Ricky's story

[Ricksma]

Hi! My sugar baby is Ricky, a 4 yo Chihuahua who was diagnosed in July, 2007. When he was diagnosed, my husband and I were devastated...we had lost another diabetic pet, Butch, to kidney failure just three years before, and we could not believe that we might also lose our sweet Rick. Up to that point, we kept saying how grateful we were that he was healthy and didn't have to endure what Butch did...we didn't think he had the temperment for all the poking and prodding, and we were afraid he would go blind. (Butchie was blind for the last 4 years of his life.) Little did we know that Rick would also have diabetes, and when we did find out, we did what everyone does. We cried, we pulled it together, and we started to take care of our best friend. He showed us a side of him we didn't know existed...sweet-natured, precious, and VERY patient with me. He is 11 pounds, on Humulin N 3 1/2u, and Humulin R 1/2u, twice a day, eats homecooked food (with baked WD patty), and gets milk thistle and a multivitamin. I want to add digestive enzymes and something for kidney health, and I will soon do that.
As for now, we live each day enjoying each other. I said when he was diagnosed that we would play ball every day, as long as he could (ball is his favorite thing). And that is exactly what we are doing.

Love, Teresa

[k9diabetes]

Re: Ricky's story

Ricky is so cute!!

Hard to believe you are doing this the second time around.

I'm so grateful for the internet this time around. I had a diabetic cat 10 years ago who never really responded to insulin. She lived 14 long difficult months with high blood sugar. I'm sure if I'd had access to the internet then I could have helped her more.

Natalie

[Ricksma]

Re: Ricky's story

I agree about the internet and all the resources that are available now making the difference between just surviving with diabetes and actually living with it. When we had Butchie to care for, we actually bought a glucometer, then couldn't find any info on how to use it on him. He was diabetic for NINE YEARS without benefit of blood testing. Needless to say, we went through some terrible times with bouts of pancreatitis (I now know that's what it was), and everything else. We never really knew about the relationship between the insulin and the food. Now, I feel we are armed with the best information we can get, and with the help of you guys here, the best support we can get, and Ricky has a much better chance of LIVING with diabetes. Thank you all so much.

Love, Teresa and Ricky