My Baby Boy Greyson!

[brittanyt]

i'm terrified.

i took greyson to the vet yesterday due to his lack of appetite to try to see if there was an underlying issue.

they took some blood and ran a lot of tests. i called this morning to find out the results. everything came back okay but one thing came back bad and i'm so scared.

his triglycerides were through the roof. 1500. i don't know anything about this and i'm terrified. the vet told me to give him 50 mg of niacin (flush free) twice a day.

do any of you have any experience with high triglyceride levels for your babies? she mentioned that it could cause a stroke. i'm taking him in tuesday to be checked for cushings and also to get his thyroid checked.

i am so upset i feel like i have to throw up. i'm scared of going through the wknd and him having a stroke. have you all ever given niacin?

any thoughts you can give me would be much appreciated. i'm freaking out. 1500 is super high. i think she said 150 is what it should be. i was giving him smoked pig ears every once in awhile and i am stopping that but surely that alone wouldn't have done it. he was on a homecooked diet with low fat meat, rice, and green beans.

his new food (which he loves, btw) is merrick canned and it only says a "min" amount on the can so i have no way of knowing how much fat it really has. just says "min 4"

thanks in advance for any input. i'm so so scared i'm going to lose him.

[We Hope]

Brittany,

This is a high amount of fats in the blood--another name for it is hyperlipidemia.

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Triglycerides

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Hyperlipidemia

The problem is that diabetes means a tendency toward problems like this; the triglycerides also can be the cause of insulin resistance. Schnauzers have a tendency to run high triglycerides whether or not they have diabetes--it's in their genes.

I just bumped up the thread, "Kramer-Back in the hospital" because Kramer has had a lot of problems with lipids in his blood; Kramer was taking a cholesterol drug for them.

Going as low-fat as possible is a good idea. Merrick is very easy to communicate with; you might want to phone (toll free) or e-mail them with your minimum fat 4% question.

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/contact_us/

Toll free number:
1.800.664.7387

email:
customerservice@merrickpetcare.com

I think now that the problem has been found and is being treated, things will get better for Greyson.

Kathy

[brittanyt]

thank you kathy. calling them now.

this may explain why we have had such trouble getting him regulated. is it usually due to cushings that triglycerides can be so elevated?? thank you for the links -- i now understand so much better.

Originally Posted by We Hope

Brittany,

This is a high amount of fats in the blood--another name for it is hyperlipidemia.

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Triglycerides

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Hyperlipidemia

The problem is that diabetes means a tendency toward problems like this; the triglycerides also can be the cause of insulin resistance. Schnauzers have a tendency to run high triglycerides whether or not they have diabetes--it's in their genes.

I just bumped up the thread, "Kramer-Back in the hospital" because Kramer has had a lot of problems with lipids in his blood; Kramer was taking a cholesterol drug for them.

Going as low-fat as possible is a good idea. Merrick is very easy to communicate with; you might want to phone (toll free) or e-mail them with your minimum fat 4% question.

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/contact_us/

Toll free number:
1.800.664.7387

email:
customerservice@merrickpetcare.com

I think now that the problem has been found and is being treated, things will get better for Greyson.

Kathy

[We Hope]

Brittany,

Diabetes, Cushing's, and Hypothyroidism can all mean high lipids. They also mean more of a risk for pancreatitis, so it's a good thing they've been found and Greyson's started getting treated for them.

Kathy

[k9diabetes]

Hi Brittany,

I don't have any personal experience with high triglycerides but have seen a few dogs who have had them. Strokes are quite rare in dogs so I think it's okay to start breathing again. After all, there was a time when Greyson's diabetes seemed like the end of the world!

You're doing everything you can for Greyson to make him feel better - that's what's important.

From DVM 360: http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com.../detail/456193

The prognosis for patients with secondary hyperlipidemia is favorable with effective treatment of the underlying disorder. For patients with primary hyperlipidemia, a lifelong commitment by the owner and veterinarian is required. In our experience, most patients respond favorably to diet modification alone or in combination with pharmacologic agents.

Natalie

[brittanyt]

natalie-- i still remember the day i found out greyson was diabetic and it DID seem like the end of the world but i remember all of you telling me how much easier it would be to deal with and now i am so much more confident. so thank you for that. i still don't know what i'd do if i hadn't found this place.

kathy- thank you again for the advice and info to call merrick. i was able to find out the exact amount of fat percentage and they also were very helpful in looking for the one labeled as low glycemic that was also the lowest in fat.

i was able to find 100 mg niacin tablets so i'm giving him 50 mg twice a day. i bought some fat free cheese slices and so far he is swallowing the pills without any problems. i'm not sure how well the niacin will help but it works to lower triglycerides in humans at least.

tuesday he is being tested for cushings. i suspect that this is what it is.

as far as cushings goes, is it treated fairly easily with a daily pill? is it true that once the cushings is treated, he could be regulated easier? i have always suspected cushings but i just thought it was me being paranoid. his hair always looked a little thin to me but i just figured it was because he always has clothes on.

the reason i freaked out so much when i heard there was a chance he could have a stroke is because my mom has had 1 major and 2 mini strokes. she couldn't speak for 6 months so it was a very scary time.

[k9diabetes]

Brittany,

Presumably they will do the ACTH test to check for Cushings (they should do the ACTH, not the LDDS), which means they will check his blood for the base level of cortisol and then they will give him a shot with a "stimulant" that will cause his adrenal gland to release cortisol and they then draw blood again in an hour or two and measure to see how much cortisol he produces after that stimulation.

There is a direct connection between cortisol and blood sugar levels so when they stimulate the cortisol production, his blood sugar is likely to run high for as much as 48 hours after the test.

Perhaps ask them to check the glucose level at the same time as they draw the second post-stim blood sample so they can see whether his blood sugar is already rising since you don't test his blood sugar at home.

Chris needed a significant increase in his insulin for two full days after he had this test. It's a problem only for diabetics - dogs who produce insulin are able to compensate.

I read somewhere in researching Chris' risk of a stroke when he had a clot in his heart, that the way a dog's brain is set up in terms of circulation the kinds of problems common in human strokes do not usually occur. I will have to see if I can find that.

If it comes to Cushings, you can go over to our sister forum for canine Cushings. The treatment for it requires that the vet knows exactly what to do and how do do it. It is treated generally with medication.

But I say wait until you know exactly what he does and doesn't have before worrying about any of that. You could sit up all night reading about Cushings and then find out he doesn't have it!

What I've seen of his blood sugar doesn't necessarily look like Cushings.

Natalie

[brittanyt]

hey all - quick question!


i'm about to give him his shot but not sure how much to give him. ordering the glucometer tomorrow. i tested his urine tonight right before i fed him and it showed negative. should i hold off on the insulin? or could he still be high and it not show high because it hadn't been long between the last time he went to the bathroom? this afternoon i checked his urine [trying to follow the vetsulin guide to urine testing to check for rebound] and he was +2 borderline +3

he ate all of his meal. i just don't know how much to decrease tonight or if i should even give him insulin being that he showed negative on the urine strip. his morning dose was 3.5 units. i was considering only giving 2 units or less if i gave him anything. i just don't want him going hypo since the strip showed negative. this is when a glucometer would be helpful. can't wait to get one.


thanks!

[k9diabetes]

I definitely would give it. You could cut it to 2.5 or 3.0... I don't want to cut it too much because we do want his urine to get to low to no glucose... so don't withhold it or you set of a high and starting bouncing around.

Ideally, I'd like to see him on a dose you can give him every day - the same amount.

[brittanyt]

sounds good. thank you SO much for the prompt reply. drawing it up now!