Please update us on how you are doing

[k9diabetes]

Sometimes there's not much opportunity for people who don't happen to have a question about their diabetic dog to post anything - the only downside I can think of to having a dog's diabetes on cruise control!!

So please take a moment just to say hello and tell us how things are going.

And, by the way, you don't have to currently have a diabetic dog to participate! We care about the people and all the pets!

Natalie

[k9diabetes]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

At our house, I've been working my fanny off lately, which hasn't left me nearly enough internet time... The 400 page hardback book that I've been working on since last year is nearing completion and hopefully will go to press in September, plus a whole bunch of copyediting jobs.

Jack - canine, healthy but issues - bit someone last week...

Gus - feline, IBD and early stage lymphoma diagnosed about a year ago - is doing much better now that we switched from turkey to lamb. I'm hiding his pills in his food, with a little wax dripped over the prednisolone to keep him from tasting it and spitting it out. The change in food resolved literally months of diarrhea and a half a teaspoon of pumpkin a day is helping with the constipation that came after the diarrhea.

Katie - feline, apparently healthy - still hates Jack and needs a checkup as she's 13 and hasn't been to the vet in a couple of years. She also hates the vet. Last time she went she voided everything she could void in her carrier on the way TO the vet and it went downhill from there.

And as you all know we just passed the one year anniversary of losing Chris, which has occupied much of my thoughts lately. (There isn't a sad icon...) I'd probably totally obsess if Jack wasn't such a handful.

So that's our life in a nutshell.

Natalie

[bgdavis]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

It was 5 months ago yesterday that I lost Crissy Ann. She passed away on 3/11. There isn't a day that I don't think about her and I still have bouts of crying.

I guess I may be somewhat depressed. I thought that I'd start to feel better and get my life back to normal after the radiation treatments for my cancer ended. However, there are lots of side effects. I have very little saliva function left, so cannot swallow carbohydrates. I have very few working taste buds left, so some foods, like ice cream and chocolate, taste like crap. Any type of acid or roughness in texture will cause my mouth and throat to blister. And then I have a lot of swelling in my jaws, neck, and tongue from excess lymph fluid that has no place to go since the removal of the lymph nodes (called lymphedema).

So I continue to lose weight, making the doctors unhappy. I stay weak and my blood pressure is low. And I'm sick to death of Ensure!

I had a white cat show up at the house back in late May. I started to feed him as he was always around and my other 2 'free' cats didn't seem to mind. Named him Marshmallow. Looks like he might have some Persian and some Siamese in him. He has some red tips around his ears and face and bright blue eyes and he's a talker.

Took Mallow to be neutered yesterday. Got him a rabies shot and they found he had worms to be treated. Cost me $78. But now I won't have dozens of kittens showing up!

Pretty sad that a dog lady now has 3 cats (all strays/feral) and only 2 dogs. As much as I'd love to have another Samoyed, with my current health issues, I just can't take one on. Could hardly carry Mallow in the carrier yesterday and he only weighs 12 pounds. A year ago, I was carrying a 55 pound Criss up the stairs when it stormed.

Bonnie and Angel Criss

[k9diabetes]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Bonnie... I can't imagine not being depressed with all that you have been dealing with. Will any of the problems the radiation created get better with time or are you stuck with these issues indefinitely?

I say switch to milkshakes... can you have a vanilla milkshake?

I hope the doctors are taking the emotional impact of this seriously.

Is there anything we can do to help besides send a hug to you and Crissy Ann?

Natalie

[Dakotapix]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Some of you may recall my lament after Wolfie's last BG curve and how depressed I was about the continuing high numbers, especially after having seen some good progress after his previous curve. Along with that we got the news about the lesion in his left eye so we are seeing a canine eye specialist this Friday. I expect surgery to be recommended so in the mean time we won't be doing another curve for a while.

Right after that last curve Wolf displayed difficulty in chewing his prescription diet dry food (Purina NF) so I decided to try the canned version of this food. I decided to mix this along with the small bits of Science Diet low cal food that my son has been mixing for his mini Schnauzer, Buddy. The two dogs are essentially on the same diet, just different brands (Buddy had bladder stones removed earlier this year, same as Wolfie a couple years ago). The new food is a great hit with both dogs.

