*Note* – I’ve updated this article – June 2015
Your life or your dogs life isn’t over with. My Dog, Bender leads a happy, health life. As of right now Bender is 10.5yrs old. He has had diabetes since he was 1.5yrs old. He goes for runs. Plays with his sister Luna, Eats and gets treats. But he also gets shots twice a day and his blood sugar checked regularly.
I’ve learned a lot over these last 9 yrs. The key is getting your dog on a schedule with proper food and exercise. Find a high protein, low fat, no filler (corn, white rice), with zero to no added preservatives food. Such as Wellness Core Grain Free Reduced Fat. There are a lot of other foods out there that are similar, find one that works. Stay Away from Hill’s Science Diet W/D. Although your Vet will recommend it, it is terrible for diabetics. First ingredient: Corn = sugar. You will never get your dog regulated on it. Reading my original article. The reason I had so many problems getting Bender regulated was due to Hill’s Science Diet W/D. Cut out table scraps and find some diabetic friendly treats.
Managing diabetes can be expensive. But taking short cuts will be worse in the long run. Here are a few tips.
- Get your dog on a good diabetic dog food. Better food will help regulate your dog and keep insulin needs down. The less insulin the better. If your dog needs more insulin it means there is more sugar in the body and the body is working harder. So good food that doesn’t produce a lot of sugar is a good thing.
- Get a glucose meter and supplies. Being able to test at home will help cut costs and help keep your dog regulated. My vet would charge me $80 to do a glucose curve. Just once a month for a year is $960. Plus it will never accurate as your dog will be stressed out at the Vet. Not eat right. Being able to test at home helps you keep on top of your dog’s diabetes but it requires supplies, such as needles, lancets, test strips, insulin, and more.
– AlphaTrack Blood Glucose Monitoring System Meter
– AlphaTRAK Blood Glucose TEST STRIPS – 50 Count
– LANCETS – Not all lancets are the same buy a decent quality one, it will probably run you $10-15 for a box of 100. I’ve used the cheaper ones – $5 for a box of 100 and they are not good.
– I buy needles from http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/ I get U100 needles for humans.
- Find insulin that will work for your dog. There are several brands of insulin such as Vetsulin, Novolin N, Humilin N. Each are different and your dog will react to each differently. I have found that Novolin N works well for Bender. I get it at Walmart under their ReliOn brand for $25/bottle.
- Exercise. I run Bender 2-5 miles a day 5-7 days a week. He is high energy and requires a good run to burn it off. But exercise also helps regulate his diabetes. If I don’t run him his blood sugar will be higher that day. Consult your Vet to figure out what would be the best for your dog. Some dogs might need a lap around the block twice a day, while others dogs might need a good run twice a day. Either way, good, structured exercise will help.
- Get on a schedule. You will have to give your dog a shot after every meal. It is best to get on a schedule that works for you and your dog. Bender eats twice a day, 8am and 6pm. He gets a set amount of food for each meal. He doesn’t get to eat from his bowl all day. If he doesn’t eat it all, which is very rare, I pick it up. He gets a shot right after he eats at 8am, and after he eats at 6pm. For you it might be different. You might find 7am and 7pm works with your schedule and your dogs schedule.
Following these tips will help you regulate your dog’s diabetes so they can enjoy a happy, full life. Just remember to always ask your Vet about changes. If they aren’t helping you out as much as you feel they should, fine another Vet.
Let me know about your dog.
- What breed is it?
- What food it is on?
- How much insulin you give it?
- What your schedule is like for your dog?
Just got my 6yr old Zeke back from vet yesterday. His two week stay at the vets has been rough. He is currently on 24units insulin and 2 baytril a day. He didn’t want me testing him at home but I’m not sure if that is good. He wants him back in 2 weeks for blood work. I have him on a 7-7 feeding schedule with pill and 12 unit shot to follow but he seems to be fluctuating. He gets really tired about 30 mins after shot and lays around. Is this normal. Vets isn’t sure if glucose levels are causing high white count or an infection is causing glucose fluctuation. What course do I need to head.
Patricia,
How long has Zeke had diabetes? Just some thing you found out about?
I’m not a Vet so I would listen to your Vet on what Zeke needs. Beyond that, if your dog is on baytril (anti-biotic) , then I am assuming he is sick in some way. This will have an affect on glucose levels. How much I don’t know.
