Canine Diabetes: My Experience With a Diabetic Dog

by Terri Potratz | November 13, 2008 at 10:30 am

3345 views | 1 Recommendation | 16 comments

November 14th marks World Diabetes Day, but humans aren't the only ones who suffer from this disease. Canine diabetes and feline diabetes often affect human companions, their beloved cats and dogs.

Diabetes mellitus strikes 1 in 400 cats and a similar number of dogs, though recent veterinary studies note that it is becoming more common lately in cats. Symptoms in dogs and cats are similar to those in humans. Generally, most dogs and about 5-20% of cats experience type-1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, rather than the type-2 that's now becoming common in obese humans. The other 80-95% of cats experience type-2 diabetes. The condition is definitely treatable, and need not shorten the animal's life span or life quality. In type-2 cats, prompt effective treatment can even lead to diabetic remission, in which the cat no longer needs injected insulin. Untreated, the condition leads to blindness in dogs, increasingly weak legs in cats, and eventually malnutrition, ketoacidosis and/or dehydration, and death.

When my dog was 13 she was diagnosed with diabetes. She was a big old mutt, about 125 pounds, a bit arthritic and definitely senior. But even at that age she loved rolling around in the grass at the park, swimming and playing with other dogs...so when she started acting strangely (drinking water non-stop, urinating in the house, having considerable difficulty getting up, staggering a bit) I took her to the vet immediately and hoped it wasn't serious.

As soon as I mentioned the increased water drinking and urinating, my vet sent Chloe outside with an assistant who took a urine sample. The ketones in her urine were through the roof, and my vet sent us home with the recommendation that I put Chloe down. I was shattered; treatment options were available, but my vet wasn't recommending that route.

I was terrified that I would make a decision out of selfishness, and feared that if I decided to regulate her on insulin (a days-long procedure that would require her to stay at the vet hospital and cost hundreds of dollars) I would be prolonging her pain for my benefit. But something my brother said stuck with me and made the decision very clear. He said, "I don't think it's fair to extinguish a life while there is still life there." So we went ahead with treating the diabetes.

Chloe stayed at the vet's for nearly 3 days while they regulated her on insulin doses twice a day, closely monitoring her blood sugar levels. When I picked her up, she was incredibly anxious but happy and relieved to see me. Learning how to administer the insulin injections was a breeze - you don't have to hit a vein, just an easy shot in the scruff of the neck. Keeping up with monitoring the glucose levels/ketones in her urine was another challenge, though. A bit embarrassing crouching down behind my dog with urine strips in front of our neighbours, but I got over that pretty quickly. When we revisited the vet after a few weeks for a check-up, the doctor was amazed - it was clear that she realized she had made the wrong suggestion when she hinted that I should put Chloe down. This dog had a new lease on life.

A few weeks on the insulin Chloe's eyesight started to worsen - at 13 it wasn't all too great to begin with, but within weeks she was nearly blind. She seemed to be adjusting quite well though - I taught her new words on walks, such as "step up" and "step down" and she would blindly flail her paws on those commands searching for the curb. Poor eyesight slow down the pep in her walk, though she did bump into a few light posts along the way when I wasn't paying attention - she quickly learned what "watch out!" meant as well. I taught her these things on my own, and was disappointed when I asked the vets if there was anything else I could do to help her adjust to the near-blindness. The only advice they had was, "don't move the furniture in your house around." They were shocked when I told them I had taught her these new walking commands, and I was shocked they hadn't suggested doing so in the first place.

Chloe lived for another full year as a diabetic dog, to the age of 14. She was loving life right up until the very end, and I had adjusted fairly quickly to my life of rushing home twice a day every day for a year to give her her shots. Taking care of a diabetic pet is a lot of responsibility, as their diet and insulin needs to be well regulated and closely watched. Anything that required my attention at 9am or 9pm was out of the question - you make that commitment to give up aspects of your social life and freedom when and if you decide to take the treatment route with your diabetic pet, but the commitment is well worth it.

Other advice I have for pet owners adjusting to life with a diabetic dog:

Carry emergency glucose gel packs or corn syrup with you at all times. Chloe had a diabetic episode once during a walk and I had to flag down an ambulance for help - we were lucky.
Talk a lot, especially if your dog is dealing with blindness. I would whistle, scuff my shoes on the pavement or talk during walks so that Chloe could always hear where I was.
Try simple new commands if you think your sight-challenged dog is having trouble. Chloe picked these up quite quickly, but her mind was still intact so that helped - she learned "step up," "step down," "careful," and "watch out!" She would become cautious at careful, and stop in her tracks at watch out.
Give a treat when you administer the insulin, or do it while your dog is eating.