Anyway, preparation of the meals and mixing of the various ingredients for the two brothers requires that we break into a bit of a song to let them know meal time is close. Wolfie and Buddy start their dance as soon as they hear us.

Sung to the old tune Peggy Sue.

Wolfie stew, Wolfie stew
How he loves his Wolfie stew
Oh he loves it, his Wolfie stew-oo-oo-oo oooo
Oh he loves it so, oh he loves his Wolfie stew...

Thanks for indulging my little bit of fun. -- Chuck

[k9diabetes]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

LOL! I think this calls for video Chuck! You could be a YouTube sensation!!

Natalie

[Soaphie & Sydney's Mom]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Soaphie is doing pretty well. We had some high readings over the past few weeks so I've adjusted her insulin a bit. I'm hoping to be able to do a curve tomorrow. She still is a healthy weight. She has been having a "stand-off" with me lately (especially in the a.m.) - she wants something "additional" to her food....a SMALL bit of olive oil? Perhaps a shaving of parmesean cheese? Pathetic - but of course, I'll do anything to get her to eat....and she knows it! My husband wants me to get a stroller to put her in so she can run with me again....we'll see....pushing a 70 pound dog? hhhmmmm....

Sydney, non-diabetic, blew her coat last month. Man - what a mess that is. She barely has any hair left - just the outside fur. It's bizarre. She decided now that on some days she just prefers one meal vs. two. She seems to be aging faster than Soaphie and they are only 10 months apart in age. Everyone still asks if Soaphie's a puppy...

I'm recovering from Ironman Lake Placid and getting ready for Ironman Arizona in November.

Tami & Soaphie (and non-diabetic Syd)

[ravenecw]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

I have noticed it has been a lilttle quiet lately and it is nice to continue to read. I stop on here lots, as much for my dog Sable as well as just reading, learning and seeing how others are doing.

Sable has been doing pretty well, her weight stays the same and although the vet would like to see her lose another 2-3 lbs i'm happy where she is at (and to be honest wouldn't mind if she gained a pound even).

Her bg numbers are fairly good, high at feeding times (as if the insulin wears off) but fairly good otherwise. The good news, when she is high a walk around the block or two will get her coming down rather quickly (even though maybe a gradual change would be better... it just seems like a walk almost jump starts the insulin to a degree and plus with the walk she usually goes to the bathroom which also makes her bg numbers drop- I have been limiting to short walks to try not to use up the insulin with too much excercise as she tends to be pretty active, not hyper just active). I am hoping to to try NPH insulin but have not heard back from the vet and I am trying to be a good guy and work "with" the vet not just on my own (even though I truly believe in this forum more than my vet when it comes to diabetes).

Hmmm, what else... well I just got off of work and playing with Sable some, thought i'd pop on and see what's up... the usual routine... take care everyone and I will be here to learn (and help when I can)... thanks....

[brittanyt]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

bonnie-

i'm very sorry about your loss. my 4 year old (greyson's uncle) was killed 3 years ago on june 11. i thought with time it would get easier, but like you, not a day goes by that i still don't think of him. i still cry. so sorry to read about your health problems-- i will keep you in my thoughts/prayers .

brittany

It was 5 months ago yesterday that I lost Crissy Ann. She passed away on 3/11. There isn't a day that I don't think about her and I still have bouts of crying.

I guess I may be somewhat depressed. I thought that I'd start to feel better and get my life back to normal after the radiation treatments for my cancer ended. However, there are lots of side effects. I have very little saliva function left, so cannot swallow carbohydrates. I have very few working taste buds left, so some foods, like ice cream and chocolate, taste like crap. Any type of acid or roughness in texture will cause my mouth and throat to blister. And then I have a lot of swelling in my jaws, neck, and tongue from excess lymph fluid that has no place to go since the removal of the lymph nodes (called lymphedema).

So I continue to lose weight, making the doctors unhappy. I stay weak and my blood pressure is low. And I'm sick to death of Ensure!

I had a white cat show up at the house back in late May. I started to feed him as he was always around and my other 2 'free' cats didn't seem to mind. Named him Marshmallow. Looks like he might have some Persian and some Siamese in him. He has some red tips around his ears and face and bright blue eyes and he's a talker.