The glucose fluctuation could be caused by stress of being at the vet or the type of food he is eating or both.
What food is Zeke on? If it is something like Hills Science Diet W/D or Purina veterinary diets DCO, then you will never get him regulated. But if he is on a good diabetic friendly food like Wellness Core Grain Free Reduced Fat, then it probably isn’t food.
I would get Zeke well again and after his baytril run evaluate this glucose levels. If he is not of a diabetic friendly food, then get him on one. Some structured daily exercise if possible.
If you Vet doesn’t want you to test at home ever, then that is a red flag. Testing at home will help you regulate insulin needs. It will be less stressful and in general a better long term solution.
Bender has always taken a nap after eating. But you know your dog the best. Has he always done that after eat? Or is it something new in the last few weeks?
-Jeff
The vet has him on Hills w/d wet and dry. He went in because of frequent urination that was abnormal. White count was extremely high as well as glucose levels. Liver and kidney numbers were up as well.
He was usually really active until his stay at vet. Now he is less active and “just tired”. My mother is diebetic so I can see the similarity in symptoms.
I would like to try moringa but vet doesn’t want/believe in homeopathic help ( I won’t use remedy because I am not foolish enough to believe is a cure but maybe it could help).
Patricia,
Getting Zeke off Hills w/d wet and dry will help big time. It is a terrible food for diabetics. Lots of fillers (corn & rice) = sugar. Finding a good food like Wellness Core Grain Free Reduced Fat or similar will help you get Zeke regulated.
Diabetes in humans is very similar to diabetes in dogs. The only difference is a dog can’t tell you they don’t feel good or have high or low blood sugar. So you have to be the one to pay attention. Garbage in, Garbage out. You have to be the one to feed health food to your dog.
The key is keeping to a schedule, good food diabetic friendly, and daily structured exercise. Regularly checking blood sugar levels and adjusting when necessary.
As for moringa, I would get Zeke off of Hills w/d wet and dry first and onto a good diabetic friendly food, then regulated before exploring that route.
Also, if your Vet didn’t check for cushings and pancreatitis, have that done too. It also doesn’t hurt to call around and find a Vet that knows more about canine diabetes. It makes a huge difference.
-Jeff
My 13 year old has just been diagnosed and had his first insulin shot today. He never slept all last night so must be tired. He got a shot at 12 noon and has been sleeping on and off since. Is this normal?
Three weeks ago my dog has quit eating her liver enzymes where high and her white blood cells high glucose a little high. I have been force feeding her rice and chicken hamburger and rice multi grain oatmeal any thing and everything under the sun a week and half ago the vet took her glucose level and it was super high so now he says that she is diabetic. Been giving her insulin after force feeding her but she still won’t eat she still drinks a lot and pees a lot. I am so worried
Hi
I hope you are well. I went through the same with my little one. I think they feel sick until the insulin is at the correct dose and don’t want to eat. In the past 3 weeks we seem to have got ours at a good level and gizmo is back eating – and has put on weight. Please try not to worry / I had lots of sleepless nights. You will get there – I promise.
My 13.5 year old Boston has diabetes, we have had him on treatment for two years now and he is doing very well. Test him twice per day, shots twice per day, and have used the Hills diet and it works well for him. Guess different dogs have different reactions. Wondering if the Moringa Plant might also help him too as it is supposed to help with diabetes in humans.
Researching that thought now.
Hi jean,
How are things going? Any joy with the eating? I forgot to mention that I also give gizmo “blood sugar gold”! This apparently brings down BG levels. You have to keep an eye on things if you are also giving insulin as it has a lowering effect.
Let me know how you are getting on
Regards
Shirley
My poor 8 year old Yorkie just became diabetic for about a month now. Up to 9 ml of insulin. This morning I checked his sugar and it was 54. I immediately rubbed some agave nectar on his gums. Within an hour or went up to 94 which is within range. I am now going to check his level before his next shot. My husband is telling me to just lower the insulin by 1 ml. It has been so hard trying to deal with this. We thought we were going to lose him at first. Being in the hospital with Iv’s in both paws. It was heartbreaking. So now I am hoping we can regulate him soon. Thank you
I have a 7.5 year old minpin. She was diagnosed with diabetes last December. She is on 3units of “vet” insulin. I’ve tried Purina Diabetes food. I’ve tried Science diet, high fiber. She’s quit eating dog food. I’ve been giving her rice/boiled hamburger or chicken, green beans and eggs.
