just found out our dog has diabetes!

[chipy]

:brokenheart:

cliff notes:
1) our dog has diabetes
2) does anyone know how much insulin costs (small dog)?
3) those who believe, please pray for her tonight
4) any additional suggestions/advice appreciated
5) thank you

she's down with my parents in TX and i'm up here in PA. my dad wanted to euthanize her or give her away, but i can't bear the thought of putting her down or her having to live with another family after all the years she's lived with ours.

so i told my dad i would adopt her and give her medication (in addition to better diet and exercise). does anyone know how much insulin costs for my little dog? she's a small dog, dachshund mix. i'm guessing the amount of insulin depends on the size of the dog? i.e. the bigger the dog, the more it needs? it's just my guess but i may be wrong.

i had ambitions to work overseas for a while and do other stuff but they may be delayed or terminated... but my family dog is more important that those things. i currently don't have any pets and live a life where i don't have to work around anyone else's schedule but i can't bear my dog not being with someone from my family.

i read this thread by StevenYoo and feel like i know what he's going through. i ask those whoe *believe* to pray for my dog and me. she's going to need lots of love, a change in her life style, courage for maybe moving from TX to PA and dealing with the changes, and i'll need strength, courage, patience, and financial blessing to get through this.

thanks ATOT!

UPDATE: since i've posted this our dog has been doing much better. i talked to both of my parents and my dad agreed not to give the dog away or euthanize it. i thought i convinced my mom to do the shots but it seems like she is relying on my dad to give the shots to our dog. so for now, our dog's doing fine. just wanted to give a big THANKS to everyone for their kind words and advice! ATOT rules!

 

[Cellulose]

 

[Semidevil]

oh man. that's terrible man. Hope all goes well. One word of advice if you dont mind. once you see the vet and he/she tells you what can be done, the costs, etc etc, take some time and rethink what you can realistically do.

my parents dog had diabetes, and it was just terrible watching her deteriorate day by day.

 

[Kreon]

I'm sorry

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: chipy
:brokenheart:

cliff notes:
1) our dog has diabetes
2) does anyone know how much insulin costs (small dog)?
3) those who believe, please pray for her tonight
4) any additional suggestions/advice appreciated
5) thank you

she's down with my parents in TX and i'm up here in PA. my dad wanted to euthanize her or give her away, but i can't bear the thought of putting her down or her having to live with another family after all the years she's lived with ours.

so i told my dad i would adopt her and give her medication (in addition to better diet and exercise). does anyone know how much insulin costs for my little dog? she's a small dog, dachshund mix. i'm guessing the amount of insulin depends on the size of the dog? i.e. the bigger the dog, the more it needs? it's just my guess but i may be wrong.

i had ambitions to work overseas for a while and do other stuff but they may be delayed or terminated... but my family dog is more important that those things. i currently don't have any pets and live a life where i don't have to work around anyone else's schedule but i can't bear my dog not being with someone from my family.

i read this thread by StevenYoo and feel like i know what he's going through. i ask those whoe *believe* to pray for my dog and me. she's going to need lots of love, a change in her life style, courage for maybe moving from TX to PA and dealing with the changes, and i'll need strength, courage, patience, and financial blessing to get through this.

thanks ATOT!

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT BAD! Trust me.

I felt like you did when my dog was diagnosed with diabetes on 2-21-09. Let me just say, once the initial shock wore off, it's not been that bad. You just have to get into the routine of doing what you have to do, and my dog is just now getting back to her ole self after the back and forth of getting the correct dosage of insulin figured out and administered.

How old is your dog?

My dog is a toy poodle, 6 y/o, 23 lbs, not overweight by any means. My vet said that more and more dogs are getting diabetes and they aren't quite sure as to why.

To answer your questions: Insulin cost me $28 for a 10ml vial which lasted me about a month. The syringes are .32c a piece, but I've been told they can be bought cheaper online. My dog also had to spend the day at the vets 3 times so far for what is called a "glucose curve". They checked her glucose levels throughout the day to see if the dosage of insulin she is given needed to be adjusted. We initially gave her 4 units of insulin 2x/day and then we've went up in 1 unit increments trying to get more favorable test results. She now gets 7 units twice/day and it seems to be the right amount. What's real nice is all of her symptoms have disappeared. She is my active, playful, wonderful dog, without a drinking too much/peeing a lot problem anymore.

