UTAHCANCHASER - 2014-02-10 1:13 PM My grandparents dog has diabetes.  They take her to the vet once a month or every other month to have her checked out.  She is on insulin and they have had to change her diet a little bit.  She is older about 14 years old. 



Even if they are feeling better doesn't necessarly mean everything is OK. 

 

Cactus Pete - 2014-02-10 10:45 PM You can buy a glucometer from your vet. A human glucometer will not work. It's not calibrated for animals.

TrailGirl - 2014-02-11 7:57 AM

Ok...that is not correct.  There are VERY few home use glucometers for sale that ate validated for animals.  Why?  Because it's not necessary.   Blood glucose is measured in mg/dl of blood...reguardless of species. The human glucometers are FDA regulated as medical devices and have to meet certain quality standards.  Devices made for veterinary use do not (FWIW).  Your human glucometer will be just as accurate when used properly.  Many many vet clinics use a human glucometer in house for routine checks when a pet is brought in to do a glucose curve.  The possible advantage to an animal validated meter is that some will operate with a smaller (tiny) amount of blood.  That's helpful for feline patients in particular...but again...there are meters on the human side that only require that same tiny amount.



What I would do would be to take your human meter with you to the vet.  Have a sample tested side by side with their meter and compare.  Odds are it will be very accurate.  Remember too that lab results are generally run on Plasma...whereas you use whole blood for the little home meters.  The plasma readings will be a bit higher.



I feel the best way to manage a diabetic pet on insulin is to initially have the vet do a glucose curve to set the starting point for your insulin dosage.  Then get them home and in a stable routine and do your own test before giving the insulin shot each time for a few days to see how it is going...and then do periodic checks prior to giving the shot.  Especially if there is a significant change in weight...or the dog is off it's food or something is different.  You need to know how the dog is doing once it is at home in it's "happy place"...as often the stress of being in the clinic can affect their values.



Keep in mind that their glucose level can read lower if they are dehydrated...and higher if they are anemic.



Good luck with your pup...they can live long and happy lives with good consistent care.

 

/Streakin/ - 2014-02-11 1:25 PM  What Trail Girl said. At the clinic when a dog is initially diagnosed we keep them for 1 to 2 days to perform a glucose curve and figure a proper dosage of insulin. We put all of ours on Science Diet W/D which is specifically formulated for diabetic dogs or cats. It's important to keep a close eye on it. It can really get out of hand rather quickly. I recommend initially leaving him for a glucose curve once a month for the 1st 3 months then every few months after that. Good luck!!! Being a diabetic myself I know just how crappy it can feel.

taj - 2014-02-11 5:50 PM My dog was diagnosed with diabetes a little over a year ago.  Initially, I took her to the vet for glucose curves, but felt like that just wasn't enough.  They did put her on Science Diet w/d, and I also put a little chicken or beef broth on it to flavor it up a little bit.  I feel the best way to really stay on top of it is to test your dog yourself.  I test my dog 2x day before giving her her insulin shot.  I probably wouldn't need to do it quite this much, but I feel better knowing exactly where her numbers are at. I bought a One-Touch Ultra2 tester and test strips off of e-bay.  You can get them for a fraction of the cost they will be at any store.  I still buy the test strips on e-bay.  My dog actually looks forward to her shots because she gets a little treat (egg or meat) after she gets them.  The test spot I like to use is the pad on the back of her front legs.  That's what works for us.

I found a tremendous amount of inormation on www.k9diabetes.com  They were extremely helpful, and I got a lot of good information from them.

Good-luck on your journey. :)

HotbearLVR - 2014-02-12 11:55 AM Here's my two cents worth on this subject.  I would use a human glucometer.  In the long run, it's just a good maintenence tool that than assist you and take the guess work out of managing your pet's diabetes and you can learn to make adjustments in your insulin dose.  In some ways, management of diabetes in a dog is easier than in humans, because you have absolute control over their diet.  This is the most problematic aspect of diabetes management in humans, and you can control what they eat precisely.  You can eliminate carbs as much as you need.  If I had a diabetic dog, I would get into the habit of making their food at home, rather than buying it.  You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to make good, healthy dog food and you can determine exactly what they are eating.  Eventually, once the dose of insulin is established and an equilibrium established, you have control over all the variables that are so vexing in humans.  Getting a dog to exercise is not a problem, in the vast majority of cases!  In people, it's very hard. 

One additional thing I would like people to understand pertains to the problems with excessive drinking and peeing that is seen early on.  Do NOT deprive them of water.  That is a common reaction to the frequent urination ("polyuria") that is seen with diabetes.  They are drinking because they need it.....their "osmolality" in their serum gets too high, and water corrects that.  Once the sugars are better controlled that will correct itself.....my point being, make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water.  If they don't have enough water they can get pretty sick and even go into a coma. 

 

HotbearLVR - 2014-02-12 11:55 AM

Here's my two cents worth on this subject.  I would use a human glucometer.  In the long run, it's just a good maintenence tool that than assist you and take the guess work out of managing your pet's diabetes and you can learn to make adjustments in your insulin dose.  In some ways, management of diabetes in a dog is easier than in humans, because you have absolute control over their diet.  This is the most problematic aspect of diabetes management in humans, and you can control what they eat precisely.  You can eliminate carbs as much as you need.  If I had a diabetic dog, I would get into the habit of making their food at home, rather than buying it.  You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to make good, healthy dog food and you can determine exactly what they are eating.  Eventually, once the dose of insulin is established and an equilibrium established, you have control over all the variables that are so vexing in humans.  Getting a dog to exercise is not a problem, in the vast majority of cases!  In people, it's very hard. 
One additional thing I would like people to understand pertains to the problems with excessive drinking and peeing that is seen early on.  Do NOT deprive them of water.  That is a common reaction to the frequent urination ("polyuria") that is seen with diabetes.  They are drinking because they need it.....their "osmolality" in their serum gets too high, and water corrects that.  Once the sugars are better controlled that will correct itself.....my point being, make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water.  If they don't have enough water they can get pretty sick and even go into a coma. 
 

luvinrunnin - 2014-02-12 2:24 PM I have a diabetic Min Pin. It is a pain in the butt. I currently feed him a diabetic dry food with a tablespoon of canned food. He gets insulin twice a day. If I notice him drinking a lot, I increase his insulin by a unit and watch him for several days. My vet said it would be better to put a doggie diaper on him and check urine for glucose than to use a meter. I did buy a human meter for him based on things I'd read, but gahhh, he already is a nightmare to give insulin to. Can't imagine trying to stick him for accuchecks!



Am wanting to make his food or perhaps go to a raw diet and eliminate as many carbs as I can. Problem is that we have 9 dogs and it's hard to keep him out of their food.