My lab puppy is 3.5months n has diabetes since birth.. We found it when it was 1.5 months.. It has high sugar levels up-to 600.. We started giving insulin as suggested by the Vet n the level is up-to 480.. He is just 3.2 kgs even now.. We r giving him royal canin Maxi starter. . He is not dropping his sugar levels nor putting on weight.. Really not sure what best can v do for him to recover.. Giving insulin everyday is a prob as he is unwilling to take the shots and he cries too.. Please suggest what should v do.. Appreciate your help.. Thanks Pallavi
You need to consult with your vet and possibly consider seeing a veterinary internal medicine specialist if you have one within a few hours. If your vet is unsure you should seek a second opinion. Diabetes in dogs that young is very rare and I think he needs further vet care.
Poor pup and poor you! As a diabetic myself I know what a struggle it can be.Please go back to your vet and ask to be referred to a specialist. It sounds as if the insulin doses need to be modified to the specific needs of your pup. Don't worry about the whining. Those shots are keeping your puppy alive. Do you weigh the food before giving it to your dog? Is your dog getting exercise? Good luck. You are a hero!
If he is type 1, which nearly all diabetic dogs are, he needs insulin shots. We had a rescue Lab, Ginger, who became diabetic at 12, and lived to 16. We gave her two shots a day, and fine tuned the insulin dose, based on her blood sugar levels. Dogs are fairly easy to control, since we control their food and to some degree their exercise. We only did blood sugar checks when we thought something might be off. Ginger was an active healthy Lab, until she started slowing down about 15-1/2 yrs. Ginger never minded her shot, in fact she really did not notice it. It went in the loose skin between her shoulders. We did blood sugar tests, using the same equipment that human diabetics use. We found that doing the blood stick on the inside of the lip was one place that the dog did not mind. There aren't a lot of nerves in the lips, and it doesn't make a lot of noise. I don't know if I could do lip sticks on Cooper, but Ginger did not seem to mind at all. Some people recommend the elbow callouses or the ears, but the inside of the lip worked way better for Ginger.
FWIW, Dogs should have the same Blood Glucose levels as humans. 100 is ideal. 80-120 is good. I understand the Glucose meters tend to read low when the BG level is low. (read lower than the actual BG levels when the actual levels are low, say 50) but I have seen Ginger still standing at BG level 20. High BG levels do chronic damage and often cause cataracts in dogs. Low BG levels are life threatening. We always had some honey or glucose paste available if she got too low, either from too much exercise, or not eating (not likely with a Lab) Be aware that the old time urine tests are not very good. When blood glucose levels are well controlled there should be no sugar in the urine, but you have no way of knowing if you are just right or way too low. Over all Ginger's diabetes did not have a big impact on her or our lifestyle. We just had to be around when it was time for food and her shot 2x/day. As a result she went everywhere with us. When my son was playing football, I would go out at half-time and feed her and give her the shot. We had a kennel that would give her, her shot 2x per day, for no extra charge when we went on a trip.
@Pallavi so sorry you are having a struggle with diabetes. Definitely sounds like you need more advice from a specialist. If his sugars are high he needs more insulin. He won't be absorbing his energy from his food.....it won't be getting into his cells to let them work properly and he will just be eliminating all the nutrients hence the slow weight gain. And probably a lot of peeing too. I hope you can get more support and advice.
