Taylor - Road to Regulation

[Taylor]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

I am convinced Taylor’s problem was neuropathy. My vet was also insisting it was just old age arthritis. It took us a very long time to work up to the correct dose of insulin and I was carrying his rear end around in a sling for almost nine months. Once we got to the maintenance dose of 34 units we have had a very slow but steady improvement. I have not tried the B-12 as I have not found supplements without added sugar. If anyone has tried the B-12 I would love to hear about it. I think neuropathy is more common in dogs than previously thought, since many dogs on this forum seem to experience it. Taylor’s neuropathy came on very quickly during the first couple of weeks after diagnosis of diabetes. Pat

[MaryLea]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Thanks, Peggy and Pat. I popped over to the link and read about it. Here's hoping Ruffles' problem begins to reverse as her BG lowers! The only supplements we were using were in her food (if any): Science Diet r/d for "mature" dogs, I believe it said.

(You can read about today's minor crisis on our thread: New to the Board and diabetes.)

[k9diabetes]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

I've seen a few articles that have told vets that dogs don't get neuropathy so some have been taught that it doesn't happen.

The more accurate statement I believe would be that it's somewhat rare but it definitely does occur.

Also what I have often seen is a dog who has some compromise in the ability of the spinal cord to transmit messages perhaps from some arthritis or, in Ozzie's case, because they have another form of neuropathy - a little high blood sugar tends to make their existing problems significantly worse and it doesn't take screaming high blood sugar.

The most pronounced cases of neuropathy strictly from diabetes over the years have been in dogs with sustained, extremely high blood sugar - 600s, 700s for several weeks (a scary thought but I have seen it happen in a few dogs). Neuropathy for them was very pronounced.

Hopefully the vet texts will start to reflect the fact that dogs can suffer from diabetic neuropathy.

It's extremely common in cats - one of the most common side effects for them. Species differences are so interesting when it comes to diabetes.

Natalie

[Taylor]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Posting curve to determine why I’m having trouble switching to humulin.

My readings for yesterday:
1:30am 411
6am 339; 34.5 units ½ can WD (withheld 1 cup dry)
8am 363;
10am 341 (withheld another 1cup dry)
NOON 267
2pm 234
3pm 137 fed 1 cup dry, which would normally be given at 10am
6pm 150; 34 units ½ can WD and 1 cup dry
9pm 377
10pm 350 fed 1 cup dry
4am 185
6am 142; 34units ½ can WD, 1 cup dry
10am 326 fed 1 cup dry

I’m not sure you can figure anything out from this because I was withholding food to try and curb the high readings (my meter reads 80+ points low). I will try doing a better curve next weekend. He was on 34 units of novolin. I have tried 33 and 34 and 35 units of humulin, but can’t seem to get any consistent patterns. I think I will do 34 units with normal feedings all week no matter what and see what a new curve shows.

Pat

[Patty]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Hi Pat,
I agree. It's hard to tell with the food changes thrown in. Looks like you may need to tweek the food a bit. Taylor seems to get a big rise then come down quite a bit. But that may just be a reflection of withholding some food.

See if you can find a dose where he doesn't go low and hold there like you said. That, hopefully, should reveal a true pattern and tell us what to change.

Patty

[Taylor]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Curve info for Humulin-N, 34 units, ½ can WD and 1cup science diet lite dry at 6am and 6pm; and 1cup dry at 9:30am and 9:30pm:

Mon 6am-142; 9:30am-326; 6pm-284; 9:30pm-237
Tue 6am-212; 6pm-186
Wed 6am-192; 6pm-206
Thu 6am-213; 3pm-292; 6pm-225; 9:30pm-306
Fri 6am-263; 9:30am-300; 6pm-109
Sat 6am-214; 8:30am-279; 10am-304; Noon-334; 2:30pm-323; 4:30pm-297; 6pm-226

My meter reads at least 80pts low. I have also tried 33 units 33 ½ units 34 ½ units and 35 units, for weeks at a time, with no consistent results. I can’t get blue buffalo food where I live. I could try WD dry in place of the science diet lite, but they seem to have the same ingredients. I cannot feed the 9:30am dry any later, because I have to leave the house. I bought the expensive novolin-N and used 34 units for the 6pm shot today, to see if that makes a difference. Taylor is 12 yrs old and about 82 lbs. Could just be old dog issues that surfaced at the same time I had to change insulin brands, but we were doing so much better on the novolin. Any suggestions are welcome. Pat

[Patty]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Pat,
Did anything unusual happen on Friday to bring his bg down to 109? Extra exercise? or excitement? visitors, etc?
Patty

[Taylor]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Nothing unusual happened on Friday to cause the lower reading. That has been the pattern with the Humulin. Running way too high and then throwing an unexpected low. After giving him the novolin at 6pm today, I just got an 8pm reading of 117 so I fed him his 1 cup dry and will check again at 10pm. Pat

[Taylor]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Went back to 34 units Novolin-N Saturday 6pm:

6pm-226; 8pm-117; 10pm-190; 11:30pm-258; 4am-219

6am-162; 8am-106; 10am-185; 12:20pm-251; 2pm-219; 4pm-206; 6pm-173

I don’t know what to do to make the humulin workable, so I guess I will have to go back to the Novolin. Pat

[peggy0]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

These numbers look great!

[Patty]

Re: Taylor - Road to Regulation

Pat,
It looks like Taylor has expensive taste in insulin . He's definitely in better numbers on the Novolin N.

I think Kevin saw differences with Ozzi on Humulin and Novolin N as well.
Patty