Dog has diabetics been in vets since Monday I need information please

[CarolnMoss]

Hi,
My name is Carol and I hope I am in the right forum as I am not very good with this type of thing. I have been looking on the Intenet for help with a DIabatic Pet and this site came up so here I am.

My dog is a 4 yr ok KIng CHarles Cavalier, he had been rather sluggish since last FRiday, 12 December. On the Saturday he looks really ill and I called the Vet who asked a few questions such as Has he been sick? Diaorreah? I said no but he has. Been off his food, he said it may be nothing but if I feel he's getting worse bring Him to. The Vets on the SUnday. By SUnday he looked really sick and I took him in, as he had lost weight the Bet did tests and came back with DIabetics, she gave him an Insullin shot and all his mess, told me what to do and that he had to eat to give him his Insullin. HE still never ate all day Monday, back to the Vet he went, they gave him an anti sickness shot and said that if he still never ate by TUesday they would take him in as an inpatient. Come TUesday he was so ill they took him in, they Have been trying everything for him to help him and today I was told he is slightly improving , though it will a long struggle as he has a very severe case of DIabetics and at the moment we need to take each day at a time.

I have been reading up on feeding diabetic dogs and I am confused with all the different information, can anyone help me in finding a food that will help him when he comes home? What is the best food for him to eat? Of course the vets are telling me the brand they sell which is HILLS, but reading about it people say never to feed it to a diabetic dog, then others are saying ROYAL CANINE, but there's also people against that brand.. PLease help me with this of you can or if you have a diabetic dog how do you feed your pet,

Thank YOu for any help and INformation

Carol

 

[Cloudlesssky]

Hi Carol,
I'm replying because I see no one else has, not because I can really help you on this one.
I don't know of anyone else here who has a diabetic pet, but I have found some websites through using google.
Hope he's ok.
Bee Gee

 

[jack412]

the vet is going to cost you a fortune, so the cost to feed it properly is insignificant, I'd say without carb processed food.
10% carb 50% protein and 40% fat is a good dog mix normally, for a diabetic dog, I'd drop it to 5% carb
offal, fatty meat, an old sheep is an ideal fat/meat ratio and some fibre/roughage to replace the fur and feathers

with a vet script you can buy online
http://www.yorkvetsupplies.co.uk/product/caninsulin-40iuml-suspension-for-injection-10ml/

only my opinion, I'm T2 so always ask your Vet

 

[tim2000s]

Make your own

Hi,
My name is Carol and I hope I am in the right forum as I am not very good with this type of thing. I have been looking on the Intenet for help with a DIabatic Pet and this site came up so here I am.

My dog is a 4 yr ok KIng CHarles Cavalier, he had been rather sluggish since last FRiday, 12 December. On the Saturday he looks really ill and I called the Vet who asked a few questions such as Has he been sick? Diaorreah? I said no but he has. Been off his food, he said it may be nothing but if I feel he's getting worse bring Him to. The Vets on the SUnday. By SUnday he looked really sick and I took him in, as he had lost weight the Bet did tests and came back with DIabetics, she gave him an Insullin shot and all his mess, told me what to do and that he had to eat to give him his Insullin. HE still never ate all day Monday, back to the Vet he went, they gave him an anti sickness shot and said that if he still never ate by TUesday they would take him in as an inpatient. Come TUesday he was so ill they took him in, they Have been trying everything for him to help him and today I was told he is slightly improving , though it will a long struggle as he has a very severe case of DIabetics and at the moment we need to take each day at a time.

I have been reading up on feeding diabetic dogs and I am confused with all the different information, can anyone help me in finding a food that will help him when he comes home? What is the best food for him to eat? Of course the vets are telling me the brand they sell which is HILLS, but reading about it people say never to feed it to a diabetic dog, then others are saying ROYAL CANINE, but there's also people against that brand.. PLease help me with this of you can or if you have a diabetic dog how do you feed your pet,

Thank YOu for any help and INformation

Carol

Make your own (as we do). Then you know precisely what is going in it and can manage the carb content.

 

[CollieBoy]

Carol,
Best of luck with "feeding your dog. my feeling would be as the others have said to go down the "Formulate your own feed" route!
@Mud Island Dweller is a Vet Nurse and may be able to give better advice.