Two years ago she was over weight at 22lbs she’s now down to 10.9 pounds and looks like a bag of bones. I can hardly get her to eat anything, yet she is starving all the time. When she eats, nothing stays with her. Blood work shows she very low on vitamin B. I had the pancreas blood test (167.00) done and came back negative…She has very lose “poop” and has vomited more in the past week and the entire 8 years we’ve had her. Could it be intestinal? We are going to try a deworming med and antibiotic and some vitamin B. I feel so bad for her….I just don’t know what to do.
Lisa,
You might want to look into some high quality foods. Even maybe doing a wet/dry mix. I mention a few here, about mid article: http://www.diabeticdogblog.com/getting-started/
Eating just rice/boiled hamburger or chicken, green beans and eggs will not give your dog all the nutrition is needs.
Beyond that, I would consult your Vet, she might have something wrong, she might not. But your Vet will be able to help figure that out.
-Jeff
just found out yesterday that my pug has diabetis and his first urine test showed very high ketones. the doctor was very honest and said getting the toxins out and getting him back on track can be difficult. I am so frightened! I got him to the vet fairly quick I think. he started drinking more water and urinating more than normal but it’s also very warm and humid where we live so it wasn’t totally unexpected either. my doctor said he wasn’t “flat out” from the diabetis and she had certainly cared for dogs who had been and they can, do and will come through with the proper diet,care and love, love, love. i just need some hope-you know? my dog means the world to me. any words of wisdom, hope or encouragement out there for me?
Penny,
I would read my Getting Started post: http://www.diabeticdogblog.com/getting-started/
It will help you get a handle on canine diabetes.
-Jeff
My 8 yr. Old Rottie was recently confirmed diabetic in june. We’re up to 60 units of novolin N per day and I’ve switched her food from science diet to Royale canine glucose control formula. I just did a curve and blood sugar is still in the mid 300’s-400’s. She’s always been very healthy and active daily… her weight has always been steady. Back in March when blood work was done her glucose was in normal range. It seems all of this developed very quickly and the insulin is not making much difference. Her blood work from last month had no indicators if anything else going on. I’m working with internal medicine dr’s to get a handle on all of this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. How much insulin can a 90lb Rottie consume, 60 units per day seems like a lot to me and all of this certainly isn’t cheap! What happens when the insulin isn’t effective?
Tiffanie,
The food your dog eats directly affects glucose level. It is important to look at ingredients and understand which ingredients will convert to glucose. I suggest finding a dog food that is high in protein, grain free, low in fat, little to no fillers (corn, white rice), little to no non natural preservatives.
The food section of my Getting Started post: http://www.diabeticdogblog.com/getting-started/
Has some foods I recommend. A change in food, will definitely help your dog.
Walmart has Novloin N, rebranded as ReliON for $25/bottle. Sam’s Club also should carry it.
Insulin will always be effective to a certain degree. No matter what you will probably have to give more insulin as time goes on. For example: Bender has gone from 22 units to 28 units over the last 4-5yrs.
If you haven’t already, read through my blog posts and all the comments. There is a lot of good information that will help you. If you have any questions, please ask. And remember always consult your Vet before making any changes.
-Jeff
Hello,
Our 13 year old schnauzer was diagnosed with diabetes this weekend. We have changed her diet and we are giving her insulin every 12 hours. We have a busy family and most nights we will have no issues but I’m nervous about not feeding at the exact same time every night. Any tips on this?
Jen,
Depending on how regulated your dog is and how close you have them to the edge of low glucose levels, you should have a 2hr window to feed before glucose levels might get too low.
Depending on the day, I feed Bender any where between 8-9:30am and then again at 5:30-7:00pm.
I also don’t feed every 12 hours. It just doesn’t work for our schedule. Create a schedule that works for you and your dog.
-Jeff
Thank you!! Love you blog ! Very helpful.
14 yr old Labrador has had diabetes for 10 yrs. his sugar has been 300-442 the last two days. He has developed partial paralysis on rt side. Should we increase insulin. He gets 19 cc. Desperate for answers. Any help you can give me would be great!
