Sudden spike in BG

[Kirby003]

My name is Katrina and my best friend Kirby started peeing in the house Wednesday of last week. He rarely ever pees in the house and what was even more odd was that it was sticky and kind of thick. So I got him to the vet on Saturday and they ran some blood tests and on Monday we found out he had diabetes and they were highly suspicious of him also having Cushing's disease. He went from being very normal on Saturday to kind of lethargic and not eating by Monday. My vet said we can try to give him a half dose of insulin because he wasn't eating, but if he continued to not eat to take him to the hospital so he could be on 24 hour care to get his diabetes managed. He was especially worried because Kirby had ketones in his urine. So the next day on Tuesday he still wasn't eating and was more lethargic so we reluctantly took him to the hospital. Today is Friday and he is still in the hospital. He is off the continous insulin that was being given to him through an IV for a second time and seems to be doing better now than he was the first time. They still want to keep him for a few more hours to make sure that he's still responding well to the humulin injection they gave him. I'm sitting here right now on this forum worried sick that his blood sugar will go back up and that they will want to keep him at the hospital longer. I am wondering if anyone else had a newly diagnosed dog that had to be in the hospital but still couldn't get his diabetes under control. I just think after reading some of your stories that these fluctuations that he's experiencing at the hospital are normal with diabetics at first. As long as he's eating again and there are no ketones I think I should be able to take him home and monitor him at my house for free instead of paying the outrageous hospital fees that they're charging me. Any thoughts on this? Any help would be appreciated, I'm really scared and I just want to have more time with my dog. I don't want his diabetes to be a death sentence.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Hi Katrina,

I'm sorry that Kirby had ketones and had to be hospitalized.

If the ketones are anything more than trace, it is very important for them to be hospitalized so the blood sugar can be brought down aggressively and they can get fluid treatment to reduce the acidity of the blood.

Diabetes isn't a death sentence but ketoacidosis can be fatal so getting that under control is the most important thing to do right now.

It sounds like they did successfully get his blood sugar down into a safer range and they want to make sure that he's stable and responding well to the insulin.

Cushing's disease makes diabetes regulation challenging but it is also very difficult to accurately diagnose Cushing's in a dog who has just been diagnosed with diabetes unless his body pretty screams the visual / physical symptoms of Cushing's disease. So it's generally best to concentrate on the diabetes first. Get him going on insulin, hone in on an effective dose of insulin, and see how his body responds.

His response to insulin can help determine whether he might have Cushind's disease. If he does have Cushing's, he will need a lot of insulin to lower his blood sugar, possibly more than 1 unit per pound, and his blood sugar might not get down to ideal levels.

But don't borrow trouble. I personally think it's always best to start with the diabetes and worry about Cushing's disease AFTER you have a chance to see what the dog's response to insulin is. And in a dog with ketoacidosis, it's an absolute must to deal with the diabetes first.

I am hoping that maybe you have him home already... sounds like he might have been coming home soon.

I do encourage you to learn to test blood sugar at home regardless. It's a great tool that will allow you to give Kirby better blood sugar regulation. You don't need anyone's permssion to test at home - go for it if you want to. I'd recommend the OneTouch Ultra meter. I saw OneTouch 2s on sale at Target this week for $30. OneTouch Ultras (not the mini, get the full size) have so far proven the most accurate with canine blood, which is somewhat different from human blood, causing the meters to read the blood sugar somewhat lower than it actually is. We used a OneTouch Ultra for most of our dog's time with diabetes.

Everything here is crossed for Kirby's good response to the insulin and I hope he's home safe and snug with you already.

Natalie

[Soaphie & Sydney's Mom]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry your buddy is not feeling well! I agree with Natalie - sounds like your vet is making progress and getting him to feel better.

Once he gets home, please post more information if you can....what kind of dog is kirby? Male or female? Spayed/neutered? Age? Weight? What kind of food are you feeding, how much and when?

We are all here for you!

Tami and the two sugar pups...Soaph and Sydsta

[farrwf]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

He rarely ever pees in the house and what was even more odd was that it was sticky and kind of thick. I am wondering if anyone else had a newly diagnosed dog that had to be in the hospital but still couldn't get his diabetes under control.

Hi Katrina,

According to my vet, I didn't get Otis to him one minute too soon. Like you, I was unaware of the warning signs of diabetes and Otis went "undiagnosed" for at least a month.

O never peed in the house until the week before he was diagnosed, and like Kirby, his urine was thick and sticky. The excessive thirst and urination set off no bells for me. It was his behavior that prompted me to throw him in the car and head to the vet's office. He was quite lethargic and walked directly into a kitchen cabinet and fell over.

My vet was in surgery when I dropped O off, and I got a call a few hours later from Doc Bob telling me Otis had diabetes and his blood glucose was in the 500's and he had ketones in his blood.