Here's to finding a cure for diabetic people, and animals, all around the world on November 14.

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Kathy Brooks (not verified)

at 08:48 on December 31st, 2008

Thanks for your information. Our 12 year old Schnauzer, Scarlett, was diagnosed with diabetes in September and was immediately put on Insulin. Having Cushings has made it a little complicated to regulate the Insulin but we have a very dedicated Vet so things have gone well. Scarlett seemed to suddenly go completely blind over the past 4 days. She is a little confused but is doing fairly well. We have having our home renovated so she has bumped into a few things but we know she will adapt once it is completed in a few weeks.

We would be interested in hearing from others in the same situation. Our main concern now is life expectancy and deciding if we should have cataract surgery.

Thanks again

Carol C (not verified)

at 11:17 on March 2nd, 2009

Hi Kathy. I hope you get this message (I don't know if they forward them to your email). My 8 year old Schnauzer was diagnosed with diabetes about 5 weeks ago, and went completely blind within a two day period that broke my heart. They are still trying to get her sugar levels stabilized - they were up over 700 and still haven't gotten below 500. I thought she had Cushings, but her test was negative (thank goodness!). The odd thing about this is that she had absolutely no symptoms. She had bladder stones about 4 years ago and was on Science Diet CD. She had blood in her urine that went away in a few days so I figured they were back. The vet said that she now had a different kind of crystals in her urine and he changed her to Royal Canin food. Within 24 hours she was drinking water so much that I had a hard time keeping her water dish full. She was urinating every 30 minutes or so and that went on for over a week. I took her off the Royal Canin and put her back on Science Diet, but the drinking and urinating didn't let up a bit. I changed vets and he said her levels were over 700 and that she was diabetic. She was put on 4 units of insulin twice a day, and then after two weeks, she spent the day at the vet and he tested her levels all day. They never went below 622. He originally didn't want her off the Science Diet because of the stones, but I felt that stones were something we could deal with if they happened, and that controlling the diabetes was critical, so he put her on DSC food. Her level dropped to 500 within a week. She goes next week for a day long stay to see how they are now. Her blindness breaks my heart because of one of her favorite things was chasing her toys, and now she can't do that. But if we can get her levels under control, they can operate on the eyes (it's around $4,000), but since she's only 8, I would do it to save her life. I love her very much. She was a rescue who was badly abused and it took me about six months to get her over her fear aggression and food aggression with love and time to help her feel secure and learn to trust people again. After all she has been through, she deserves everything I can do to help her.

Have you priced surgery in your area?

Carol

Karen Heringer (not verified)

at 08:34 on January 7th, 2009

In June 2008 our 12 year old toy poodle Hershey developed diabetes, ketoacidosis and pancreatitis over the course of one week. The vet could not believe she had masked her symptoms so well. She was in critical care for 4 days to stabilize all the issues and home care for the last six months has been a true test of committment. My mom has learned to administer the injections so in case of emergency there is a back up person available. There are a lot of emotional ups and downs in canine diabetes and maintaining a sense of humor has been integral. Thankfully she has not lost her eyesight as yet, there are cataracts forming but she still can bark at the television or see a squirrel in the backyard as she gazes out the kitchen window. We have a homeopathic vet as well as a regular vet and the combination of the two has been amazing. The regular vet deals with the diabetes management and the homeopathic vet has stabilized her liver issues with values that were going to be fatal returning to near normal. "Milk thistle" is a great wonder herb for the liver. We have also consulted chinese herbs for treating her "constitution" as the chinese say and she has had amazing results with this as well. She is on two insulin shots per day, a lean diet due the pancreatitis threat, which gets some glucosamine powder for her joints, and two liver supplements. What a change from a dog who never had a health issue her whole life. We feel as long as she is wagging her tail and appears happy she is a family member who deserves the care and attention that any family member deserves when times get rough. Apparently diabetes ages a dogs internal body about 3-4 years beyond its natural age. We do not know how long we will have her, but we do know that this little dog has given us enough love over the years to deserve it all to be given back ten fold. We are thankful for the knowledge imparted to us to keep her going for the present time.

