Seizure and Diabetes
 

My 15 1/2 year old yorkie Zack has been treated for diabetes with moduret tablets and was working until recently but he's now wetting again a lot and drinking excessively. I was due to see the vet yesterday but had to rush in on Saturday evening as he was vomitting a lot - which he had treatment for and is okay now but he also had what looked like a mini stroke which really frightened me thinking I was going to lose him. I described the symptoms to the vet and how long it lasted and he thought it couldn't be a stroke as he recovered the use of his body too quickly. He thought it was a type of a seizure called a petit mal - I wonder if anyone else's yorkies have suffered with this. He's never had one before and I wondered what caused it. I am keeping an eye on him incase it happens again as the vet said he can treat it. Also we are having more diagnostic tests as to why the tablets don't seem to be working anymore. Does any one have any experience with this as well as I'd be interested to hear what tests your dog's had done? Zack has already had kidney and liver function tests and also cushings which all came back negative. I can't think what else the vet could be testing for - he seems well otherwise.

My Lady has been diabetic for almost six years now.

I can tell you why the tablets aren't working. Unlike human diabetics who can often control their blood glucose by diet and oral medications, dogs are always Type I diabetics and require twice daily insulin injections.

I'm sure Zack's recent episode when he was sick was ketoacidosis which is caused by not enough insulin. Ketoacidosis is very serious and can be life threatening. I'm sure that's why he is having seizures.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is caused by a lack of insulin or an insufficient amount of insulin. Since the lack of insulin means that glucose in not able to be used, the body searches for a new source of energy. In this condition, the diabetic breaks down body fat (lipolysis) to use as energy. During lipolysis, waste products called ketones are produced. Ketones are eliminated in the urine and through the lungs. Under normal conditions, the body can tolerate and eliminate ketones. But in diabetic ketoacidosis, fats are being broken down at such a high rate that the body can not eliminate the ketones fast enough and they build up in the blood. In high amounts, ketones are toxic to the body. They cause the acid-base balance to change and serious electrolyte and fluid imbalances result.

You need to find a vet asap who understands canine diabetes. Untreated diabetes leads to organ failure and death. Eyesight is one of the first organs to fail. I'm guessing Zack may already be blind.

This is a wonderful website that is full of information about canine diabetes. There is also a forum that is a great source of information and support. Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

http://www.petdiabetes.org/contents.htm

First, I am not an expert or Vet, but I am wondering if your dog has diabetes it could have been seizure brought on by ketoasidosis. I have a Bichon that has been diabetic for 3 years now and he has been on insulin 2x day. I looked up moderut and this is what I found:
This medication contains two diuretics (amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide) that are used to decrease certain cases of edema (fluid retention) that occur with congestive heart failure and disorders of the liver. It is also used to lower high blood pressure. This medication works by causing the body to lose excess water and salt. One of the diuretics, amiloride, called a potassium-sparing diuretic, does not cause potassium to be lost from the body, while the other, hydrochlothiazide, does cause potassium to be lost from the body.

Did the vets check blood glucose levels? The symtoms you are describing is exactly what was happening with my dog when I found out he was diabetic. He has been on insulin ever since, goes in for regular blood glucose curves, and has been regulated since. I would explore it more with your vet or another one.
Oh, one more thing, when my dog was first diagnosed, I was afraid to do the insulin shots and asked the vet about pills.They had told me that they are successful somewhat with the pills for cats, but a high percentage doesn't work with dogs. Most dogs have the insulin dependant diabetes. Perhaps this is the case. Here is a good site for you if you want to talk to other diabetic dog owners:

http://www.caninediabetes.org/

Wow, we must have been typing at the same time!!! I hope the original poster takes him in asap.

Yes Zack has cataracts and has been blind for a couple of years now. I kept saying I think the sickness is to with the diabetes as he's had it before and then it settled when he started the tablets. It's surprising that the vets have not picked up on this with all the symptoms I've told them. They're the ones that are medically trained - they should know. No they didn't check his blood glucose levels. I was told to leave him off his diabetic tablets for a week and re-introduce them but that sounds dangerous to me -i've put him back on them. I will get him back into the vets again. Thanks ladies for all your help.

Been tonight to the vets with Zack he's had a full blood works done and it's all clear - his urine is still showing that it's diabetes insipidus but the moduret tablets haven't been working lately. The vet is going to write me a prescription for some drops that seem to have more success than moduret and to try them. He doesn't know what's causing the bouts of sickness or what looked like a seizure as the results have turned up nothing to suggest what it might be so it's just keeping an eye on him to see.

Great advice Ladymom and AprilLove!! Yorkiegirl16, Good luck! And I will be praying for your baby!!

I didn't realize that Zack had diabetes insipidus, not diabetes mellitus. That's very rare.

Here is some great information:


http://www.petdiabetes.org/diabetes_insipidus.htm

Thanks I've been on there recently. We've tried the DDAVP drops that we use as eye drops. They don't seem to be working - he's crying all the time for water, not much keen on food and it's really upsetting. I don't know what else I can do for him the tests haven't showed up anything else to suggest its another problem. I tried to phone the vet today for advice and the one who knows all the history of the case wasn't in and the others didn't want to get involved. The medication he's on says he shouldn't be drinking big quantities of water as it will cause him to retain and bloat up so it's being monitored the quantities that he does have. According to the pets diabetes site the DDAVP should have an almost instant result. I will phone the vets again in the morning and try and speak to the vet who has treated him.