| Etta:Canine | |
|---|---|
| Female Chesapeake Bay Retriever/reddish brown | |
| http://www.petdiabetes.org/photo_gallery_pix/etta.jpg | |
| Born | Sep-1996 |
| Dx | Mar-2005 |
| Oral meds | : |
| Regulated | Dec-2005 |
|
Regulated between 90 and 300 | |
|
Etta "honeymooned" for a long time, with hypos occurring up to a year after diagnosis. Change in inulin made a big difference | |
| Remission | May-2005 |
| Insulin | Humulin N |
Initial symptoms were typical, excessive drinking and urinating, lethargy, rear end weakness/instability, seeming to want to eat more, moaning and groaning, Not herself. weight dropped from 73 to 54 pounds. Has maintained at 63-65 for the last year.
Hospitalized one week to treat ketoacidosis and begin insulin regimen, which had an immediate positive effect. In first two months had an anomoly in her curve in which her sugar would drop evenly and predictably and begin rising steadily as the dosing cycle neared its end, then plummet unexpectedly about 2 hours before next dose, resulting in hypos. Switching from Humulin L to Hum H seemed to stop that. As she was diagnosed so early, "honeymooning" was the suspected culprit.
Cataracts began to develop about 3 months after diagnosis and at a year and 3/4 since diagnosis she has lost about 40% of her vision. Has had four UTI's and two skin infections, both occurring in August heat.
She had cruciate repair surgery on both knees long prior to diabetes onset and significant arthritis in the rear legs, so it is often difficult to determine if rear end weakness/pain is due to that or diabetes.
Fed 2x per day, 2 1/2 cups dry food (half Eukanuba low fat and half Nutro senior) with a little Hills R/D mixed in. Often add veggies like squash or broccoli, cottage cheese, low fat grated cheese, yogurt, and once a week egg white. Midday treat is a biscuit (usually a milkbone)...extra treats are broccoli, small nutro "chops", pieces of dehydrated chicken breast and "greenies." recieves 171/2 units in am and 18 in pm...drop both of those one unit when the heat is extreme.
I add a capsule or tablet of powdered cranberry to aid in urinary tract function and a daily cap of lysene for improving the eyes. Also a daily cap of fish oil to keep the skin and coat good. These seem to help with those problems.
Was on HIGH amounts of glucosomine condroitin from age 3, as her cruciate problems were difficult to diagnose. Was on that right up until dx for dm. Once I saw some research on a possible connection between Gluc/chond and diabetes, that was teminated.
Have kept her active with hiking, swimming and retrieving training. Limit these to 45 minutes to 1:15 per day. Despite her arthritis and residual cruciate issues as well as the DM, vet considers her in excellent physical condition and believes keeping her active is helping.
Mood is good, remains even tempered and enthusiastic. Does avoid active play with other dogs. Does not have the stamina of the past...seems to have aged/slowed more rapidly inthe past 6 months.