Bosco is an Angel

[jesse girl]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

the problem the 70 /30 may not be appropriate . the dose of r maybe to much . so you are giving 5 units of 70/30 twice a day ? is the jan curve 4.5 units twice a day ?

my jesse at times could only handle a half unit and like i said 30 pound beagle thats not to say your pup may need more .

i am not sure of the progression of events and that curve back in January may not reflect today and i noticed its 2013 so thats a while ago so its not allot of information to work with . but looking at that curve the 70 /30 would not be appropriate. how that relates to today i cant be sure .

what was the reason to go to 70/30? had the curve changed and you saw big rises in blood sugar after food and shot . if not its not appropriate and switching back to n maybe a good idea and basically starting over with dosing .

you are testing blood sugar ?

[Bosco]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

The curse was done in Jan 2014, mistype.

I changed for Novolin N to Vetsulin. She's not doing well on Vetsulin, her numbers are way too high. So I made the decision to give her 70/30 because she didn't do well on Novolon N.

[jesse girl]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

thats maybe the problem not understanding completely the action of a particular insulin like 70 /30. many switch and dont understand if its even appropriate to switch to a particular insulin . just a role of the dice. thats why understanding your pups blood sugar is key on how to move forward

now that curve you post is not high from january the problem is that strong action of insulin at the beginning. it shows insulin is working quite well maybe to well .

from just looking at these 2 curves and its only 2 i see no reason your pup should not have adequate blood sugar .

now that can be different for the individual just to give some perspective some dogs do just fine with numbers in the 200s and maybe some 300s for the day and had long lives thats the best they could do . i feel your pup can do much better than that . many are happy with blood sugar from 150 to 250 for the day .

my jesse needed allot of work to just get stable blood sugar she could go from 500 to 70 in a few hours . you cant regulate that

[CraigM]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

Just want to verify that you are now using U-100 syringes with the 70/30, and that you were using U-40 syringes when you were using Vetsulin.

Craig

[amydunn19]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

I am wondering about her meal and maybe tweaking it to work a little better with novolin n. Do you know about how much percentage is protein vs. complex carbs she is eating? High protein can cause those high fasting numbers and also can produce some significant drops.

[Bosco]

Re: Can't Get Regulated

yes I am using correct syringe

[Bosco]

Need Help

I need help. Bosco is now 14 years old. She's had diabetes for almost 5 years. About 2 years ago she started losing her hearing. Then for some strange reason she began urinating and pooping without stooping. The urine & poop just fall out.

Now she is also loosing her eyesight. She does not have cataracts. When I take her outside she just stands in one place. Once in a while she will roll in the grass. She no longer barks. If I'm standing right next to her she does not know I'm there until I stand right in front of her. She does occasionally bump into walls.

My question is, is it time to put her down? Is she still enjoying life? She doesn't do the things a dog does anymore. I would appreciate people's opinions. I don't think she is in any physical pain. She still eats.

[amydunn19]

Re: Need Help

The decision is different for everyone and there is no right or wrong answer. You have to make the decision that puts your mind at ease. I went through the process with Maggie for months. In the end, we discovered that she had a very painful cervical disc problem. She was unable to lower her head to eat. She never whined or cried a second but when I took her to the vet and he was testing it out, it was obvious. She always had a ton of spunk and life but there were times in her late days that she would look at me and she had a miserable look in her eyes. I think after all the things she went through with pancreatitis and diabetes and corneal ulcers, I just had to let her go.

I think when you try to gauge a dog’s quality of life, it is important to not think of it as things humans value. We put lots of emotion in our sight and hearing, yet most dogs adapt and go on if they lose theirs. It sounds like most of the problems all relate to old age, perhaps a bit of dementia. There is a quality of life scale that I used a great deal and it was very helpful to go through the questions. This is one that is considered the original as far as hospice care:

https://pawspice.com/clients/17611/d...fLifeScale.pdf

This is from VCA and has more explanation of the things to consider:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-p...e-for-your-dog

It is very hard to make this decision and it is individual for everyone. We are here for you without any judgements. It is very important for you to be comfortable with it and frankly, nobody else has walked in your shoes and has no right to make you feel bad or guilty. There is just no room for it. You are in my thoughts and it is perfectly normal to struggle with it.

