Yuki has crossed the bridge Dec 2020

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Thanks everyone. So he is back up to 29.5 pounds but he just feels thin, like all his muscle is gone. He seems to be in a great mood, but it's been hard to walk him lately let alone get him outside. I live in michigan and we have had below zero temps the last week. It was tough trying to get him to do his business but we managed.

I am going to do a curve with the 12 units and start lowering in 1/2 doses to see if he maintains. He is at the 200's right now most of the time.

Should I get a fructosamine test?

[MikeMurphy]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Sounds like a good plan.

I wouldn’t bother with a fructosomine test, which shows the average BG over the past 2 - 3 weeks. A BG curve is more accurate in that it shows real time BG levels and trends. A fructosomine test might show an average BG of 200, but you don’t know what the highs and lows are and you might miss possible rebound or dangerously low BG.

https://www.adwdiabetes.com/articles...glucose-curves

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Mike makes good sense . If you were not testing blood sugar and you had no other way to determine what regulation looks like it maybe helpful

The problem if you had blood sugar from a high of 500 and a low of 50 the test may say you need more insulin but that 50 says no

So what would you do with a test like this . If its adequate it may give you some peace of mind . If its not good what will you do based on curves you have already have done and proceeded with regulation ? how will the test move you forward except bring more anxiety on you and that could be transferred to your dog

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

You are right - the vet just always tries to push the test on us. He is very comfortable with me taking his blood whenever I need to so I am just going to continue doing that.

One thing I do want to ask though - when I give Yukon his insulin he seems to zone out for about an hour or so. Just kind of stares into space. There have been a couple times that he has acted normal, but for the most part he changes his demeanor quickly.

Is that normal?

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

my jesse could after food and insulin become lethargic if her blood sugar is spiking or dropping but just giving her the shot has no affect . NPH insulin onset for jesse is about 1.5 hours .

Maybe after feeding can cause some tiredness of feeling full. maybe some discomfort with belly pain . Maybe a reaction to insulin is a possibility .

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Ok makes sense. I was informed today that I will need to give the shots this weekend my husband is going out of town. I am so scared, I only did a test shot at the vet 4 months ago. My husband has been givin the shots and Ihave been testing the blood.

We both do the shots with me talking to him and looking him in the face.

Does anybody have any advice on giving the shot on my own and I am scared. I am definitely going to give it before his food. I just keep thinking about it and stressing out ☹️

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

You might want to think twice about giving a shot before meal because if your dog does not want to eat you cant take that dose of insulin back .

Your dog is already use to shots so i think you maybe getting all worked for nothing . Do some practice before your husband leaves and work up some confidence . The thing with shots you have no choice and i think the dogs understand that also . I know my jesse does .

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

I know. He's just my baby so I don't want to hurt him. I have been pulling his skin the last week in a tent for him to get used to it. I don't want to practice in front of my husband because I am even more nervous.

Should I do it 1/2 way between meals?

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Most give insulin after meal . Some wait 15 minutes to see if food will stay down . i give my jesse her shot while she is eating

Jesses original vet thought i was cruel testing jesse on her inner lip . For me keeping jesse safe was more important than any discomfort and come to find out there wasn't any and she gives me a kiss after her test saying thank you for caring for me

You have to get out of the mindset that you are harming your dog you are caring for them and giving them the opportunity to have a happy dogs life

Dogs in the end like structure and routine and that is what makes them happy

[Raysaint]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Give the insulin soon after she eats. Do not change the injection time, as that will totally change the curve and blood sugar pattern.
Consistency is of utmost importance in diabetes.

As for giving injections, it is so easy. Just pull the skin up a bit, jab in quickly, straight down into the tent, inject slowly.
A lot of instructional demos say use a specific angle and inject in a certain spot on the tent, etc. To me, there's more risk of the needle poking thru and out the other side.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Yukon's BG has been in the 500-600's the past couple days. The only thing that has changed is I opened a new bag of dog food.

Could that cause a spike in BG? And if so will it eventually level out? What should I do?

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Food for jesse hasn't made a big impact as far as changing some of her homemade ingredients . I dont have much experience with commercial diets since jesse has became diabetic but i would not think that you would see a big difference from one bag of food to another that is the same brand . I guess you could check if they did a ingredient change maybe contacting the manufacturer or compare from previous bag

[Raysaint]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

If the food is identical brand and formula, it shouldn't change sugar numbers significantly. If her sugars haven't been in the 500-600 range, then they should level out.

My dog has high days for no apparent reason. Their bodies aren't a machine. Metabolism is a very individual thing, and a very unpredictable and changing thing in many people, and dogs apparently.

[YukiesMom]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Hi everyone so I have been giving Yukon his insulin injections the last six days and things have been going really well. I noticed last Friday and Saturday his blood glucose was in the high 500s. The bottle of Vetsulin is a little less than half full so I decided to open a new bottle and mix the old with the new.

The next few days his blood glucose was doing much better in the 200s and 300s at peak which is good for Yukon.

He was in a great mood today all day and I brought him home and gave him his normal meal and insulin shot and right after we go for our normal walk, in which he wanted to go longer than what we usually do. I took his blood at 8:15 and his blood glucose was 621. That was about two hours after his food and insulin.

Why is this happening and what do I need to do? How can a dog be acting wonderful until the evening shot and food?
.

[jesse girl]

Re: Diabetes, Cushings and Pancreatitis in my Dog

Hi everyone so I have been giving Yukon his insulin injections the last six days and things have been going really well. I noticed last Friday and Saturday his blood glucose was in the high 500s. The bottle of Vetsulin is a little less than half full so I decided to open a new bottle and mix the old with the new.

The next few days his blood glucose was doing much better in the 200s and 300s at peak which is good for Yukon.

He was in a great mood today all day and I brought him home and gave him his normal meal and insulin shot and right after we go for our normal walk, in which he wanted to go longer than what we usually do. I took his blood at 8:15 and his blood glucose was 621. That was about two hours after his food and insulin.

Why is this happening and what do I need to do? How can a dog be acting wonderful until the evening shot and food?
.

Its hard to say walks can lower sugar but sometimes they can raise sugar if insulin is running out . Its also the extra long walk could have created low sugar and you may have seen rebound off those lower numbers . A change in routine even small can have an impact but its all just speculation

Glad yule is feeling like having fun and shows things are getting better