Diane,
If you haven’t already, I would consult your Vet ASAP. Partial paralysis can be caused by many things. It is probably something beyond diabetes.
AS for the insulin, getting your dog’s sugar levels down to 100-200 is another priority. Consult your Vet first on how much insulin your should go up to. Also what food is your dog on?
-Jeff
Thanks for your blog. My West Highland White Terrier, was just diagnosed with diabetes. He’s 10 years old. My vet wants to put him on Humulin which is $140-180 a bottle at Walmart and Rite Aid. I almost passed out when I saw the cost. However, the pharmacist at Walmart told me to try Novolin which was only $25. My vet said it was ok to put him on Novolin however, she prefers Humulin. Any thoughts on why this is? I’m not doing any glucose testing at home yet… we need to go back to the vets in 2 weeks and they’ll keep him for the day. I’m hoping the affordable Novolin works for him. Also, I’m trying to figure out his schedule for eating. So far, I’m thinking 7:45am and 6:45pm. Is there any wiggle room in feeding him off of his scheduled time? Like 1/2 hour or so. Also, what happens if my schedule changes and I need to change his eating time? Can I slowing move the time each day? Any advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Sorry… a few more missed details. He’s on Iams Adult Mini Chunks. The vet has recommended we not change his food yet since he was just diagnosed. He gets 4 units of insulin. Thanks
Kim,
While both Novolin and Humulin are NPH insulin, they are made differently with different ingredients. In the end, it really comes down to if your dog will respond to the insulin and if it will be effective.
Bender has been on Novolin, Humulin, and Vetsulin. While he might have needed 10 units on one or 11 on the other, the end result was the same and the insulin did what it was suppose to do.
Just monitor your dog and make sure the insulin is working like it is suppose to and your dog should be fine on ReliOn/Novolin.
As for the schedule. Yes, you have wiggle room. Bender usually eats at 5:45-6:00pm but I’ve fed him as late as 8:00pm and as early as 4pm. I just had to watch him to make sure he wasn’t crashing. The real point of the schedule is this: When you start test glucose levels at home, you will start to see or at least should see a pattern once you get your dog regulated. So, if I know that Bender eats at a certain time every day, lets say 8am. After lots of glucose checks over months/years. At noon, his glucose levels should be around 200. At 2pm they should be around 180, etc etc. So I can check him at noon or what ever time and know roughly if he is doing ok.
So if you are constantly feeding at different times, it makes it more difficult to see a pattern in your dog’s glucose levels.
-Jeff
Jeff my 12 year old Poodle just came with diabetes
Was put on Vrtsolin 4 units once a day. Had some minor and that first week was on Clavamox and the glucose ready at the vet came down from 500 to 144.
The next week glucose rose to 250 now she is taking Vetsolin twice daily 4mm ea
BUT I am a firm believer that what we eat is crucial
I got the Wellness Core Grain free I will start today.
Also dogs as you know are very perceptive of our emotions. I have been going thru TURBULENT waters.
Could that be a factor in diabetes
Development ?? And the dog absorbing the negative vibes ??
Thank you for your response.
Ninette
Jeff you are so right about Hill’s it’s junk food and all the Vets push it because many sell it. The only nutrician class vets get in school is paid for by guess who? Yup Hill’s! Hill’s programs all the Vets brains in Vet school. Most Vets have no interest in animal nutrition or homeopathic medicine and never research for themselves. Do not let the Vet shame you into believing your doing wrong for your dog if they are not on Hill’s. Research yourself. Jeff has it right..low fat, high protien, no by products, fillers etc. Most dogs became diabetic and got Pancreatitus because of poor dog food from the local grocery store. And another point…quality dog food is very expensive, it can be even better quality and cheaper if you just make your own with boneless skinless chicken (large family economy size) or turkey and lots of vegetables, and a little brown rice or quinoa. I make a big batch that feeds 5 dogs their evening meal for 8 to 9 days. They get high quality, low fat grain free ect for breakfast.
Our hardest problem in our home..is that our little diabetic dog is just so tired of being stuck twice a day for the past 6 years now. She has begun to fight getting her shot, sure wish they made something you could give by mouth that would substitute for at least one of the daily injections. My little dog is a trooper.
Never…Never feed your animals pork. Pork is so bad for dogs because it’s all fat. It brought on our dogs Pancreatitus attack. That should also be a lesson for humans.