I would be more than glad to answer any other questions you have by PM. I was hoping someone could benefit from my having "been there, done that" with dog diabetes. When I first got her diagnosis I was scared, sad, and wasn't sure what the future would bring, but chipy, I can tell you love your dog, and it's going to be ok.

 

[eplebnista]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Sorry to hear man. But as Mosh has stated, it's not a death sentence and isn't that expensive. However, it does require you to be attentive daily to monitor and administer the insulin.

Good luck!!!

 

[Kyle]

Here's my personal experience with it (well not really, I was very young). Our dog was diagnosed w/ diabetes and needed daily shots. My dad gave her the shots. The dog ended up being very scared of my dad, and it completly ruined their relationship. He could not approach her w/ out her pulling away.
Sorry to bring up such a negative thing, but it is something to keep in mind...hopefully this doesnt happen w/ your dog, and I hope she starts feeling better soon.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Kyle
Here's my personal experience with it (well not really, I was very young). Our dog was diagnosed w/ diabetes and needed daily shots. My dad gave her the shots. The dog ended up being very scared of my dad, and it completly ruined their relationship. He could not approach her w/ out her pulling away.
Sorry to bring up such a negative thing, but it is something to keep in mind...hopefully this doesnt happen w/ your dog, and I hope she starts feeling better soon.

I don't know that that is the norm.

My dog has no problems with the shots. She comes right over and lays down for them. She has no fear, and takes it as getting attention (which she loves).

 

[Kyle]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: Kyle
Here's my personal experience with it (well not really, I was very young). Our dog was diagnosed w/ diabetes and needed daily shots. My dad gave her the shots. The dog ended up being very scared of my dad, and it completly ruined their relationship. He could not approach her w/ out her pulling away.
Sorry to bring up such a negative thing, but it is something to keep in mind...hopefully this doesnt happen w/ your dog, and I hope she starts feeling better soon.

I don't know that that is the norm.

My dog has no problems with the shots. She comes right over and lays down for them. She has no fear, and takes it as getting attention (which she loves).

Yeah, it very well may not be, just sharing my experience with it- it really got to my dad, they had a very good relationship before then- after a little while w/ the shots, she wouldn't even approach him anymore.

 

[gooseman]

I can't speak for a dog but I can for humans. I have diabetes and once you get used to the idea it's not that bad. It is just a matter of doing what you have to do to keep it under control and making a few changes here and there. You learn to live with it pretty quick. Good luck to you.

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: chipy
:brokenheart:

cliff notes:
1) our dog has diabetes
2) does anyone know how much insulin costs (small dog)?
3) those who believe, please pray for her tonight
4) any additional suggestions/advice appreciated
5) thank you

she's down with my parents in TX and i'm up here in PA. my dad wanted to euthanize her or give her away, but i can't bear the thought of putting her down or her having to live with another family after all the years she's lived with ours.

so i told my dad i would adopt her and give her medication (in addition to better diet and exercise). does anyone know how much insulin costs for my little dog? she's a small dog, dachshund mix. i'm guessing the amount of insulin depends on the size of the dog? i.e. the bigger the dog, the more it needs? it's just my guess but i may be wrong.

i had ambitions to work overseas for a while and do other stuff but they may be delayed or terminated... but my family dog is more important that those things. i currently don't have any pets and live a life where i don't have to work around anyone else's schedule but i can't bear my dog not being with someone from my family.

i read this thread by StevenYoo and feel like i know what he's going through. i ask those whoe *believe* to pray for my dog and me. she's going to need lots of love, a change in her life style, courage for maybe moving from TX to PA and dealing with the changes, and i'll need strength, courage, patience, and financial blessing to get through this.

thanks ATOT!

methinks you should reconsider this part, especially the part about the dog being more important than the rest of your life. I mean I grew up with and really like dogs, but that's a bit extreme