Leteff (not verified)

at 07:09 on May 1st, 2009

When I was searching for information on my dogs condition I read kathys story of her dog. Im scared as my LuLu has just got treated for diabetes. Your story is just like my Pet except that her eye sight isnt gone yet but Im starting to see sign of it. My vet can not get her level low and the unit is just the same as your pet 4 units 2xs a day. She is on science diet w/d can food but her level wont drop below 500. Im lost as what else to do for her and Im scared of whats next. Shes a rescure pet and is 8 years old. I love her so much but I also feel guilt for her condition because I over feed her people food and was unable to recgonize the signs early and am worried about getting her the things she need as Im on social sercurity.

My vet is great She works with me on the bill but she has little knowledge on this condition. she said she hasnt treated but 2 dogs.

I would like to know more about what I can do to help my LuLu. Please let me know if there is any more I can do.

Thanks

Leteff (not verified)

at 07:28 on May 1st, 2009

Im searching for a web site I can buy her food and syringes at a great cost It might be cheaper then the vet. Does anyone know where to go .

raelene Wynder (not verified)

at 22:42 on July 22nd, 2009

yes there is a sight called petpharm.org

Jchristian30 (not verified)

at 19:51 on August 12th, 2009

Hello Leteff,

If your dog is on diabetic dog food, it will be really hard to find someone who is cheaper than someone else. I use petsmart and my vet for Royal Canin Diabetic HF and they are the exact same price at both places. The syringes you can get cheaper online. I use American Diabetes and they carry U-40 syringes if that is what you need (used for Vetsulin). You just type in U-40 in there search box and it will pull up their syringes for pets only. You can purchase a 100 syringes for $16.00 plus the shipping. You will also get a sharps container with the syringes so you can recycle it at any vet without the worry of sticking someone. They are by far the cheapest I have found online and with my vets in town. Hope this helps and good luck.

Robert Glasgow (not verified)

at 02:09 on June 6th, 2009

I have had my dog Sam now for 10 years. She was a rescue dog and was about 3 when I got her. She has never had a day illness in her life until 2 days before New Year 08/09 she collapsed and went all tense, couldnt move and was just leaking from every opening. I rushed her to the vet. To my dismay, he want to put her to sleep there and then. I refused and left her in care overnight. The next day at 9am I called and he suggested it again. I refused and went to see her. As soon as I walked in, she tried to left her head and her tail gave a little wag. That was enough for me. I left her overnight again. New Years Day I sat outside the vet and waited to see anyone moving. There was no problem getting in at all and she was in a kennel with a drip. Not eating or drinking. I managed to get her to take water and 2 little pieces of chicken.

They let me take her home the next day and I was worried as hell. She couldnt walk properly and wasnt eating. she could hardly stand and her head was shaking. I bought baby food as all she would do was lick a spoon. Her last memory before the stroke was eating so I guess she didnt want to do it.

Anyway, that was 6 months ago now and you would never know anything happened !!

Lately now she has had a couple of small accidents in her sleep and is drinking loads and loads of water. I did notice before that her eyesight certainly wasnt the greatest any more and she sleeps a hell of alot and completely out cold. I think she may be diabetic now but after the vet tried to put her to sleep (twice !!) I am reluctant to go!!

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions ?

JHS (not verified)

at 03:38 on June 6th, 2009

Robert if you want to know if dog is diabetic go to drug store and ask pharmacist for "keto diastiz" Bayer product. Collect a small sample of urine in a cup and do the urine dip. You'll know right away if diabetes is issue. Over drinking could be Cushings and find a new vet!

I have a now 11 year old schnauzer who was diagnosed with diabetes almost a year and a hald ago at age 10. So much to know & do. Long and short we had difficluty regulating him - learned he had atypical cushings which meant small nodule on adrenal gland - may/may not be cancerous. Removed adrenal gland. Not an issue. He being schnauzer and more prone to high tryglcerides fell into a state of pancreatitis from elevated triglycerides which were not being controlled without medicines. Diet was not working.

My 2 year old is up -- I read posts for those having tough time getting regulated look at triglycerides w/proper drugs they can decrease. Look at Cushing;s or anny signs of any infections can cause insulin problems. Don't let pancreatitis occur - for us 19 days in ICu and feeding tube for 4 mo - but he is great post it. The whole scenario caused cataracts and blindness - heartbreaking. We had at age 11 cataract surgery - it was a breeze and highly recommend if no concerns on anesthesia.

