Anyone with a diabetic pet

[Shellygirlky]

If you you use Vetsulin brand of insulin for your pet you should read this.

FDA?s Center for Veterinary Medicine Alerts Veterinarians About Problems with Vetsulin® to Treat Diabetes in Dogs and Cats

Not my yorkie but my Mini Schnauzer has been using it since March 09. I almost lost he in October. She went hypoglycemic and was having a seizure. He blood glucose was so low it didn't even register on my meter. I put honey on her gums and roused her enough to eat but she was very disoriented and her legs would slide out from under her. She had to lay down to eat. If I had not been home when this happened I wouldn't my Missy Ann. Oh, there had been no changes in her diet or insulin.

[Lorrainelola]

Oh your poor baby, it must have been scary.

I know the feeling, and I talking about myself not a pet.

I really admire people who continue to help their dogs with diabetes because it can't be easy.

[lisa_j]

Jax, one of our yorkies is diabetic. We switched from vetsulin to humulin N when the FDA put the info out about vetsulin. I am sorry you had to go through that with your baby. Do you belong to the yahoo diabetic pet group? I have learned so much rom that site.

[Shellygirlky]

Originally Posted by lisa_j

Jax, one of our yorkies is diabetic. We switched from vetsulin to humulin N when the FDA put the info out about vetsulin. I am sorry you had to go through that with your baby. Do you belong to the yahoo diabetic pet group? I have learned so much rom that site.

I just found out about the issues Vetsulin yesterday. Just happened to stumble over it doing a search for on line suppliers. I do belong to the yahoo group but I hate the way everything is set up so I don't visit often and couldn't log in at all today. May I ask a few questions? Do you like the Humulin? I know I will like the cost better. What do you feed your fur baby? Mine has been eating Royal Canin diabetic. I don't care for it but the vet only gave me one other option Science Diet WD. She always acts like she is starving to death. I have sent my vet an email with attachments of all the info I found. I will be talking with her on Monday. I just paid $32 for a new bottle of Vetsulin on Thursday.

[lisa_j]

Originally Posted by Shellygirlky

I just found out about the issues Vetsulin yesterday. Just happened to stumble over it doing a search for on line suppliers. I do belong to the yahoo group but I hate the way everything is set up so I don't visit often and couldn't log in at all today. May I ask a few questions? Do you like the Humulin? I know I will like the cost better. What do you feed your fur baby? Mine has been eating Royal Canin diabetic. I don't care for it but the vet only gave me one other option Science Diet WD. She always acts like she is starving to death. I have sent my vet an email with attachments of all the info I found. I will be talking with her on Monday. I just paid $32 for a new bottle of Vetsulin on Thursday.

I do like the humulin N, I buy RelyOn N at Walmart. You do not need a script for it. Jax does not have the rebound effect now that he had while on vetsulin. The cost is $24.00 a bottle. I feed Jax Taste of the Wild bison. He eats 1/4 cup every 12 hrs. I give him canned plain pumpkin and green beans as snacks.
The yahoo group has been very helpful to me. They helped me figure out what type of food was best with the new insulin and advise when I need it.

[Shellygirlky]

Originally Posted by lisa_j

I do like the humulin N, I buy RelyOn N at Walmart. You do not need a script for it. Jax does not have the rebound effect now that he had while on vetsulin. The cost is $24.00 a bottle. I feed Jax Taste of the Wild bison. He eats 1/4 cup every 12 hrs. I give him canned plain pumpkin and green beans as snacks.
The yahoo group has been very helpful to me. They helped me figure out what type of food was best with the new insulin and advise when I need it.

I had just started buying Tast of the Wild when Annie got sick. The vet told me I had to change foods. Her food looks and feels like Kix cereal. She liked taste of the wild and it would be so nice to be able to buy just one bag of food again. My vet had never heard of TOTW.

[lisa_j]

Originally Posted by Shellygirlky

I had just started buying Tast of the Wild when Annie got sick. The vet told me I had to change foods. Her food looks and feels like Kix cereal. She liked taste of the wild and it would be so nice to be able to buy just one bag of food again. My vet had never heard of TOTW.

Honestly, I think even many of the best vets do not know a lot about good nutrition and our pets. I also believe they get a cut from food they sell out of their office, I may be wrong about that though.
TOTW is a good food and Jax does really well on it. I know that the diabetic group could help you if you decide to switch back.

[Ladymom]

Lady just entered her eighth year with diabetes, believe it or not. She was diagnosed before Vetinsulin and has been getting ReliOn "N" from Walmart the whole time. She has been beautifully regulated on it all these years. The old gal still has her eyesight at age 14!

[Shellygirlky]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Lady just entered her eighth year with diabetes, believe it or not. She was diagnosed before Vetinsulin and has been getting ReliOn "N" from Walmart the whole time. She has been beautifully regulated on it all these years. The old gal still has her eyesight at age 14!