My chihuahua dachshund mix was diagnosed with diabetes almost 2 years ago. She is almost 13 now. She is on vetsulin. The vet recommended Hills science diet w/d which they sell. She was on that until recently. I read the ingredients finally after giving it to her for over a year. It has terrible ingredients. For the last two months I’ve been making her food. Organic chicken and a few different veggies that I rotate. I add crushed egg shells and also rotate small amounts of a healthy fat. I use coconut oil, salmon oil, olive oil that I rotate as well. I also add egg and several spices-turmeric,cinnamon and oregano. I also give her an occasional drop of iodine. Every meal she gets blood sugar gold drops by pet well being. I also give her some vitamin c and e, and some powdered bone collagen protein.
She has been doing so much better since taking her off the kibble and feeding her real human quality organic food. We have a meter and check her occasionally. I can usually tell when she goes high or low because of her behaviors. She was getting a lot of hair loss on her hind legs and tail and a lot of that is better and fur is filling back in. She was on 4 units of insulin and now we are down to 1 1/2 . I just started giving her a tiny bit of moringa leaf powder so we will see if that helps. I keep researching and trying different things.
Just thought I would share our journey so far.
My akita is awful to give a shot to.any suggestions?
Kathy,
Training and making the experience positive and rewarding. Try distracting with treats. Sitting with your dog petting it to get it to relax. Some have tried giving the shot while the dog is eating. If your dog is aggressive about getting a shot I would seek professional training.
-Jeff
Please help.my 7 year old yorkie was diagnosed today with diabetes.He is back at the vets in the morning.He was acting strange for around ten days before I took him to the vet.drinking lots and peeing.He was in good spirits until the diagnosis today now he is stumbling around and being sick(just smelly water)and his breathing sounds heavier.I am worried sick and I have been bombarded with information on the internet.I can’t seem to take it all in.
Ross,
My blog has a lot of information. I would suggest reading through all the posts. I detail out a lot of information that will help you.
But number one thing, make sure you are taking your dog to the Vet when problems start. Don’t wait 10 days. Diabetes and other illnesses associated with diabetes are no joke and need proper treatment.
-Jeff
Hi Jeff, Our Barney is a English Cocker Spaniel age 6.5 years old,
Diagnosed March 17, his weight is stable 17.2 kgs, and he is doing well but he has other issues, he is still not regulated, he is on 12.5 units caninsulin twice daily, his food is 125 gms of royal canin dry diabetic food with 5 gms chicken topper twice daily, he is also on meds for a spinal problem, 1 x Onsior, 3 x Gabapentin, and 2 x Pardale daily, my question is would his meds effect his BG levels.
Hi Jeff,
My Great Dane Luna was diagnosed diabetic a year ago. She is currently on 19 units of Novolin N which I get at Wal Mart. I switched her food to Zignature Trout and Salmon which she eats well and it’s low glycemic.
In the beginning we had some trial and error. We had a couple of scary crashes (hypoglycemic episodes) including one with a large seizure. I check her glucose numbers 2-3 times a day and yet on rare occasion can have a low that I can’t account for. I measure her food every day so that is a pretty constant. I feel we could do better on the exercise but it gets hard in Iowa when we get minus 10-20 degrees in winter.
We also struggle with high numbers on occasion. I try hard to keep her numbers in the 100-200 range but on occasion she’ll run in the 300’s for a couple days and I can’t figure why.
I’m curious as to if people adjust their insulin dosage day to day based on glucose numbers. I give a pretty constant amount adjusting a little if numbers are high. I’m always nervous to go too high because of hypoglycemic episodes. I’d love any tips for helping my girl.
I also have felt pretty home bound with her diagnosis. It’s tricky because I have college kids competing in sports. I go to what I can but I’m afraid to be away from home too long. How did you handle care for dog if you had to be away?
Thank you!
We were just told My dog has diabetes but not very high we changed her food to hills that is what the vet said and now she lost sooooo much weight it’s killing me to see her like this I went to another vet and they said she’s ok she’s healthy I’m sorry but I see and feel her bones we didn’t start her insulin because we are very scared to give her a needle now she hates dry food and her teeth are getting bad I’m just wondering does anyone know what I can give her as food that is wet since dry food is not what she likes anymore so she may gain a little weight