So I guess I've been too lucky all these decades; plus adding a breed that is more likely to get diabetes (poodles) upped my chances anyway - but 8 year old Jimmy (mini Aussie/Mini poodle cross) delivered a nice urine specimen this morning that is loaded with sugar :-( We go back to the Vet this afternoon to get bloodwork done. The Vet tech said the good news was that he didn't have ketones in his urine. Jimmy had lost a bit of weight, was sort of listless - and the lightbulb finally went on in my brain when he started guzzling water and needing to go outside more frequently the last few days. We practiced "getting a catch" a few times - which sort of makes him do a doggy eye-roll for the intrusion on his privacy; but he does cooperate.My Mom and my M-I-L were diabetic; plus I helped care for my "dog-nephew" - a Bichon who was diabetic. I sort of know the basics - and am somewhat dreading getting Jimmy to eat a whole "meal" since he's been a nibbler all his life. I'm not afraid to give shots; and Jimmy's a pretty stoic guy - so that aspect isn't scary. But if anyone has any hints to help prolong his life and protect his vision - I'd love to hear them? (Ironically, I remember thinking that if we crossed a short-lived breed like an Aussie with a longer-lived breed like a poodle - maybe we could space out the heartbreaks a bit further?) Or is there any kind of diabetes preventative for Ben, who's 3 and also an Aussie/poodle mix, but not related to Jimmy in any way.

... hints to help prolong his life and protect his vision ...The main way to assure both is to get good blood glucose control. Monitoring early while regulating insulin needs and then long term being tuned in to changes, like urination and water consumption are necessary.Sounds like you have a great base of knowledge, so this should be a piece of cake (sugar free of course).Good luck, and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.Doug, DVM

Deb we are on our 4th Poodle and have never had one be diabetic.Our Csepki just turned 15, we adopted him 2 1/2 years ago.To my point, I read once when our Pomeranian Zachery became diabetic at 8 years of age that diabetes in dogs was genetic and not necessarily from the same reasons as they are in humans...I don't know if this is true or not or if there is any way to prevent it in dogs.Zachery was a dog that did not want to eat every meal and it was a challenge to get him to do so.What I did was add a little protein to top off his dish, it might be chicken or steak but it always assured me he would eat so it was easier to keep his levels normal.Good luck, you do have a good handle on it and you know the shots are really the easy part.Sher

Thanks, Sher - I agree that this could be a genetic thing, because Jimmy's never really been overweight; and we try to feed him good food and his treats are generally people food in very tiny quantities. My Vet stressed consistency, so we'll begin to measure his food that we entice him to eat before his shots. So far, a teeny bit of beef boullion with some warm water made his dinner amazing, judging by the way he scarfed it down....LOL! His blood sugar was 400; and his liver enzymes showed that we caught this rather early. He goes back on Friday to see if his dose is doing a good job.

Ask the vet but him being a "nibbler" might not be an issue. I'm a diabetic and I am supposed to eat multiple smaller meals rather than 3 big meals.

Add me to the list of diabetic-dog owners.... | Good Sam Community

dturm
Moderator
Nov 10, 2016
Outstanding!!!
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Nov 09, 2016
One last post - we hit "Nirvana" :-) Jimmy's blood sugar is perfect, with one (short) scoop of food, 7 units of insulin, and a half-mile walk. It sounds silly, but I had no idea how much food my dogs eat, since they used to just nibble all day. But Jimmy's weight has stayed steady for the last 3 weeks.
LJAZ
Explorer
Nov 05, 2016
Deb and Ed M wrote:
Jimmy went back for another blood sugar check - he's so funny - he sits in the waiting room, looking around like it's the best place ever....then they take us to the examining room, and he freaks; like he had no idea we were there for THAT!!!!!

Anyway - his sugar was still a little high (for 8 hours after his morning shot), so he's bumped up another unit, to 7.