He was on a couple of IV's for a couple of days until the ketones disappeared and the glucose came down to a "reasonable" level. Took a while after his release until the insulin had an impact on his excessive thirst and urination. Finally those symptoms dissipated and he was behaving somewhat normally.

It was a real scare, as the vet said we were close to losing him.

[CarolW]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Hi Katrina,

I'm sooooooooo glad you got Kirby to the hospital when you did! Sounds as though the vets saved his life. Once the ketones are gone, he's so much better off; next step is to work with the insulin, and get the dose adjusted - that will be a gradual process.

Natalie, as usual, gave you great information. I hope you can answer Tami's questions; I'll watch for that. Bill's story of Otis shows you well that you're not alone!

I also agree about leaving any thought of Cushings alone, till you work with the insulin, and see how that goes. Fortunately, treating Cushings isn't anything like as urgent as treating diabetes.

Here's a Big, Fat Welcome to you, to the finest forum I know on canine diabetes. (My Kumbi died a year ago June - of CANCER, not diabetes - and he lived a longer-than-normal lifespan for Australian Terriers, even though he was diabetic.)

Lets trust Kirby will live, too, beyond a normal lifespan. He could!

By the way, I used the OneTouch Ultra, and later, its newer model, the Ultra2, for the duration of Kumbi's diabetes. The Ultra2 practically tells you how to run the meter, once you set it up according to the manual. The meter is well-known for consistency and reliability. I kept Kumbi's meter. Couldn't bear to part with it! (But I had several others - same kind - and donated them - and a whole bunch of test strips, and other stuff, to my beloved vets.)

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 06:43:22 (PDT)

[Cebe]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Just wanted to add my welcome and to say that this is a process. You will get the hang of it. It does take time, though, so don't put too much pressure on yourself.

[Shellie]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Welcome from Hank and I as well! We totally know what you are going thru as Hank did a similar thing with his diagnosis. He starting with the drinking and urinating about a week before I took him in but showed no other signs. Turned out it wasn't a moment too soon due to the ketoacidosis! He was in the hospital for four days before they stabilized him.

It sounds like your vet is looking out for your pup and it often takes time at the beginning with the ketones and getting things started. I know you just want him home (and hopefully have him by now)!

The home testing will be most helpful, too! I use the same meter..Ultra2 and it's great...so easy to use!

Good luck to you and we'll keep you in our thoughts! Hugs!

[Kirby003]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Thanks for the support guys! I'm feeling a lot better now, the vet sent me home with Kirby last night. His blood sugar had gone way too high again yesterday on the humulin so she switched him over to Detemir (Levemir) and sent me home with an Alphatrak device to test his blood every two hours. This new insulin seems to be working a lot better. It worked a little too well at around 3:00 am when I tested his blood sugar and it was all the way down to 63! Luckily I had my corn syrup on hand (thanks to all of your advice) and I was able to rub it on his gums and feed him a little. I tested him again an hour later and he was at 235, 2 hours after that he was at 215, two hours after that he was at 236. All these numbers are much better than the 300-600s he was getting on the humulin. So my emergency vet suggested that we try to go from 2 units of this insulin to 1.5 units. I did that today and will test his blood again soon to see how it's doing. Hopefully my blood glucose curve looks more like the example one on this website! Kirby is looking like his old self, he's not drinking heavily or panting, he's very energetic and has a great appetite. Let's hope he keeps it up! Thanks again for your help guys.

- Kirby is a Bichon Frise, he is 8 years old, not neutered, weighs about 25 pounds and has had no other medical conditions up to this point. So far the vet has me feeding him Hills I/D.

[MaryLea]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Hi, Katrina, and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you got Kirby to the vet when you did and join Natalie in hoping he is at home with you soon. (You posted just after I opened this comment screen and I see he IS home now. Great news!)

Watching and hoping for more good news,

Mary

[Cebe]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Katrina you sound like an old pro already!

[Cara's Mom]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Welcome Katrina!!
I agree with the others.....taking Kirby to the hospital and leaving him there was the right thing to do. A lot of the dogs on this board started out the same way, incl mine! But it probably saved his life. Your poor wallet will hurt for a while, however Kirby seems to be doing better!

Keep up the good job!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

I am so happy to hear that Kirby is home and seems to be feeling so much better!

Natalie

[Kirby003]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Hey guys, i just tested Kirby's BG at his "fasting" time (thanks for the new term, I'll be sure to impress my vet with it tomorrow), and it was at ... drumroll please... 160!!!!! I'll be doing an overnight curve to make sure his numbers don't go too low, but I just wanted to celebrate that number with some people that I know will appreciate it!

[jjefferjo]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

Nice
Glad kirby is back home with you
Jj

[Cara's Mom]

Re: Newly diagnosed dog in hospital

GRRRRREAT! So happy for you!
Keep it up, Kirby...good dog!