Yuki has crossed the bridge Dec 2020

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Its really hard to draw any conclusions but if there is some minor gum disease and the wipes help with that and reduce inflammation i could see that lowering sugar

either way hope it continues . I am not sure if you signed up with our sister site K9 cushings they maybe helpful in getting some answers

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Yes I am signed up with the K9 Cushings website as well. I did another curve yesterday and into today and it appears his BG levels are tanking 1 hour before his second meal. Tonight at 5:45 his BG was 90! I fed him and gave him his 11u of Vetsulin and took it again at 8:45 p.m. 510

I will post the full curve tomorrow. My vet told me to take the green Bean snacks out I give him twice a day. I did yesterday, but today when it was 90 I walked him and gave him a small treat.

I am really stumped now.

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Well walks and exercise can drop blood sugar and it can be substantial

big swing in sugar can point to a dose being to much but if exercise is responsible it can point to a artificial response over a dog at rest

the curve will be helpful but if there was rebound off the lower number you may see higher trend for a couple days until the hormones and excess sugar is cleared

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thanks for the information. He was drinking a ton last night and got up around 3:30 for a walk. I took his BG at 5:15 a.m. and it was 411 - much higher than the usual morning number so what you are saying makes sense.

I think this Cushings and hormone imbalance is playing a big role in not being able to balance his insulin. I wish I could find a vet that has experience in both disorders and wants to try to figure it out with me.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Here is the Curve I did this past weekend. I am going to try to transition him onto the Royal Canin Glycobalance dog food and phase out the Royal Canin Hydrolized Protein.


6:00 a.m. 343Yukon’s Blood Glucose getting up no food
6:15 a.m. Gave Yukon Food and then Shot after Food 11.0 Units
7:15 a.m. 526
8:15 a.m. 608
9:15 a.m. 419
10:15 a.m. 504Had to poke him 4 times – maybe made nervous?
11:15 a.m. 535Went for short walk before blood draw
1:15 p.m. 337
3:15 p.m. 172
5:15 p.m. 137
6:15 p.m. 105
6:30 p.m. Gave Yukon Food and then Shot after Food 11.0 Unit
10:45 p.m. 405

Sunday, December, 9th
4:45 a.m. 375Gave Yukon small amount of green beans with antibiotic
6:30 p.m. Gave Yukon Food and then Shot after Food 11.0 Unit
7:45 a.m. 565
5:45 p.m. 90
8:45 p.m. 510

Monday, December 10th
5:15 a.m. 418No food yet, drank a lot of water all night

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

The big drop is problematic . Whether you are seeing rebound off the low point is speculation but it has the classic signs

A food change maybe helpful

There have been members that managed both cushings and diabetes they may have not had great regulation but they made it work

As far as raising the dose its difficult to do with those lower numbers you posted

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

He is off the antibiotic as of today and has been off melatonin for about 3 weeks.

I am sure the next few days will be more changes.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Has anyone given their dogs Ceylon cinnamon with their food? I have read many articles that it helps with blood glucose.

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I gave cinnamon to jesse and all it did for her was give her nice breath . It did no harm so i dont think it could hurt to try but always monitor a bit more when adding something new to the routine

[Raysaint]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Cinnamon and supplements like that are more for Type 2 diabetics, from everything I know.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to update you on Yukon's situation. I basically gave up on the Internal Medicine doctor because after the initial appointment I never dealt with her, always her assistant. It seemed like they just wanted to make money, not help my Yukon and did not address issues that needed to be addressed.

I did a STIM test with my regular vet to recheck all Yukon's Hormone levels and he still does not have elevated cortisol, and his other hormones got a little better. He does not have high estradiol anymore, only Androstenedione and 17OH Progesterone. I am hoping that is because I was treating with the flax hull lignans and melatonin. This is definitely Atypical Cushings.

Because I had to take him off the Melatonin due to possible insulin resistance, I started giving him the lignans twice a day about an hour after the insulin injection and I changed his food to Glycobalance.

The BG is going down from his over 500 - below is the curve I did yesterday:

6:00 a.m. 217 No Food - Just Waking Up
6:15 a.m. Food & 11 units Vetsulin
8:15 a.m. 368
10:20 a.m. 370
12:30 p.m. 305
2:20 p.m. 306
4:20 p.m. 346
6:00 p.m. 258
6:15 p.m. Food & 11 units Vetsulin
9:00 p.m. 457

It is getting better, but I am just wondering if I should increase the dosage or try a different insulin.

Any suggestions? My vet seems to think that 11 units is a lot for him, but I thought it was 1/2 cc per pound so at 30 pounds it could go up to 15 units.

Thanks,

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Definitely a big improvement in the curve

If the big spike after food and insulin is consistent you maybe able to add a fast or short acting insulin to slow it down a bit but the key word is consistent so you might want to hold the dose and let it settle for a bit longer before trying . Plus you have done a food change so that may lead you to hold for the dose for a bit longer to see what impact that will have

The other possibility is raising the dose maybe a half unit and see if that has an affect .

As far as changing insulin's there are only a few that have worked fairly well in dogs which is vetsulin . NPH . and levemir . Like i said sometimes that fast short acting can be helpful for some dogs especially with spiking sugar at food and shot time

There can always be a possibility the dose is to much causing the instability and the only way to do that is a reduction and maybe dramatic and let it settle

I wish i could tell you what direction to go but that is not possible for me to do . I had to try most of these things with jesse till she found her regulation and her routine ended up being far different from most on here .

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thanks for the information. So the fast acting I would give him the regular 11 units and then the fast acting shot as well? How does that normally work?

I don't think my vet is versed on this so I would need to explain to her.

Thanks,

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

yes you would give at the same time as your normal insulin and meal

[rocksmom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I'm not going to be much help, but just wanted to add that our dogs have similar health conditions with the cushing's and allergies and we just got a good curve result today with 8u of vetsulin. He's currently at 16 pounds so right at that .5u/lb mark you mentioned. Our internist also brought up the complications from cushing's and said not to be too hung up on the number. She basically said if it works, it works.