Mik is gone...

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Works like a charm The weenie smell outdoes the med smell everytime. Glad it worked for you

It was a fabulous tip! I can't believe how he just gobbled it down. Not even a dirty look. I was truly worried because he needs 6 pills a day. I force down just one, and he's GONE for the day! Hides from me.

Now, I have a method that works.

Unending thanks!

[peggy0]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

One of those hot dogs has 50 calories, no sugar, 1 gram of fat and 2 carbs. They are all beef. You'll have to see if they raise his BG. Boiled chicken raises my dogs, but if they get the pills into him, so be it.

[BaileyBear]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Fantastic! Glad the hot dogs are working so well. Hebrew National are my favorite hot dogs...Mik & Mak have excellent taste.

My parents had a Shih-Tzu who was bonkers for Cheerios too - her absolute favorite treat and the one thing she wold eat when wasn't feeling well. Maybe it's a breed quirk, lol.

[eyelostit]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Glad the Hebrew hot dogs are working, now I need to buy some of those hot dogs, I've never tasted them !

[peggy0]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

YUM!! they are delicious!!!

[Cara's Mom]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Hi Robert, Mik and Mak!!(I love those names!!)
Have nothing to add, just wanted to say: "Welcome"! I see you have had some very good advice and you are doing an excellent job! Keep up to good work

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Thanks all.

Of course, Mik & Mak have mysteriously come to believe they are in charge. No idea where that came from.

So, now they wait for the wieners. Patiently.

Gave 1.5 IU to Mik and watching closely. He ate well, ketone's are neg, but glucose still high. Hard to read those color references, but methinks over 1000, perhaps 1500. Got to get them down.

In my eternal quest to find something they like, I found "natural foods, entrée for dogs, loaded with chicken, rice, vitamins from a healthy dog store.

Not cheap, but they love it.

Between the wieners and this stuff, have to visit Costco to see if they have any of this stuff cheaper.

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Hi Robert, Mik and Mak!!(I love those names!!)

Heh, since they did everything together, rarely separated, wife would just call them together, "MIKMAK!"

They leaped together.

[We Hope]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Bob,

What was the outcome of asking your vet about Mik's having a basal morning insulin dose even if he eats zero, and then his evening one to be based on how well he does eat?

We know we need to get more insulin into him, but that's determined on the way he's eating.

Kathy

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Bob,

What was the outcome of asking your vet about Mik's having a basal morning insulin dose even if he eats zero, and then his evening one to be based on how well he does eat?

We know we need to get more insulin into him, but that's determined on the way he's eating.

Kathy

He agreed, but I often get the impression that he is learning along with me, thanks to this forum. He is very good vet, but not highly experienced with pet diabetes. I told hiim Mik's insulin would go up in gradual steps.

Tonight, he ate very well, so gave him just over 1 IU. This am, .5 with some minor food.

[We Hope]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Bob,

Sounds good to me! Being consistent with the insulin is what gets the bg's down. What I mean when I say that is now that Mik is giving us more "opportunities" to give him more insulin, it's this consistency--basal only in AM if no breakfast and second insulin dose based on Mik's meal--that should start helping to get rid of those high urine results.

What they used to do to try to keep diabetics going in the years before insulin was isolated and available for use was to feed diabetes patients extremely little. They knew that the food they ate made their blood glucose rise but they had nothing to lower them with. So they were able to eat only enough to keep their bodies alive--a "starvation diet", if you will.

I think once you get into the habit of that morning dose and the evening dose based on what Mik eats, you will see him improve even more.

Kathy

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Thanks,, Kathy, that is my goal. I was lucky at 5 am because Mak got up, and that triggered Mik. Once in the kitchen they ate a tiny bit.

What worries me is when they are fully asleep. My plan is to carry Mik to the kitchen and get him going with wiener bits. [he won't wake or come when sleeping--he zonks out] Then a small dose.

[We Hope]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Bob,

The 0.50 IU is fine even if Mik won't eat, but so much the better if he might start eating in the morning, because it might open the door to him being able to have more than that if he starts eating something in the morning.

I agree with you about not giving him the shot while he's asleep because it could be a frightening thing for him.

[robertpri]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Not doing well today. I tried to rouse him at 5 am, no luck. I could not give him even a small shot and then be gone for hours.

At 2 p, he would not eat anything except, you guessed it, wieners.

So, I gave him about one to get something in his tummy, then 1.5 IU.

He needs the insulin, but I've got to get food into him.

Scheesh---

It's a catch-22: he needs food for the insulin, but has no appetite until he gets the insulin, which he needs, etc

[peggy0]

Re: Mik: 13 yr old Shih-Tzu: importance of scheduled meals & insulin?

Robert

If you boil the hot dogs, or even microwave them in some water, you can pour some of the broth over his kibble. It will taste like the weenies but get some kibble in him. May be worth a try