Hi, I have a question I just found out three days ago that my dog has stage one diabetes and I don’t know if I trust them. so long story short, my dog started showing all the signs of diabetes last Thursday by Sunday he was drinking water extremely excessively and puking everywhere‘s losing weight. I got a hold of a vet that I just started using. They seemed good. I took him to them Monday the soonest I could get in was 1:30 PM, they took bloodwork said that they Have results in a few hours and would probably call me by the end of business day and if not, they would call me first thing in the morning. A half hour after they opened I called them because they never called me. They told me to bring Him and right away because he’s diabetic and he’s in the final stages of stage one diabetes. I rushed him in We talked about it and decided that we would leave Eli in their care during the day and then I would pick him up at the end of the day and take care of him at night. That Tuesday they gave him a shot of insulin during the day some nausea medicine and that he refused to eat all day. I picked him up. He was completely completely out of it and drooling from the mouth, and when I asked him why they told me it was a side effect from the nausea medicine. The instructions they gave me were to give him his second insulin shot at 9 PM and try to get him to eat anything at all it didn’t matter what. He just needed to eat something and keep his drinking to a minimum because he was still drinking excessively. So I did just that. Eli wouldn’t eat anything was out of it all night and still drooling when I took him back the next day without eating anything. Midday that day, which was Wednesday now they called me saying he still wouldn’t eat so I told them to force feed him if he if they had to. They told me when I picked him up later that day they gave him his shot and had force fed him a half a can of food and kept it down. He looked a lot better. They told me to take him home again with the same instructions from the night before with the option to try to force feed him, if he wouldn’t eat anything. When I got home, I got him to eat some smoked turkey but I think I overfed him and he puked it up. I wasn’t sure if he puked it up because I overfed him or if it was the spices there was just too many variables and he wouldn’t eat it anymore so throughout the night, I slowly force fed him a half a can of the same dog food they did, because he kept it down for them so he should for me I did that,I kept his water intake under control so we wouldn’t puke it up and everything worked out well. I also picked up my prescription for the freestyle libre two and stayed up all night, taking readings every half hour with readings between 160 being the lowest and 247 being the highest that was taken minutes before I gave him his insulin. Thursday morning I dropped him off, looking the best he had so far and in the parking lot I took one last meter read before I handed him over with the reading of 224. When I dropped him off, they said that they could watch him all day and instead of picking him up at 4:30pm like I did the day before, but to come back at 7:30 PM. And pick him up then. I agree and they called me with an update halfway through the day saying that they did more bloodwork on him, and it showed that he had pancreatitis and the x-ray showed the large gas pocket in his stomach he still wasn’t eating on his own and he hasn’t eaten anything all day. So they did not give him his insulin at 9 AM which is an hour after I dropped him off. I asked them why they didn’t force-feed him so they could give him his insulin? The person I was talking to told me the vet told them not to give him the insulin because he wasn’t eating on his own and that was why they did the test and the x-ray. Knowing nothing about anything I wish we luck to ask any questions. When I got off the phone, I started researching the information I was giving about the medication they were giving him because I was wondering why he wasn’t eating when they were given him nausea medicine. I called them back, they put me on the phone with the vet. I asked the vet why they didn’t force feed him so they could give him the insulin and the vet told me she didn’t know they had my permission to force feed him. I told her I gave you permission yesterday to force feed him if you have to and also told her that the night before he ate smoked turkey on his own, but puked it up so I forced fed him more of the canned dog food they provided me with, and he kept it down and she had no such knowledge of any of this. Then she proceeded to tell me that she was concerned about him, not eating on his own, and after the tests, she didn’t feel right about force feeding him because of the gas pocket in his stomach so that’s why she didn’t give him the insulin. Once again, I didn’t question it we end the phone call. I thought to myself how could she be concerned about an air pocket? She had no knowledge of until well after she was supposed to administer the insulin. I let it go because a bigger problem was what was making him so nauseous that he wouldn’t eat on his own when they were given him nausea medicine to take care of that. so I read the information they gave me about the nausea medicine they were giving him. side effects were drooling and loss of appetite so I asked them maybe he’s having side effects from the medicine and that’s why he was nauseous either that or it wasn’t working at all on him and the nauseous in the drooling was from his pancreatitis and something didn’t seem right because one of the other should negate the other and it wasn’t so what was the deal. So long story short and my dogs not doing too hot right now, but he’s way high in his glucose levels. They told me they didn’t want to give him any insulin tonight and to try to feed him and when I asked him if I feed him, won’t it make his glucose even higher they told me that’s OK. They just want him to eat something and I asked him should I take the insulin with me in case it starts going really high. I can give it to him and they said no because they were afraid he would drop too low. Question is does any of this sound funny to you? It’s now 9:27 PM and my dog readings are 282. I haven’t given them any food and I don’t have any insulin for him. He’s missed two insulin sessions now and I’m about to freak out because I don’t know anything about anything please help.