Took Mallow to be neutered yesterday. Got him a rabies shot and they found he had worms to be treated. Cost me $78. But now I won't have dozens of kittens showing up!

Pretty sad that a dog lady now has 3 cats (all strays/feral) and only 2 dogs. As much as I'd love to have another Samoyed, with my current health issues, I just can't take one on. Could hardly carry Mallow in the carrier yesterday and he only weighs 12 pounds. A year ago, I was carrying a 55 pound Criss up the stairs when it stormed.

Bonnie and Angel Criss

[Patty]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Hi all,
We've been struggling a bit the last couple weeks. Ali developed a "new" pattern and started dropping hard in the late afternoon. We had a hypo complete with jerky movements - got the honey into her and some rice. And dropped her insulin. She did it again about 10 days later after being a lovely 225 and 148 earlier in the day before her meals. I dropped her insulin again and started adding more rice to her 2nd meals.

Last week I noticed she had started scooting a bit...sometimes a sign of allergies flaring as this is where she comes into contact with everything and we'd been out and about more. I rinsed her off and noticed some thin white discharge at her vulva. Thought maybe it could be yeast infection since she'd been on antibiotics for her tail surgery. Apparently vaginal yeast infections are rare in dogs (mainly just ears and skin) due to the difference in their anatomy - didn't know that.

The vet did a cysto for urinalysis and culture and a swab of the area to send off. Cysto was negative - bladder was clean, but swab showed e.coli (most common type of urinary infection) resistant to 10 of the 15 meds listed. Vet thinks it may be a lower tract infection or vaginitis. She's been on Baytril for 5 days now. Still showing some signs of infection and we have 2 tabs left...may need to extend the dose. I also increased the frequency of her D-Mannose to 4x's a day.

Her blood sugar is in the upper 300s in the am and drops to the 100s in afternoon but stays higher over night without the activity - although she's been sleeping more during the day lately as well.

Looking forward to a clean bill of health and hoping this crazy pattern changes as she gets better!

[eyelostit]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Bonnie

I can't even imagine all you've been thru, has the radiation helped make things better other than all the trouble you are having from it?

I can relate to the Ensure, as my dad had to drink quite alot of it.

Dolly

[eyelostit]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Niki is doing good, alot going on here at home so I can't be here as much as I'd like to be. I really miss all of you and will be back as soon as I can.

Dolly

[bgdavis]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

Dolly,
You cracked me up! "..has the radiation helped make things better other than all the trouble you are having from it?"

I'd guess I'd have to say, "Yes, because the cancer's gone!" I've just been in a funk. It'll eventually get better.

Bonnie and Angel Criss

[forloveofandy]

Re: Please just update us on how you are doing

I love threads like this. Good to know what is currently going on.

Andy is doing well. He still has his issues with allergies and is on the last three days of antibiotics. I will be taking him in for another culture of his nose to see if the bacteria is gone.

I am feeding him “The Honest Kitchen” food, both Thrive and Embark. It is dehydrated raw and I feel good about feeding it. It is all human grade, made in a human food manufacturing facility. I have learned that brown rice is magic for Andy. I add small amounts of it for fiber. I also add fresh cooked chicken and turkey.

Andy continues to take both R and N in the same syringe. I admit his BG is still a struggle but for all his ailments I feel we do a good job of keeping it as low as possible.

My other three dogs are doing great. I almost adopted a 16 year old senior doxie but decided against it. He is a mirror image of Andy and I fell in love with his picture the minute I saw it. The rescue group told me he is not completely housetrained and may not understand a dog door. With both of us working, this might not be a good situation.
One of his owners died and the other is in a nursing home.

I am open to adopting a senior doxie. The right one will come along

Andy sends his love to all of you!

[Dollydog]

Re: Please update us on how you are doing

Hi Bonnie,
I think of you often and wonder how you're doing. I see your posts every once in awhile so know you're around.
I guess depression is normal with everything you've been facing but I hope it lifts soon. Please stay close to all of us if it helps. Some day I'm going to need pointers on how to cope but for now we keep on keeping on.
(((HUGS)))
Jo-Ann & Lady