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: chipy
:brokenheart:

cliff notes:
1) our dog has diabetes
2) does anyone know how much insulin costs (small dog)?
3) those who believe, please pray for her tonight
4) any additional suggestions/advice appreciated
5) thank you

she's down with my parents in TX and i'm up here in PA. my dad wanted to euthanize her or give her away, but i can't bear the thought of putting her down or her having to live with another family after all the years she's lived with ours.

so i told my dad i would adopt her and give her medication (in addition to better diet and exercise). does anyone know how much insulin costs for my little dog? she's a small dog, dachshund mix. i'm guessing the amount of insulin depends on the size of the dog? i.e. the bigger the dog, the more it needs? it's just my guess but i may be wrong.

i had ambitions to work overseas for a while and do other stuff but they may be delayed or terminated... but my family dog is more important that those things. i currently don't have any pets and live a life where i don't have to work around anyone else's schedule but i can't bear my dog not being with someone from my family.

i read this thread by StevenYoo and feel like i know what he's going through. i ask those whoe *believe* to pray for my dog and me. she's going to need lots of love, a change in her life style, courage for maybe moving from TX to PA and dealing with the changes, and i'll need strength, courage, patience, and financial blessing to get through this.

thanks ATOT!

methinks you should reconsider this part, especially the part about the dog being more important than the rest of your life. I mean I grew up with and really like dogs, but that's a bit extreme

methinks his parents could handle the dog's diabetes if they gave it a chance. wanting to euthanize a dog who has diabetes just because you don't want to deal with it is awful.

 

[Linflas]

We had a diabetic cat and the expense was not really all that great. He had repeated vet visits until they determined the proper dosage of insulin we had to give him and we just gave him the shots daily. Most times he didn't even stop eating while we gave him the injections.

 

[Wheezer]

Originally posted by: chipy
:brokenheart:

cliff notes:
1) our dog has diabetes
2) does anyone know how much insulin costs (small dog)?
3) those who believe, please pray for her tonight
4) any additional suggestions/advice appreciated
5) thank you

she's down with my parents in TX and i'm up here in PA. my dad wanted to euthanize her or give her away, but i can't bear the thought of putting her down or her having to live with another family after all the years she's lived with ours.

so i told my dad i would adopt her and give her medication (in addition to better diet and exercise). does anyone know how much insulin costs for my little dog? she's a small dog, dachshund mix. i'm guessing the amount of insulin depends on the size of the dog? i.e. the bigger the dog, the more it needs? it's just my guess but i may be wrong.

i had ambitions to work overseas for a while and do other stuff but they may be delayed or terminated... but my family dog is more important that those things. i currently don't have any pets and live a life where i don't have to work around anyone else's schedule but i can't bear my dog not being with someone from my family.

i read this thread by StevenYoo and feel like i know what he's going through. i ask those whoe *believe* to pray for my dog and me. she's going to need lots of love, a change in her life style, courage for maybe moving from TX to PA and dealing with the changes, and i'll need strength, courage, patience, and financial blessing to get through this.

thanks ATOT!

As mosh stated, once the initial shock wears off it is not that bad.

The Keys are:

1- Routine. once a pattern has been established for administering insulin...stick to that routine.....no matter what. You may not be able to go out and about like you once did for as long as you like because you have to be home to give your pet insulin. Have a calander handy and write down who gave what when.

One of the hardest things about this when dealing with pets over administering insulin...you give it, forget to tell someone then they give it and now your pet is having a diabetic crash.....this is not good. Know the signs of too much insulin. Your pet will be drinking more water and require more trips outside, most likely you will start to see more accidents in the house....this cannot be helped and it's something you will need to learn to manage.

2- Documentation. Keep a journal of what you do when, and observations you make. You can discuss this with your vet and they can make decisions based on what you have written down.

3- Patience. This is not going to be an easy road and there are going to be more medical complications in the future...mainly kidney problems and it will not be cheap. Patience and understanding that your life as you know it will be changed because of the complications of this disease.