You are a veteran.Please tell me more. I'm still a newby. I just learned that you don't even need a prescription to get this insulin. If I had known that I would have switched months ago. What do you feed? Injections 1 or 2 times a day. Unfortunately Annie already had chronic dry eyes (no tears) It has scratched her lenses even with the use of drops. I believe she can still see lights and maybe shapes. Doesn't bump into thinks unless her eyes get gunked up. I just hate it for Annie and my carpets that we have to start all over again. Any helpful hints are more than welcome. My mom has Annie's sisters and 2 of them are diabetic.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Shellygirlky

You are a veteran.Please tell me more. I'm still a newby. I just learned that you don't even need a prescription to get this insulin. If I had known that I would have switched months ago. What do you feed? Injections 1 or 2 times a day. Unfortunately Annie already had chronic dry eyes (no tears) It has scratched her lenses even with the use of drops. I believe she can still see lights and maybe shapes. Doesn't bump into thinks unless her eyes get gunked up. I just hate it for Annie and my carpets that we have to start all over again. Any helpful hints are more than welcome. My mom has Annie's sisters and 2 of them are diabetic.

You don't need a prescription for insulin or syringes. Most dogs do well on NPH insulin which lasts 12 hours. Lady gets 3 units of ReliOn "N" twice a day with meals.

I never did feed Lady prescription food as it is garbage IMO. Why would I feed a dog with a compromised immune system food that contains peanut hulls? I fed Lady Natures Variety Prairie for years. She did really well on a higher protein diet until she was diagnosed with liver damage from years of Phenobarbital for seizures. I switched her to a homecooked liver diet and she is doing really well on it, too.

Lady also has dry eye. We've been seeing an ophthalmologist for several years. She gets Tacrolimus to produce tears as Cyclosporin didn't work for her. I also use Genteal Severe Eye gel in her eyes 4-6 times a day (or more). Eye problems have been her biggest (and most expensive) issue to deal with.

This website is a fabulous source of information for those of us with diabetic dogs:

Pets with Diabetes: Home Page

[Shellygirlky]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

You don't need a prescription for insulin or syringes. Most dogs do well on NPH insulin which lasts 12 hours. Lady gets 3 units of ReliOn "N" twice a day with meals.

I never did feed Lady prescription food as it is garbage IMO. Why would I feed a dog with a compromised immune system food that contains peanut hulls? I fed Lady Natures Variety Prairie for years. She did really well on a higher protein diet until she was diagnosed with liver damage from years of Phenobarbital for seizures. I switched her to a homecooked liver diet and she is doing really well on it, too.

Lady also has dry eye. We've been seeing an ophthalmologist for several years. She gets Tacrolimus to produce tears as Cyclosporin didn't work for her. I also use Genteal Severe Eye gel in her eyes 4-6 times a day (or more). Eye problems have been her biggest (and most expensive) issue to deal with.

This website is a fabulous source of information for those of us with diabetic dogs:

Pets with Diabetes: Home Page

Great website. I have been reading for the past 2 hours.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Shellygirlky

Great website. I have been reading for the past 2 hours.

Isn't it wonderful? I discovered it when Lady was first diagnosed and it was like my "bible".

Please feel free to pm me if you ever have any questions.

[Shellygirlky]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Isn't it wonderful? I discovered it when Lady was first diagnosed and it was like my "bible".

Please feel free to pm me if you ever have any questions.

Thanks, I'm sure I will have tons more. It's great to have someone who has gone through this to talk to. I get so intimidated by the vet sometimes. I'm not trying to tell her how to do her job. I know she is way more busy than I am and I have the time to do my research on the net. My findings most times are more current than what she learned at vet school. I gave up on arguing over the quality of dog food. I couldn't convince her even after I brought in my empty bags for her to read. Dogs weren't meant to eat ground corn over meat.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Shellygirlky

Thanks, I'm sure I will have tons more. It's great to have someone who has gone through this to talk to. I get so intimidated by the vet sometimes. I'm not trying to tell her how to do her job. I know she is way more busy than I am and I have the time to do my research on the net. My findings most times are more current than what she learned at vet school. I gave up on arguing over the quality of dog food. I couldn't convince her even after I brought in my empty bags for her to read. Dogs weren't meant to eat ground corn over meat.

Many vets don't have much experience with diabetic dogs. If she is open minded, she will listen to what you find in your research. If not, you may want to ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist.

My vet was very open minded and learned along with me. When Lady was diagnosed the recommended diet was Hills W/D for high fiber. I read about success with higher protein diets and switched Lady to Evo when it came out, then Prairie. My vet was amazed with the results and started recommending a higher protein diet to her diabetic patients!

I learned to check Lady's blood sugar myself and that has been the key to her longevity. I also feed her a high quality diet and premium treats. Yes, treats are a part of Lady's life!

I give her lots of supplements, including Transfer Factor. It was recommended on a canine diabetes forum for dogs who were hard to regulate. The results were astounding. Her insulin needs are half what they are without Transfer Factor.

Transfer Factors And The Immune Response in Humans and Animals

As I mentioned before, seeing an ophthalmologist regularly is very important. Lady has lots of eye problems, dry eye, uveitis, infections, etc.