Our precious Blackjack...

[DocWatson]

Re: Blackjack is diabetic?!

Hi! where do you purchase the Jiang Tang C.? Thanks....

I found this article, and it is Cha, not only C. Jiang Tang Cha
http://www.anshenvet.com/articles/Diabetes.pdf - but pretty confusing terms in this article, sounds like acupuncture may have been used.

Study done on rats with neuropathy and B vitamins.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...14299909003586

I have no idea about this stuff, but thought others here, as well as I can, do more research to find out about all the stuff in it and the brand, etc.
http://www.petwellbeing.com/products...QDg#directions

Sounds miraculous.

Bottom line I think the Jiang Tang Cha is tea as I have yet to find it in a pill form, but you may have to go to a homeopathic shop to see what they can tell you about using this. I am trying one thing at a time and I started the B12 supplements today so we'll stick with that for a while and see what gives.

[Blackjack'smom]

Re: Blackjack is diabetic?!

Hi..How is Chloe doing? I get the herbal supplement from my vet, who gives holistic treatment in addition to traditional. It comes in a powder form and I put 1/2 tsp. with wet food at each meal. I cannot help but believe that it has helped Blackjack's rear leg weakness, because his blood glucose is still not regulated yet....(My sister stopped by today and hadn't seen him for about a week and a half and couldn't believe the change in how well he is walking and his endurance.) And believe me, a couple weeks ago,it was a whole different story with us helping him into the standing position and him laying back down with every few steps. It was almost as though he couldn't feel his legs at times to me. Like he was numb, in addition to whatever else was going on. His back legs look like they are regaining some of his muscle tone now too. I tell you all this to let you know that there were a couple weeks there where I thought "I sure hope that this improves" as everything was a huge effort to get him moving from one place to another and now I feel that he is definitely on the way to getting better. So hold on to hope!!

[Blackjack'smom]

Re: Blackjack is diabetic?!

Thanks Doc Watson for all the info! So, Watson is improving some with his legs now? Isn't it "strange" how all the dogs in the forum that seem to be having the rear leg problems are lab or lab mixes?! We got in the car earlier this evening..my husband, myself, my other two dogs and Blackjack. (yes, I still help lift his rear legs to get in and out of the car). He looks so forward to his walks,even though these are "mini" versions of our regular walks..lol..Today was the most we have walked since before all of this back leg weakness started a while back. I think we did 3/4 mile altogether. He was the one who wanted to keep going, so I let him. We took a short break and then went back. I am just so happy that he is going in the right direction and would not have thought it possible a few weeks ago with the way he was! Now, we just need to get this darned BG regulated!

[jesse girl]

Re: Blackjack is diabetic?!

i am sure you already know this its always a good idea to carry some kind of liquid sugar when walking your dog

just a reminder glad the walk went well

[DocWatson]

Re: Blackjack is diabetic?!

Hi..How is Chloe doing? I get the herbal supplement from my vet, who gives holistic treatment in addition to traditional. It comes in a powder form and I put 1/2 tsp. with wet food at each meal. I cannot help but believe that it has helped Blackjack's rear leg weakness, because his blood glucose is still not regulated yet....(My sister stopped by today and hadn't seen him for about a week and a half and couldn't believe the change in how well he is walking and his endurance.) And believe me, a couple weeks ago,it was a whole different story with us helping him into the standing position and him laying back down with every few steps. It was almost as though he couldn't feel his legs at times to me. Like he was numb, in addition to whatever else was going on. His back legs look like they are regaining some of his muscle tone now too. I tell you all this to let you know that there were a couple weeks there where I thought "I sure hope that this improves" as everything was a huge effort to get him moving from one place to another and now I feel that he is definitely on the way to getting better. So hold on to hope!!

I read somewhere neuropathy causes not only pain and weakness but numbness as well.

[Blackjack'smom]

opinions on glucose curves,please

Hi all...Blackjack'smom here,seeking some advice with his last couple curves done at the vet's. These are both with 30 units of Humulin N.
done 7-2-12, fed 1 and 3/4 cups Merrick's before grain chicken dry food plus 1/3 can of no grain wet food and given insulin at 7;15 a.m.
8;15 Am. ..71
11;15 Am...154
2;15pm....295
5;15pm...311

After reading a forum about sudden first hour drops with no grain food, I decided to change his diet a bit about a week and a half ago and see if it made a difference in his numbers.So, now gets a cup and a half of Whole Earth Farms dry food (Merrick's also) Good ingredients, but does contain some rice,barley,millet and oatmeal. Plus I added what I used to feed him again with that. A combination of ground lean turkey, brown rice and a bit of white rice, a dab of oatmeal, plus cooked green beans mixed in. I have been adding a half cup of that with the dry food at each meal. We had another curve done at the vet's office yesterday with these results:
Food and insulin at 7;00am
8;00 am...68
11;00 am....136
2;00pm...233
5;00pm...230
I am concerned about the first low reading, however, he does not seem to show any signs of hypoglycemia with those numbers and the vet was not too concerned about it. The decision has been for me to keep the diet consistent and will bring him back in two weeks after a slightlly reduced dosage of 29 units instead of 30. I will bring him in to be tested before his meal, feed him and then begin the usual curve. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I do not do home testing on Blackjack. However, that may soon change. Any thoughts/ suggestions on the curves and/or diet would be welcomed..Thanks! Donna and Blackjack (who had a wellness exam yesterday and seems to be in good shape Doc says, except for a couple old guy lipomas!)

[Patty]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Donna,
I think that 68 number is too low for comfort. Today could be 68 but tomorrow 60 or 58 due to natural variation. It's also possible he's not going as low at home but does with the excitment of the vet's office - hard to know.