I guess my question for diabetic dog owners is: (and I know this will be hard to quantify) - how much exercise can they get before they keel over from low blood sugar? Jimmy's pretty sedentary - here in Michigan we have a small yard, so his exercise is mainly playing like crazy with Ben; or the occasional short (<.5 mile) walk. Once we get to FL, he walks a lot more - a couple of .5 mile walks at the minimum. I'm hoping that doubling his exercise still won't matter - it's not like he's an "athlete".

Unfortunately there's no easy way to know other than testing. Exercise will tend to lower his blood sugar but there isn't any way to really know other than doing a blood test. It could be a little or it could be a lot. That's why testing is so important. Although I would think that doubling his exercise would have a pretty big impact.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2016
Jimmy went back for another blood sugar check - he's so funny - he sits in the waiting room, looking around like it's the best place ever....then they take us to the examining room, and he freaks; like he had no idea we were there for THAT!!!!!

Anyway - his sugar was still a little high (for 8 hours after his morning shot), so he's bumped up another unit, to 7.

I guess my question for diabetic dog owners is: (and I know this will be hard to quantify) - how much exercise can they get before they keel over from low blood sugar? Jimmy's pretty sedentary - here in Michigan we have a small yard, so his exercise is mainly playing like crazy with Ben; or the occasional short (<.5 mile) walk. Once we get to FL, he walks a lot more - a couple of .5 mile walks at the minimum. I'm hoping that doubling his exercise still won't matter - it's not like he's an "athlete".
sher9570
Explorer
Nov 02, 2016
Deb and Ed M wrote:
I'm just posting this for the sake of others who might read this later - I'm using syringes with needles that are 31 gauge x 8mm (5/16th inch). They are as thin as a hair - and clearly not painful. Jimmy now recognizes the sound of the insulin bottle's box being opened, runs into the kitchen and dances around happily to get his shot. Crazy dog!!! He's also making it all the way through the night without needing to go outside - so I think we have the right dosage.

This is how our Zachery was, such a good little dog.
your right about the 31 gauge, makes it much better for the dog and makes it less scary for the human that has never done this.

Sher
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Oct 29, 2016
Dr Doug - my Vet laughed when I told her I had botched an injection, she called it an "I.F." - intra-fur :-) Fortunately, Jimmy is a mix that needs to be clipped anyway; so his now-short fur poses no problems.

thomasgunnar - thanks for that link! I'll add it to my "collection".

Yesterday's blood check at the Vet showed Jimmy's sugar was still a bit high, so he's getting 6 units of insulin now. I can tell immediately that it made a difference - he's not heading for the water bowl first thing in the morning; and he dawdled around on the deck before he decided to go into the lawn to pee. Prior to this - it was the mad-dash to hit grass and let loose.
thomasgunnar
Explorer
Oct 28, 2016
If you have not already been to this site here is a link.

http://k9diabetes.com/forum/index.php
dturm
Moderator
Oct 28, 2016
Another thought, if you are having a problem getting through the hair with the syringes you are using, you might try a longer, bigger needle. It might create a little more reaction, but I've found a 25-27 gauge needle still doesn't create much reaction in most animals.
thomasgunnar
Explorer
Oct 28, 2016
Deb and Ed M wrote:
thomasgunnar wrote:

I use the inside of Shelbys lip. I sit on the floor and she will come and lay her head in my lap. It is the only place I can consistently get any blood. She is just past having it for two years.

What kind of dog is Shelby?? Jimmy has nice longish ears; and judging by how often Ben (my little dog) drags him around by those ears, they aren't especially sensitive....LOL!

Shelby is a rottweiler.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Oct 28, 2016
thomasgunnar wrote:

I use the inside of Shelbys lip. I sit on the floor and she will come and lay her head in my lap. It is the only place I can consistently get any blood. She is just past having it for two years.

What kind of dog is Shelby?? Jimmy has nice longish ears; and judging by how often Ben (my little dog) drags him around by those ears, they aren't especially sensitive....LOL!

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