 

[Lazybones]

Sorry to hear that your dog has diabetes. It's a condition that we humans aren't alone in suffering and I know of not just diabetic dogs, but cats, horses but even fish.
Provided your dog's pancreas is still functioning and producing some insulin, then reducing the carbohydrate intake in the animals food is beneficial as is increasing the protein and fat content.
If you can avoid the vet and the costs that it would incur, but not if it results in any suffering or distress to the animal. I'm not sure whether I should say this, but animals generally respond much the same to diabetic medications as we human diabetics do and many drugs, tablets and insulins can also help them to live a normal life.
There must be some sites out there where there are people who know more than we would as to how to care for a diabetic pet .
Please read though as much as you can from this site as it will teach you much of what you would need to know about diabetes in general and how to control it, and also please ask any question and we'll try our best to help.

Good Luck - Lazybones

P.S. I do know that animal Blood Glucose Levels differ somewhat from us Humans so the threshold levels that we refer to on this site should be considered as guidance only..

 

[Robinredbreast]

Aawww sorry to hear that, I would of thought things like fish, chicken, vegetables with a small amount of dog biscuits, to see how you get on. Home made foods sounds good. as others have mentioned, because you know exactly what is in it. Cook a batch and then freeze individual portions ?
It must be a worry for you right now, but I'm sure it will get easier once you get used to it.

Good luck and all the best

RRB

 

[CarbsRok]

Just feed your dog what he is used to having an match his insulin to it.
That's what I always did with my Collie many years ago. Vets will want an arm and a leg for special foods and loads of tests. Dogs and cats who develop diabetes have to be treated with insulin.

 

[noblehead]

Hi carol and welcome to the forum.

Earlier this year we had someone else looking for advice after their dog had been diagnosed with diabetes, you may want to read through it and see if there's anything that might help:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...gnosed-with-diabetes-today.57922/#post-538132

 

[jack412]

Just feed your dog what he is used to having an match his insulin to it.
That's what I always did with my Collie many years ago. Vets will want an arm and a leg for special foods and loads of tests. Dogs and cats who develop diabetes have to be treated with insulin.

dogs are given porcine once or twice a day as basal, there isn't normally a meal bolus, So it really depends what the diet was. I would have the natural diet of under 14% carb, rather than the up to 70% carb kibble that some dogs eat

 

[Cloudlesssky]

Glad you have received some good ideas now.
Hope all goes well.
Bee Gee

 

[Brunneria]

Hi,

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.

Diabetes in dogs in increasing every year, and from what I have read, it is because their food is increasingly being bulked out by grains and starchy root veg. The less of these ingredients you feed your dog, the better he will do.

Thanks @jack412 for your comment about basal doses - I had no idea about that!.

We feed our dog a combination of raw food (bought from Wolf Tucker or Natural Instinct websites) with a token sprinkle of Orijen pellets. All of these have no grains at all, and are very high in quality meats and fats. Have a look at their websites, and you will see what I mean. We can use these expensive dog foods because we have a small shih tzu. I couldn't afford to feed a large dog this way. In that situation I would be doing what @Dibbles1 does, and make my own. There are books and ebooks on Amazon which tell you everything you need to know. And it really isn't difficult. Just meat, organ meat, a few veggies, a bit of healthy oil, maybe some kelp powder... everything is available online or in your supermarket or local health food store, and you can make a batch up, freeze it, and defrost as necessary. and the look on their little faces when you give it to them is like all their Xmasses have come at once!

We had an elderly cat I used to feed with Hills Science Diet from years 0-12, then the cat version of raw food from yrs 12-19. Diagnosed at 12 with senility, arthritis, general dimwittedness and dental problems, the little monster made it to 19, with no deterioration of anything but brain power, and had a coat like a mirror until he finally died of a massive stroke. I'm convinced it was the food that gave him such a quality of life into his extreme old age.

If you do decide to buy processed food, please avoid anything that has 'meat derivatives' in the ingredients list. This is a vile product. the slurry that is boiled off the scraps left by the meat processing and contains nothing that I would feed a fly, let alone a dog.

Your vet will definitely have ideas about what diet to suggest, but unless it is wheat and grain and potato free, it will ultimately cost you more in insulin, ill health and heartache.

