Devastated my whippet has Diabetes at 6 month old

@PatsyB
Whilst this may be a gut blow for you, you already have the knowledge how to make her life easier, I had a t1 yorkie and she lived to a good age, 20 years on insulin 2xdaily, yes you will have the bother of doing the jabs but its an art quickly learnt and being so young she wont know the difference, don't give up on her, there's more to life than racing.

My whippet started weeing and weeing - vet checked for D mellitus and D insipidous but neither. I was expecting to have a diabetic dog as she was constantly drinking. Vet suggested we keep the water away from her in case it was psychological.

I am sure your little pup will be fine and you will handle it great. Make sure you feed it real meat and not this rubbish that comes as dry food as it is full of carbs.

That is sad news @PatsyB, but I'm sure the dog can still lead a long and happy life with the right care. Best wishes.

Sorry to hear this - and yes, I second the recommendation to feed REAL food. Preferably raw, if you can. There are companies who can send it to you through the post. Natural Instinct and Wolf Tucker are two in the UK.

Please don't let the vet convince you to use carb-ridden dried kibble. It will just increase the size of the insulin doses.

So sorry to hear of your little pup's diagnosis, it's obviously a big shock ,but I'm your pup will be well cared for, loved and looked after x and she can still enjoy all the things dogs love to do, running about and playing for many, many years x

May I ask why your dog can't race? Is there a reason for this? Insulin dependent humans can and do race.(and win a string of Olympic Gold Medals)

PatsyB said:

UPDATE.
Today I had blood tests done at the same vets but with a different vet....the blood tests came back Negative for Diabetes..I am over the moon with the result but would love to know WHY he said she had full blown Diabetes with out a blood test?/

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Had she had any insulin before she had the second tests?

Was it a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus originally?

My gorgeous goldie had the Insipidus...

I think I may throw a spanner in the works here...
A while back I was walking my Mini Schnauzer in a park and I came across a very frail, poorly Yorkshire terrier. The owner told me that the dog was diabetic and on insulin. Being a type 1 myself, we got talking. The owner told me that her Yorkie has spentmany weeks of the years at the vets due to various infections. She told me how hard life was because she had to inject the dog twice a day, she had to try catch some urine every time the dog had a wee so that she could test the blood sugar. The dog went blind and deaf from the diabetes and had problems with various organs.

I then went home and couldnt stop thinking about this poor dog so I rang my friend who is a vet and I asked him a the provoking question - If one of your dogs came in and you tested diabetes, what would you advise.... keeping the dog alive or euthanasia. He said that he wasnt allowed to give that sort of advice so I changed direction and said, as a friend, If I brought Oliver in and you diagnosed diabetes, and I asked you to make the decision for me, what would you do. He said euthansia.

I then thought about it and being a type 1 myself.... I know how hard it is but I have the ability to talk and say how I feel.

Then back to the lady in the park, She said that she could not go on holiday because nobody else can care for the dog. Nobody else could inject her dog or catch urine from the dog. Nobody else could be with the dog all day and all night. She had not had a proper holiday in 4 years because of the dog.

These are all things the OP should consider. If you are not able to give the dog 100% care everyday, 247, then you have to think about what is best for the poor dog. Its not an easy way out to make such a decision neither.

I personally would hate to make such a decision. My lovely boy is 100% healthy and it is a responsibility as it is to look after him.

I hope you are able to make the right decision whatever that may be.

Where I live in the UK, there are excellent doggy day care and Kennels where I would entrust any pet of mine. Although I have never asked them about animals with diabetes, I sort of feel the lady you spoke to who needs to be with her dog 24/7 is making a rod for her own back. I just hope the lady never got ill enough to need care herself.

As Patsy's dog doesn't have diabetes, it seems, then perhaps we can either have updates on the Fanconi syndrome or let the thread lapse? Making euthanasia suggestions due to diabetes could send harmful messages to anyone newly diagnosed and feeling vulnerable reading this.

@Omnipod, I have no reason to consider your post was meant with anything but the best intent, but it could be interpreted as somewhat heartless.

On behalf of kennels, I would just like to say we had a very successful dog and cat boarding kennels for above 20 years until we retired. We had several diabetic dogs, one diabetic cat (where the injections posed difficulties!) and others needing life saving injections such as a lovely border terrier with Addisons Disease. Providing the owners brought their own specialised food and injecting equipment, with full details of their normal management procedures, we were happy to accept these pets, and not one came to any harm under our care - and of course we were not with them 24/7. I am certain we were not the only kennels to provide this service.

Hi Patsy, I am pleased to hear your dog doesn't have diabetes.
I looked up Fanconi on line and a few headlines are about the 'jerky' type treats from China which are given to dogs and can be harmful, then diagnosed with Fanconi.

Here is a link about Fanconi:-

When the renal tubes lose their ability to absorb nutrients (including essential vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and bicarbonates) and instead excrete them in the urine, the animal develops acidosis, loses body mass and wastes away. Symptoms of Fanconi include excessive drinking and urination. Most dogs with Fanconi become symptomatic between the ages of 5 and 7, but it has been diagnosed in dogs as young as 3 and as old as 11.

Early diagnosis is critical in extending the dog’s life. Beginning at age 3 or earlier, Dr Gonto believes that all Basenjis (as the breed most commonly affected by the syndrome) should have their urine checked monthly by the owner, using test strips as used by diabetics for urine glucose testing.

Positive diagnosis consists of confirming the presence of glucose in the urine accompanied by normal blood glucose. Following diagnosis, a venous blood gas test will be done to determine the appropriate level of supplementation needed. Dr. Gonto’s Fanconi maintenance protocol has in many cases allowed affected dogs to live a reasonably normal life

Fanconi is believed to be hereditary, but no clear inheritance pattern has yet been found either in Basenjis or in the other breeds known to have afflicted members. Research is currently being undertaken at the University of Missouri, led by Dr. Gary Johnson, a geneticist working to identify the gene set responsible for Fanconi Syndrome in dogs.

Identifying the correct gene set for Fanconi could result in a true, verifiable test for the disease and allow breeders eventually to breed it out entirely. Dr. Gonto will explain this research, give an update on the encouraging progress made recently in identifying a possible candidate gene, and describe the further potential of the research for developing newer and better treatment options for afflicted dogs

AndBreathe said:

Where I live in the UK, there are excellent doggy day care and Kennels where I would entrust any pet of mine. Although I have never asked them about animals with diabetes, I sort of feel the lady you spoke to who needs to be with her dog 24/7 is making a rod for her own back. I just hope the lady never got ill enough to need care herself.

As Patsy's dog doesn't have diabetes, it seems, then perhaps we can either have updates on the Fanconi syndrome or let the thread lapse? Making euthanasia suggestions due to diabetes could send harmful messages to anyone newly diagnosed and feeling vulnerable reading this.

@Omnipod, I have no reason to consider your post was meant with anything but the best intent, but it could be interpreted as somewhat heartless.

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Definately not heartless. I have a dog.
My message was merely for you to think it through because the dog is so young. Personally having to put a dog through a lifetime of blood gasses, not being able to test a dogs blood sugar etc will be very difficult. If I was having a hypo and I couldnt speak or tell somebody would be extremely frightening.

Im sure a hypo for a dog would be the same as a hypo for a human. Dogs generally hate going to a vet. It is traumatic for them as they dont know or understand why.
Im just approaching this from another angle.