Plus you have to deal with your pet moving its a two person job and if the other person doesn't know how to restrain your pet correctly there is a risk one of you could get bitten. even though they are probably lovely no animal likes having blood taken. Then there is the correct disposal issue of the bits and pieces afterwards since its blood it is medical waste, the sharps need to go into a sharps container etc etc. All in all its easier to let your vet and staff deal with it. Once glucose levels are stable you should only have to check them once every 3-6 months depending on how your vet operates and this should cost only 15 euro or at least thats how much it costs in the clinic i worked in. A special diet shouldn't really be necessary unless they mean putting him on science plan/royal canin dried food which isn't special per se it just allows you to have complete control over what exactly your pet is being fed. Unless your pet is over weight in which case feeding them the r/d food is probably the best thing for them until they get down to the right weight. R/d is expensive but he won't have to be on it for life. The other general foods aren't that pricey.

But surely if I was to buy my own glucometer and strips and phoned the vet immediately with the result they could advise me on how much insulin to give my dog?
From researching this a bit it seems you can take blood from the dogs ear,you prick the ear with a lancet and draw a drop of blood,surely a lot easier and less stressful that injecting the leg?
I've had to assist in most of the blood tests as the vets haven't been able to handle my dog.its very stressful for my dog even with me there,apparently stress effects insulin levels.
I would be more than willing to do this but i am no longer willing to keep bringing my dog to the vet 2-3 times week and twice each day,its costing me a fortune.the bills are up near the 1,000 euro mark now an they're still none the wiser.I told them as much today when they asked me to bring him bqck up on wednesday for more blood tests.
I'm happy to continue giving him the level of insulin he's on at the moment and will bring him back to the vet if he deteriorates but enough with the blood tests..
Does anyone know somewhere in ireland where I can pick up a pet glucometer or a reliable site where I can buy 1 online?

acermaple

Hi ooter,

Having to have that amount of tests (and spend that amount of money) sounds excessive, and I have to say my vet is by no means cheap! I did have to go into the hundreds getting tests etc but in my case the dog was taken into the vets for one day to establish the initial levels of glucose etc and there were a couple more 'outpatient' visits for blood tests to check everything was ok. I recently became concerned about her and brought her back for a blood test which the nurse didn't charge for the vet increased the insulin dosage over the phone (no charge) when he saw the results and she is in great form again I'm happy to say. Maybe your vet doesn't have the same backup nursing staff so this is why she cant keep the dog in and needs your help with tests etc but hopefully as OP said once the levels are Ok things will settle and the bills will decrease dramatically.

ooter

acermaple wrote: »

Hi ooter,

Having to have that amount of tests (and spend that amount of money) sounds excessive, and I have to say my vet is by no means cheap! I did have to go into the hundreds getting tests etc but in my case the dog was taken into the vets for one day to establish the initial levels of glucose etc and there were a couple more 'outpatient' visits for blood tests to check everything was ok. I recently became concerned about her and brought her back for a blood test which the nurse didn't charge for the vet increased the insulin dosage over the phone (no charge) when he saw the results and she is in great form again I'm happy to say. Maybe your vet doesn't have the same backup nursing staff so this is why she cant keep the dog in and needs your help with tests etc but hopefully as OP said once the levels are Ok things will settle and the bills will decrease dramatically.

They tried to keep him in to do a curve a couple of weeks ago but they couldn't go near him in the cage they had him in cos he was growling at them.I ended up having to go around a few times during the day to get him out for them so they could take bloods.
I'm fed up going up and down to the vets and so is my wallet.I'm sure my dog is too.as you said I will bring him up if i have any concerns but this act of going up every few days and handing over around €50 has to stop..

anniehoo

Hi ooter. Yep you can buy a glucometer on Amazon but i wouldnt advise doing that just yet.

It really shouldnt be taking this long to get your dog under control to be honest. It does take a bit of time at the start, adjusting the insulin doses but not this long. Has your vet mentioned a fructosamine test?This gives an average of its glucose over 7-10days.

Id go back to your vet ask him
a)for a referral to another vet or UCD
b)would there by any underlying conditions e.g hypothyroidism that is causing the dysregulation
c)explain that money is limited. Are all the tests necessary and can you use a glucometer at home. Id only advise using it at home once its actually under control but see what they say.

acermaple

I feel really sorry for you and your dog ooter, as Op said neither you nor the dog should have to be go through this trauma, it sounds like the vet perhaps does not have a lot of experience in this area so it might be useful to ask some of the questions mentioned.

ooter

anniehoo wrote: »

Hi ooter. Yep you can buy a glucometer on Amazon but i wouldnt advise doing that just yet.

It really shouldnt be taking this long to get your dog under control to be honest. It does take a bit of time at the start, adjusting the insulin doses but not this long. Has your vet mentioned a fructosamine test?This gives an average of its glucose over 7-10days.

Id go back to your vet ask him
a)for a referral to another vet or UCD
b)would there by any underlying conditions e.g hypothyroidism that is causing the dysregulation
c)explain that money is limited. Are all the tests necessary and can you use a glucometer at home. Id only advise using it at home once its actually under control but see what they say.

They did a fructosamine test when he was first diagnosed and have suggested doing another one.
The glucose levels are still not stable but i've done my best for him.he's a hell of a lot better than he was when he was first diagnosed,so long as he stays like that i'll be happy..
Thanks for the replies by the way