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If your dog refuses to eat, home testing will allow you to give some insulin to meet the body's basic needs.
You usually can give 1/3 to 1/2 of the normal dose of insulin at good blood glucose levels and possibly more at very high blood glucose levels.
VERY IMPORTANT: It is IMPORTANT that you are home test blood glucose before trying this and that you start with a very small dose of insulin the first time you do it and monitor how the insulin is processed to be sure it's not too much and test periodically so you know it doesn't drop the blood glucose too quickly.
There is the potential for danger in giving insulin without food! It must be done knowledgeably and carefully.
Don't necessarily aim for low numbers, especially at first.
Every dog is different so what your dog needs and can use will be unique to your dog.
Chris is on Regular insulin - fairly fast acting - so he gets 1/3 of his usual dose of insulin if he can't or won't eat, which we experienced off and on for a while last spring.
I started with just 1 unit (he gets between 5 and 8 units per injection) and tested to see how he processed that unit.
I know of one or two people whose dogs simply would not eat in the morning. They eventually were able to sort out how much insulin they could give without a meal and gave that in the morning and then a full day's meal and a larger dose of insulin in the evening.
Natalie
You usually can give 1/3 to 1/2 of the normal dose of insulin at good blood glucose levels and possibly more at very high blood glucose levels.
VERY IMPORTANT: It is IMPORTANT that you are home test blood glucose before trying this and that you start with a very small dose of insulin the first time you do it and monitor how the insulin is processed to be sure it's not too much and test periodically so you know it doesn't drop the blood glucose too quickly.
There is the potential for danger in giving insulin without food! It must be done knowledgeably and carefully.
Don't necessarily aim for low numbers, especially at first.
Every dog is different so what your dog needs and can use will be unique to your dog.
Chris is on Regular insulin - fairly fast acting - so he gets 1/3 of his usual dose of insulin if he can't or won't eat, which we experienced off and on for a while last spring.
I started with just 1 unit (he gets between 5 and 8 units per injection) and tested to see how he processed that unit.
I know of one or two people whose dogs simply would not eat in the morning. They eventually were able to sort out how much insulin they could give without a meal and gave that in the morning and then a full day's meal and a larger dose of insulin in the evening.
Natalie