I would increase the white rice in an attempt to bring up that intial low number.

Don't be embarrassed for not home testing. I encourage it because it can be a valuable tool but not everyone can and their dogs do quite well.

Take care,
Patty

[Shellie]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Don't be embarrased at all by not testing at home! Not everyone can do it... some because of their dogs and some just can't do the needles/blood thing! Can always give it a try if you decide to but otherwise the numbers look good. I, like Patty, am concerned for that low morning number. I'm curious as to what a fasting on him is. How low is it before food and insulin? Is he starting out high and dropping a lot or starting low and then rising? Hard to know. I think the rice idea is a great one and will likely boost up that low number. Doing good!

[k9diabetes]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

It will help a lot to have that premeal reading to see if it is also low or if the insulin injection is dropping the blood sugar sharply after breakfast. Solutions for those two problems would be different.

No need to be embarrassed by not home testing blood sugar. It's still pretty common for vets to actively discourage it or even "forbid" it, and I am sure that if you look at all diabetic dogs - not just the ones here at the forum - most of them are not tested at home.

It is the best tool there is for finetuning regulation and for working out problems like the low morning reading. So if you're game to try it, I know you would find it helpful.

Natalie

[Blackjack'smom]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Thanks all for the input...I appreciate it! I have switched the ratio of brown rice to white rice in the mixture I make to add to his dry food. More white and less brown. We are scheduled to go in early on Wed. the 22nd, to the vet's and get a premeal BG, then I am to feed him and they will do the all day curve after that. I guess I may have gotten the wrong impression with feeding him the "no grain" dry food. Now, have dropped the protein level a bit with this food and like i said it has some rice,oats and millet in it. (It is less expensive too..lol) Blackjack is acting fine these days (knock on wood), hope it continues! Thanks again..will see what this shows..

[k9diabetes]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

The low carb system doesn't relate directly to diabetes in dogs because of the way dogs tend to absorb these insulins. They often put them to work faster and can get a much sharper drop from an intermediate insulin like NPH than a person would.

So unlike Type 1 diabetic people, who usually use a long-acting "basal" insulin for their nonfood needs and a fast acting insulin to cover their meal time carbs, dogs often get the effect of both from NPH. That's what you see when you give a dog a meal and an injection of insulin and the blood sugar drops sharply in the first hour or two.

The food you gave is still being digested, and protein takes longer to digest than carbs.

Meanwhile, the insulin is already into the bloodstream and working to drop the blood sugar.

So when a dog has that kind of pattern, the simplest solution is typically to replace some of the protein with a rapidly digested carbohydrate like white rice. The rice can get digested fast and provides the surging insulin with sugar during that first couple of hours.

Some folks who have a schedule that will accommodate it have also delayed the insulin injection to give the food more of a head start.

A diabetic person would typically calculate a dose of their fasting acting insulin based on the meal they are going to have - more carbs equals more fast acting insulin.

We essentially try to do the same thing only from the opposite direction.

Instead of taking the meal as a guide, we take the amount of insulin we're giving, some of which is behaving like fast acting insulin, and adjust the diet to match it.

Natalie

[Patty]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Haven't been posting, but still keeping up with the news here.....Love all the pictures you post, Patty. How do I put one on here myself. Blackjack's 12th birthday is Monday and I wanted to try to get a picture of him here. Thanks. Donna

Hi Donna,
You can add a picture one of two ways...
1. Go to User CP at the top Left
Click on Pictures and Albums
Upload from your computer to your album here on k9
Then to post a pic in Blackjack's thread, I think it's easiest to
Right click on the picture you want to post from the album and click Copy
Then in his thread, Post Reply and right click to Paste the picture

OR
2. Upload a picture to an external source such as Photobucket, Facebook, Walmart Photo, etc.
Then right click on the photo and Copy
and right click to Paste within your post

Let me know if you need any help with it.

And Happy early Birthday to Blackjack!!!!
Patty

[momofdecker]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Decker says thanks for the birthday wishes! Happy early birthday to Blackjack as well! Hope he has something special planned to celebrate his day!

Our kitties are doing well. Bubby is living down in the basement for the most part. The cat door is not locked and she does not seem to find her way out on her own. We do bring her up at night for 'supervised visitation' - the couple of times we've not supervised her she has found her way to our bed and gotten confused between that and her litterbox. Often when we bring her up she turns around and goes back to the basement. She seems realitively happy down there. We did pull a rug out of the computer room to put down there to make it more homey for her (to cover the concrete floor). No confusion on her litterbox in the basement - so far so good there! As for Rascal cat - he comes and goes as he pleases.

How is the rest of your four legged family doing?

ps - I love Blackjack's pictures in his album!

[Blackjack'smom]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/pict...pictureid=1874

I hope I did this right! This is my boy Blackjack lying on his new Snoozy Ortho air bed which arrived a few days early for his 12th birthday on Monday. We are planning a swimming event tomorrow afternoon in celebration too, as Monday is supposed to be rainy. I am just so grateful to have him here for his 12th birthday, especially after all he went through this past spring!

[Blackjack'smom]

Re: opinions on glucose curves,please

Thanks, Holli! Glad to hear that Bubby is doing okay for the most part. Our four legged clan is doing well. They keep me going..lol...I am just so happy that Blackjack has made it to his birthday after what he went through five and six months ago! Makes me glad that he had a bit of "cushion" as he had gone down to 73 lbs. when first diagnosed and now is back up to his robust 93 lbs. The hind leg neuropathy thing is what really threw us for a loop. I am so happy that I found this forum and all the info/advice that is here, not to mention the fellowship of all the others that have the diabetic (and other) issues and all think of their "pets" as such cherished family members!