We had a cat that was diabetic that we kept alive for 9 years. We were pretty much tied to the house because we had to administer insulin 2x a day and monitor feeding. It got worse the older he got because we had to also administer fluids to keep his kidneys working. He finally died from kidney failure.

It was not fun, it was not easy but when you love a pet almost no sacrifice is too much.

 

[Poulsonator]

Originally posted by: Linflas
We had a diabetic cat and the expense was not really all that great. He had repeated vet visits until they determined the proper dosage of insulin we had to give him and we just gave him the shots daily. Most times he didn't even stop eating while we gave him the injections.

Same here. I've got a diabetic cat (diagnosed in March 2007), and he doesn't even flinch when he gets his shots...one in the morning and one in the evening.

 

[TwiceOver]

We had a cat with diabetes. Insulin was $45 which lasted about two months. Shots twice a day. Took quite a few visits to the vet to get the correct dosage.

All in all it wasn't too bad, though doing it twice a day was painful on our schedules to get the correct timing.

 

[JJChicken]

Prayed

 

[alkemyst]

WTF?!?!? euthanasia for diabetes.

Put it up for adoption before that.

My parents cat has diabetes and needs two injections a day, it does affect their daily planning and pet sitting costs are higher when they are traveling.

They have not worked for two years now and never decided they should kill off the cat because it costs them some extra money.

How about asking the FUCKING VETERNARIAN how much meds will cost? We don't know how much insulin your pet needs, a small severely diabetic dog can need more than a large slightly diabetic dog...also many times this tapers off especially if you start feeding them better.

You are also more than likely looking at 'diabetic' food for the pet. I'd search online for good recommendations as often there are higher end foods out there that are better than the perscription diets.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
My dog is a toy poodle, 6 y/o, 23 lbs, not overweight by any means. My vet said that more and more dogs are getting diabetes and they aren't quite sure as to why.

a toy poodle at 23lbs would be more than double it's average weight. You either have a mix or a non-toy poodle. Even at 13lbs it'd be overweight.

 

[nerp]

Don't let the dog change all your plans. The dog can be put in a new home. They're beautiful creatures but they will love anyone given attention and time. There are millions of dogs and billions of people. Keep that in mind.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: nerp
Don't let the dog change all your plans. The dog can be put in a new home. They're beautiful creatures but they will love anyone given attention and time. There are millions of dogs and billions of people. Keep that in mind.

unfortunately there are millions of dogs and less than that looking for one.

Finding a home for a dog though is much easier than a cat.

 

[nerp]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: nerp
Don't let the dog change all your plans. The dog can be put in a new home. They're beautiful creatures but they will love anyone given attention and time. There are millions of dogs and billions of people. Keep that in mind.

unfortunately there are millions of dogs and less than that looking for one.

Finding a home for a dog though is much easier than a cat.

How easily you can transition a dog to a new home greatly depends on the community in which you live. Some communities are lucky to have volunteer organizations that take in animals and don't euthanize. Other "shelters" might recieve a combination of municipal funding and donations and really solid organizations have grant writers so they're constantly reeling in funds. Those types of agencies/rescue leages/animal sheters are a far cry from the traditional 'dog pound.'

Some places might not have much more than a dog pound with some caged runs and not much time for a dog to get adopted before being put down.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Best wishes.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: nerp
How easily you can transition a dog to a new home greatly depends on the community in which you live. Some communities are lucky to have volunteer organizations that take in animals and don't euthanize. Other "shelters" might recieve a combination of municipal funding and donations and really solid organizations have grant writers so they're constantly reeling in funds. Those types of agencies/rescue leages/animal sheters are a far cry from the traditional 'dog pound.'

Some places might not have much more than a dog pound with some caged runs and not much time for a dog to get adopted before being put down.

I know what you are talking about, but regardless of how well off one agency is...in any city there are far more animals being put to sleep than adopted. These highly sponsered type places have only a handfull of all the animals at any time.

I think you are over estimating though what these shelters get from the government sector, esp right now. With the Madoff situation, many of the big cash donators in the private sector have also dried up.

I am pretty active in animal charity.