Edited to add: I should clarify - our dog does NOT have diabetes. I just realised that my post might give you the impression that he was. But one of the reasons we feed RAW is because we don't want him to develop diabetes. A friend's dog developed it - long before we had ever heard of low carb eating. it would have changed his later years if we had known then what we know now.

 

[jack412]

Hi,

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.

Diabetes in dogs in increasing every year, and from what I have read, it is because their food is increasingly being bulked out by grains and starchy root veg. The less of these ingredients you feed your dog, the better he will do.

Thanks @jack412 for your comment about basal doses - I had no idea about that!.

We feed our dog a combination of raw food (bought from Wolf Tucker or Natural Instinct websites) with a token sprinkle of Orijen pellets. All of these have no grains at all, and are very high in quality meats and fats. Have a look at their websites, and you will see what I mean. We can use these expensive dog foods because we have a small shih tzu. I couldn't afford to feed a large dog this way. In that situation I would be doing what @Dibbles1 does, and make my own. There are books and ebooks on Amazon which tell you everything you need to know. And it really isn't difficult. Just meat, organ meat, a few veggies, a bit of healthy oil, maybe some kelp powder... everything is available online or in your supermarket or local health food store, and you can make a batch up, freeze it, and defrost as necessary. and the look on their little faces when you give it to them is like all their Xmasses have come at once!

We had an elderly cat I used to feed with the cat version of raw food. Diagnosed at 12 with senility, arthritis, general dimwittedness and dental problems, the little monster made it to 19, with no deterioration of anything but brain power, and had a coat like a mirror until he finally died of a massive stroke. I'm convinced it was the food that gave him such a quality of life into his extreme old age.

If you do decide to buy processed food, please avoid anything that has 'meat derivatives' in the ingredients list. This is a vile product. the slurry that is boiled off the scraps left by the meat processing and contains nothing that I would feed a fly, let alone a dog.

Your vet will definitely have ideas about what diet to suggest, but unless it is wheat and grain and potato free, it will ultimately cost you more in insulin, ill health and heartache.

I guess the intermediate action of the porcine would match more closely the natural protein/fat meal, than a high carb meal that really needs a QA bolus, I guess if you knew a diabetic you could get a 75/25

 

[Brunneria]

Just had a thought.
Do you feed him human or dog biscuits and treats?

If you do, anything with cereals or sugar is a massive no no!

I know from personal experience that when they are off colour, the temptation is to tempt them with little delights - but please resist. Even one human biscuit could do terrible harm.

There are treats around which are suitable. Most of the Pet Munchies brand is 100% meat and that is what you are looking for. Alternatively, chopped chicken would be perfect.

 

[CarbsRok]

dogs are given porcine once or twice a day as basal, there isn't normally a meal bolus, So it really depends what the diet was. I would have the natural diet of under 14% carb, rather than the up to 70% carb kibble that some dogs eat

Hi Jack, my dog did very well on bovine Isophane insulin He died aged 15 1/2. Once he developed diabetes I kept him on the food he had always had as it was very unkind in my opinion to change the food he had always had. He was a very slim fit working collie. For emergency hypo situations he was given milk and glucose.

 

[eddie1968]

Sorry to hear about that to and yes vets are blooming expensive. My border collie cost me a lot in her old age and miss her very much. My sister's Labrador has Cushings Disease and the meds cost a pretty penny. Hope your King Charles gets sorted out and be a happy future for you both.

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

Hi sorry just back unable to connect properly at work and just walked in after driving over 2.5hrs home will message you asap but may not be till sunday as non stop...

 

[bobbsee]

I know you have a dog, but one of our cats is diabetic and we regulate him using Royal Canin diabetic cat food. They also do a dog food. The hardest part for us is trying to make sure ours 2 cats do not swap bowls and eat too much of each others foods.
We buy the diabetic cat food mail order, and it isn't that much more expensive than ordinary cat food.
He has had this condition for about 3 years or so, and is doing really well on this diet.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I know you have a dog, but one of our cats is diabetic and we regulate him using Royal Canin diabetic cat food. They also do a dog food. The hardest part for us is trying to make sure ours 2 cats do not swap bowls and eat too much of each others foods.
We buy the diabetic cat food mail order, and it isn't that much more expensive than ordinary cat food.
He has had this condition for about 3 years or so, and is doing really well on this diet.

Hi, that's really positive bobbsee and helpful. I hope your cat continues to have a happy and a healthy life

Best wishes RRB