Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

[Tsohn12]

We have a Maltese/papillon that is 11 years old and about 15 lbs. Found out about two weeks ago he had about 470 glucose and he was diabetic. We've been giving about 3units twice a day after he eats.

He's also struggling now with very stiff legs and walking. It seems to have gotten worse in the last week. Could this be something from the insulin? He's stumbling and falling and basically just laying down most of the day. He still is eating good and going outside to the bathroom.

[Eddie]

Re: New to dog diabetes

Hello and welcome!
The issue with your dog's legs might be diabetic neuropathy which makes them go weak. Our dog had this severely but we just carried on trying to get his blood sugar stable and it gradually got better.
We also gave him a form of vitamin b12 called b12 methylcobalamin which may have helped (there is a study suggesting that).
Our vet thought that it might be due to pain rather than neuropathy so at one stage he gave our dog a strong painkiller which made no difference at all, but it was a good thing to have checked.
Antonia

[Tsohn12]

Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

Having a very hard time with Alpha Trak starter kit too! I feel so bad for my once hyper, fun loving dog ��

[jesse girl]

Re: Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

hi and welcome

high sugar may aggravate existing arthritis but what you describe sounds different

if you could take a video of what you are seeing and post it so we can see that maybe helpful

do you understand the symptoms of low sugar ? usually they appear to be in a drunken state stumbling and maybe falling and could be quite lethargic

[k9diabetes]

Re: Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

How high is his blood sugar? Has the vet checked it recently?

Where are you trying to get blood for testing?

Many vets recommend the ear, but that's not always the easiest place to test a dog. You can see video and picture tutorials for various places to draw blood at

http://www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html

And you may need thicker lancets than provided with the meter.

The lip can be a really good place to test as they have very few nerve endings there so it doesn't bother them.

Natalie

[Tsohn12]

Re: Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

I was able to test his blood sugar and he was at 162. That's the first time we've ever been able to test him in the ear with the Alpha Trak and had a reading. We will try this again tmrw.
I'm still so confused by his physical movement. He wobbles... stiff legs.... can't grab a treat off the floor because his neck won't let him go down to floor. He tumbles and I'm so confused by this. He's not stumbling or appears to have the drunken nature. He's happy but just can't move his front legs.

[momofdecker]

Re: Stiff legs. Diabetic dog isn't walking well and falling/tipping over

Cervical (neck area) injuries are one of the few things that can impact a dog's front legs. Your description of his neck not letting him reach down may also indicate there is an injury to the cervical area.

If you have access to a veterinary neurologist, my recommendation would be that you have your pup evaluated by one. Until then, you may try to raise the food/water dish to the point there is not a need to reach down. If you use a collar/leash, try switching to a harness, to keep pressure off the neck area.

If there is a wait to see a neurologist, check with your regular vet and ask if there is any anti-inflammatory and pain medication they might consider - to see if that helps improve the symptoms at all.

Learning to manage a newly diagnosed diabetic can be overwhelming by itself, seeing your pup struggle with mobility certainly adds to that worry. Wishing you the best in getting things sorted out and hoping your pup gets back to feeling better soon.