Not sure if I can trust my vet
- Thread starter Joseph Roser
- Start Date
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi & welcome to the forum
Sorry your dog is unwell & it must be worrying, but this is a forum for human diabetics and not pets, and members really don't have the knowledge to advise on diabetes in dogs. We are also not allowed to diagnose or give medical advice to diabetic humans, just give our own experiences and links.
We think you may be better off going to a pet forum on this one
eg ...... https://www.dogsey.com/dogforum.php.
https://www.petforums.co.uk/
To be honest I don't think anyone here is going to know more than your vets, who both have seen the dog and know about diabetes in dogs. We can confirm that hypoglycemia is a real issue in humans and it is possible to go into a coma or die with an overdose of insulin.
Sorry your dog is unwell & it must be worrying, but this is a forum for human diabetics and not pets, and members really don't have the knowledge to advise on diabetes in dogs. We are also not allowed to diagnose or give medical advice to diabetic humans, just give our own experiences and links.
We think you may be better off going to a pet forum on this one
eg ...... https://www.dogsey.com/dogforum.php.
https://www.petforums.co.uk/
To be honest I don't think anyone here is going to know more than your vets, who both have seen the dog and know about diabetes in dogs. We can confirm that hypoglycemia is a real issue in humans and it is possible to go into a coma or die with an overdose of insulin.
JoKalsbeek
Expert
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- I reversed my Type 2
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Can't diagnose on here, and didn't have a dog with this, but a cat.
Night had pancreatitis, which killed off his insulin production. That's not type 1, that's type 3c, but considering a lot of human doctors don't know the name of it, I'm not surprised the vet didn't know either. (And what the heck is end-stage T1?! That's a new one for me.)
Couple of things to know:
So, an animal with high blood sugars just doesn't feel like eating. They're not hungry, their blood sugars are already high, more food would take them higher, so their instinct is just not to eat. And they're not going to eat unless forced. In all likelihood, if glucose gets into the normal range, appetite could return, if the pancreatitis is subsiding. Keep in mind that all I know is cats and humans.... If cats don't eat and drink for a few days, their bodies start to shut down, and I have no idea if that's true for dogs. I think they can hold out longer than cats can, though, but I'm JUST GUESSING.
He's drinking a lot because his blood sugars are high. When you drink lots, you pee out excess glucose: same is true for a dog. His kidneys are probably doing their damndest to get the excess glucose out, but if there's no water being given, he might get dehydrated and his kidneys can get a kicking around. Let him drink and pee as much as he needs to!
So basically, you want to break the cycle: get his numbers in the normal range so he starts eating again, so you can get a regular insulin regime going. (Likely to be caninsulin 2x a day) Thing is though, pancreatitis will raise blood sugars, because being ill does that to a person, dog, cat, whatever. So what I would very, very strongly advise.... Is there a teaching veterinary hospital you can get in touch with? I know Night would not have spent several more years with us if he hadn't been admitted to the university vet hospital in Utrecht, half an hour from here, on recommendation of our excellent vet who knew they couldn't do enough at their practice to save him. The hospital put him on i.v. fluids, painkillers and I think antibiotics. Right now, the pancreatitis needs to be sorted, and that's not likely something you can do at home. Do ask about the cost first, and I really, really hope you're insured. For Night it was a bill of over 3000 euro's, and if we hadn't been insured, we would've had to go into debt for him. (Which we would have, no question). I do believe your vet is way out of their depth on this one and their advise is contrary to what I personally would go with... But it's been years since Night passed (of cancer, by the way, not the diabetes), and I'm a bit rusty on insulin-use. For now, maybe very, very tentatively try giving a smidge of the recommended insulin units until he starts to eat again, if you can't get him seen/hospitalised today. And make sure you have sugar or honey handy should a hypo occur. But, you know.... I really, really hope you can get him into hospital, sooner rather than later.
In any case, don't try and do this alone, and please, let your dog drink. His kidneys will thank you for it.
Good luck!!!
Jo
- Messages
- 19,481
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
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- Insulin
Hi @Joseph Roser , sorry to hear your dog isn't doing well.
Are you on Facebook?
There is a group on diabetic dogs which may be very useful:
www.facebook.com
All the best with your dog, I hope he feels better soon!
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All the best with your dog, I hope he feels better soon!
Resurgam
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Dogs usually sick up smoked meat.
My wicked big black Labrador stole some smoked ham just before I went to make dinner for 8 - we went out to eat and he knew he was a Very Bad Dog all night as I scrubbed the floor.
I usually fed him on meat - the tinned food is usually high carb which dogs don't really need, like us, but dogs are even further along the Carnivore option than ourselves.
My wicked big black Labrador stole some smoked ham just before I went to make dinner for 8 - we went out to eat and he knew he was a Very Bad Dog all night as I scrubbed the floor.
I usually fed him on meat - the tinned food is usually high carb which dogs don't really need, like us, but dogs are even further along the Carnivore option than ourselves.
Have a look at the PDSA web-site. they have a complete section on diabetes in dogs. symptoms, treatment. My dog always liked chicken or sausages.
I think the vet just wants you to get the dog eating. Hypos ( too much insulin) is a big issue with any animals, humans included and it is an immediate issue
MissMuffett
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,045
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Tablets (oral)