For dog that had "stroke" - diabetics get stroke like sympotoms in a diabetic state called hyper osmolosis. Dehyydration causes this water rushes to brain to save it and it looks like stroke - if get fluids managed and hospitalized 1 day later all better no residual damage.

It's a labor of love I take urine dips and check for glucose and ketones before each insulin dose. and If things seem weird I prick his ear and do blood test on glucometer bought for dogs only from allivet.com. Not easy with 3 dogs and 2 yr old - but, as the vet said with horrific bought of pancreatitis if he survives and can fight through this no residual damage - it'll be expensive. I can't put a price tag on my best friend, we don't put grandparents down when they age or get sick. You'd go to jail for that so I don't know why choice for my dog. But, they kept saying they never saw a dog his age have a bigger will to live and fight so hard through so many back to back battles - now the joke is they couldn't kill Max b/c he wants to live! Despite all the annoyances of getting needle pricks - he still had the will to fight for life and plays like mad with his other 2 schnauzers and baby - life can be good as a diabetic when everyone gets use to it. I go crazy with looking at numbers and striving for perfection - I am told its too fluid and no perfection with BGs can be achieved as diabetic. I hope I helped somebody. Good luck - I probably shed a tear for my special needs dog daily - it seems he doesn't get affected, but for me it's heartbreaking and hard.

JHS (not verified)

at 03:48 on June 6th, 2009

I really need to go b/c the toddler woke up - but pleasse the lady with schnauzer and high out of control levels. Ask vet to test her triglcerides - schnauzers prone to be high. That had huge impact on insulin for us. We treat triglcerides with fish oil, niacin (buy at helath food/vitamin store), and lopid compounded from human to doggie dose size. It helped. Oh -- they don't have to be too regulated for surgery on eyes - mildly. Once catract surgery had - they implant (or try) to put in artificial lenses. NO reoccurnce at all of catracts . The window of being eye surgery candidate is not long. You need to see eye doc - we went to AMC in NYC and at certain stage lens gets brittle from cataracts and surgery won't be option. We were told window was short - so literally 2 days before Christmas we had surgeru. Now ourt internal med doc doesn't worry that we sometimes run higher on BGs dogs don't get same damage humans do. Humans have damage b/c live 30 years with diabertes. DOgs foremost issue is catarcts. Over a 5-7 year life span of a canine diabetic enough damage cannot really be caused to organs. You want to control as much as possible so they feel good. But, I don't panic if we have off day. We strive for 200s. OK - that is my 2cents gotta go get a cup of milk for my baby. Good luck. Keto Diastix are so helpful in keeping on top regular vet never suggested, only specialist did. I'm surre the neighbors wonder why a cup of urine in hand 2x day, who cares!

DollyandNiki

at 16:05 on June 11th, 2009

If any one needs help with canine diabetes there are great forums you can join, my pet has been diabetic for over 6 yrs now.

karen acopian (not verified)

at 17:34 on June 16th, 2009

Has anyone had any luck with home cooking and diabetes for a dog.

I have heard in some cases you can reverse diabetes. Has anyone tried this?

what kind of pet food for dpg losing weight?

Thanks

rita cleverley (not verified)

at 23:46 on June 19th, 2009

My dog is 12years old,and I got him from a rescue home and brought him to australia with me 5 years ago.

Last week he was diagnosed with diabetis,he is my bestfriend,and I will do all I can for him.

The vet fee's are steep but I as I love him its not a problem,as he gives me so much.But I would like to know what to feed my dog,as the food my vet said I should give him was w/d which if i give him what the vet say's will cost me $56.00 a month just for food.

Is it possible to cook my own

raelene Wynder (not verified)

at 22:45 on July 22nd, 2009

I have a 7 yr. old yellow lab named Recchi. He was diagnosed with diabetes about 3 months ago. I was just wondering he recently injured his paw in a creek playing fetch, is there a greater concern for infection in a dog with diabetes? I know humans have concerns with foot care and diabetes.

raelene Wynder (not verified)

at 22:47 on July 22nd, 2009

raelene Wynder (not verified)

at 22:53 on July 22nd, 2009

Geez reading all of these stories makes me want to cry. I can't imagine my dog going blind. He was diagnosed with diabetes about 3 months ago. Since he's been on the insulin he has been a different dog. Still gets tired alot quicker but is doing really well otherwise. I just have one question though.....Do all dogs with diabetes go blind?