[Raysaint]

Re: Need Help

I would at least have your vet examine her for signs of pain.
If you then feel that she's not suffering, then you have to determine what constitutes quality of life. What we consider as humans may not apply to dogs. She may still enjoy the companionship, just being close to you, etc.

It's really a personal decision, based somewhat on our own beliefs.
Not an easy decision at all.

[jesse girl]

Re: Need Help

Debilitating pain i think would be my threshold if it was chronic and no hope for relief . Now senses and maybe mental capabilities i might be able to accept as an elderly dog and may expect those declines but when is it beyond acceptable i dont know and wont until that time comes

My jesse will be 14 in October and she has had allot of difficulties but always bounces back . To see dogs live a long life with the disease shows its definitely not a death sentence

I spend lots of quiet time with jesse . She has always been an independent dog and i always liked that in her . Those quiet moments i get a feel for her well being . She definitely does better at home . When we go visit she has a bit of a harder time so we dont get out to much except for her walks and rabbit chases

I understand with jesse we are on the backside of life and ok when she tells me when its time to go and i wont keep her just for me . For me its just one day at a time

[Scooterspal]

Re: Need Help

When I brought Scooter to his internist back in April for his annual I told him how pleased I was with getting a handle on his diabetes. He also was pleased it was under control. But then he said something that has stayed with me every day since.

"I don't know how happy he is, though"

I cannot get that out of mind. It has changed the way I look at Scooter.

[Daisydog10]

Re: Need Help

My mom and her chihuahua, Louie, lived with me for about 12 years. After mom passed away, Louie got depressed and I thought I was going to lose him. He wasn't eating real well and he would cry a lot. I would wrap him in a blanket and rock him and talk to him. We were mourning together, I guess. Months passed and Louie picked up weight, started wagging his tail again and at 14 years old was his old self again, even though he was partially blind and totally deaf and only had about 3 teeth left. He slept a lot, but I knew he was okay with things. He was content. When he was 16, he suddenly became very ill and he couldn't pull through it. He let me know he was tired. I could see it in his eyes.

I know there are days when Daisy is under the weather. I often think like Scooterspal, is she happy? Have all these shots and pokes and the ups and downs of regulation had its toll on her? I'm sure it has, but like Louie, I'm sure she'll let me know when she's had enough. We're just enjoying each others company for now.

[Bosco]

Bosco is an Angel

I had to put Bosco down. She was 14 years old. She had diabetes for 5 years.
At the beginning of summer her eyesight was failing. She would no longer take walks because she couldn't see good or hear.
Yesterday when we got up in the morning she was blind. She couldn't find her bowls. She was walking into things. In the afternoon, I noticed she kept falling down. I picked her up & put her down up the carpet to see if she could walk on the carpet. It was better but she fell down. I tried outside on the grass but the same thing happened. She lost control of her back legs and Bosco could no longer walk.
I new this was the end. Three hours later Bosco was shaking uncontrollably. It seemed like she was in pain. Her condition deteriorated rapidly.
This was the hardest thing I have ever done. I did not want to be the one to make that decision. I held her and kissed her and told her how much I loved her but I could not look at her body once she was dead.

[jesse girl]

Re: Bosco is an Angel

It sounds like you got some bonus time with bosco with earlier thoughts of letting him go . I am glad you got that time to say goodbye . Its probably the hardest thing to do and we do it because we love them

[bgdavis]

Re: Bosco is an Angel

So very sorry for your loss. I know how it hurts to let our older doggies go.

Bonnie and Angel Criss Ann