Caring for Your Dog With Diabetes
Although diabetes is not a completely curable disease, it can be managed successfully with proper treatment, diet and exercise.
The goal of managing diabetes is to maintain glucose in an acceptable range while avoiding hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and its associated signs. Proper management can reduce or eliminate signs of diabetes, such as excessive thirst and urination.
After diagnosis, your veterinarian will determine the insulin dose based on your dogs weight.
Your veterinarian and veterinary nurse are your best advocates. They will teach you everything you need to know about giving Vetsulin® via syringe or VetPen®. They can also discuss monitoring your dogs blood or urine glucose levels at home.
Shortly after starting insulin therapy, you should begin to see a decrease in the amount of water consumption and urination volumes. Pay close attention to these changes, along with appetite and attitude, to help your veterinarian in treatment decisions. Based on these signs, and glucose monitoring, your veterinarian may adjust your dogs insulin dose. Consistent monitoring and patience is key to finding the best dose for your dog.
How should I draw up the insulin?
Insulin is a suspension not a solution, so before administering it you must mix it. Some insulins should be gently rolled and not shaken, while others should be shaken thoroughly. Your veterinarian will advise you on how to handle the insulin. Some insulin has more of a tendency to settle out of suspension, so mixing is very important for accurate dosing.
The trick is to mix it vigorously enough to blend it without creating foam. When you have finished mixing the insulin, turn the bottle upside down to see if any of the white insulin molecules still adhere to the bottom of the bottle. If so, more mixing is needed.
Have the needle and syringe, insulin bottle, and dog ready. Then, follow these steps:
What do I need to know about insulin treatment for diabetes mellitus?
In diabetic dogs, the main treatment for regulating blood glucose is giving insulin by injection. Dogs with diabetes mellitus typically require two daily insulin injections as well as a dietary change. Although a dog can go a day or so without insulin and not have a crisis, this should not be a regular occurrence; treatment should be looked upon as part of the dogs daily routine. This means that you, as the dogs owner, must make both a financial commitment and a personal commitment to treat your dog. If you are out of town or go on vacation, your dog must receive proper treatment in your absence.
Initially, your dog may be hospitalized for a few days to deal with any immediate crisis and to begin the insulin regulation process. For instance, if your dog is so sick that he has stopped eating and drinking for several days, he may be experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis, which may require several days of intensive care. Once your dog is home, you will continue to administer insulin as prescribed. With the availability of a reliable home monitoring unit such as the AlphaTrak®2, blood sugar (glucose) levels can be tracked easily. Your veterinary healthcare team will teach you how to take the tiny blood sample needed to check your dogs glucose levels. Because the glucose readings are taken at home in your dogs natural environment, stress levels are low and the readings are more generally more accurate. At first, regular glucose readings will be required in order to monitor progress. It may take a month or more to achieve good insulin regulation. Your veterinarian will work with you to try to achieve consistent regulation, but some dogs are difficult to keep regulated.
There is a newer glucose monitoring system (FreeStyle Libre) that can measure glucose continuously over several days. Talk to your veterinarian to see if this is right for your dog.
Consistent treatment is a vital component of the proper management of the diabetic dog. Your dog needs consistent administration of insulin, consistent feeding, and a stable, stress-free lifestyle. Your dog should live indoors to minimize uncontrollable variables that can disrupt regulation. The most commonly used insulins are Vetsulin®, Caninsulin®, Humulin®N, and Detemir (brand name Levemir®). Your veterinarian will determine the best insulin for your dog.
Many people are fearful of inflicting pain or harm by giving insulin injections. This fear is unfounded since the disposable injection needles are extremely sharp and cause minimal pain, the insulin does not sting on injection, and the injections are given under the skin in areas where it is impossible to damage internal structures. Some insulins (Vetsulin®) are available in ’pen’ form and may be easier to administer. Once you are coached on how to give them, you may be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is and how well your dog tolerates the injections.
Insulin is a hormone that will lose its effectiveness if exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures. It should be kept in the refrigerator, but it should not be frozen. If you have any doubt about the storage of your dogs insulin, it is safer to replace it rather than risk using ineffective insulin. Insulin is safe as long as it is used as directed. Keep it out of reach of children.
Insulin comes in an airtight bottle that is labeled with the insulin type and the concentration. It is important to make sure you match the insulin concentration with the proper insulin needles. Insulin needles show their measurement in “units per mL”, which must correspond to the concentration of the insulin you are using. There are two common forms of insulin and corresponding syringes: U-100 and U-40. Your veterinarian will instruct you on which type of insulin you are using and which type of syringe you should use.