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Diabetes In Older Dog


Ci
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Hi Everyone,

I have an older female dog who suddenly developed diabetes towards the end of last year.

Vet not sure why. We had a very stressful year with my other dog who is all better now but we nearly lost him and the consensus is maybe stress and some meds she was on for her allergies.

Anyway I am having trouble controlling it and she is up and down with her health. Some days she is great. Other days I think that's it. She is also leaking and been treated twice for urinary tract infection. Both times she was not leaking before but within days of antibiotics,started to leak.

We have been to a naturopath and she is on a few supplements but I don't know if it's helping

Has anyone got any tips on how to get a handle. I feel like vet is missing something or something is not right.

I would like to help her as much as I can.

Edited by Ci
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The littlest change in routine throws her out. She is so sensitive.

I don't know know when it's best to give her, her insulin anymore. Have tried a few different times.

The hot weather is hard for her too.

Edited by Ci
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Have you seen a medicine specialist? That would be my first suggestion. She is probably leaking urine because she is dribking so much water due to her high BGL. A basic raw diet of meat and vegetables (no carbs) seems to help. Sometimes you need to try different types and doses of insulin. Are you testing BGL at home?

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Agree, constant testing of bgl if water consumption is not consistent. Is the dog on 12 hour insulin doses and 2 meals? I have heard of some vets trying once daily insulin but that is no where near as effective. Even with twice daily you only have about a 30 minute window either side of the usual time it is given to keep it managed effectively.

I would also just look in to incontinence in terms of the leaking. My diabetic dog was also on meds for incontinence and all the leaking stopped except for when she occasionally had high bgl.

Don't forget that also you can have pretty much no variation in food type and quantity, treats pretty much become a no no. And if they will be given it needs to be at their meal time not at random times (or they have to be super teeny tiny and low calorie).

I found my dogs diabetes was very easy to control so long as we followed very strict routines around timing of food/insulin and exercise. But establishing initial control is the difficult bit. You might need to get a few more bgl curves done to get the right insulin dosage established.

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Hi

Yes I am doing all that.

I am trying to keep to a routine as much as I can but have two young kids so sometimes it's a bit tricky. I can definitely see an improvement when we stick to it.

Her diet is good. But she is hungry all the time and lost abit of weight. She seems to do better if she has something during the day.

She has insulin twice a day with her meals. Getting the timing right as been tricky too. I was giving straight after food but it wasn't working so changed it to an hour after food with a walk in between meal and insulin and that worked well for awhile bit it was difficult to stick to in morning so have changed back to straight after food.Brcause I think I wasn't helping with not being on time.

Vet discussed doing curves at home because she was stressing at clinic so will be organising that at her next curve.

She is on antibiotics for a few weeks til they clear up infection.

Going by a textbook. We are doing what we are meant to but reality it is not quite there.

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When you say medicine specialist, do you mean one that specifically deals with diabetes? Can you recommend anyone in Melbourne?

Her insulin is on 11 units. Vet doesn't want to put it up til her urinary tract infection clears up.

She was really good Friday and Saturday. And today leaking and exhausted again. Have noticed she looks really thin the days she is not right today. Will let her just rest tomorrow. But starting to see a definite pattern.

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Will look her up?

Is she in Melbourne?

Sami seems a lot better again today. She slept very heavily and didn't leak all night and woke up this morning much brighter. Maybe the infection is coming under control or maybe I am starting to work out her patterns and get her routine right. Don't know and don't know how long it will last either.

Will start looking into medicine specialists!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have made an appt. Not til Mid March so hopefully we make it.

She was doing OK. But the weather this week has thrown her again.

At least I can see a definite pattern now and can work with it.

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