Dog Diabetes - How to Care For Your Diabetic Dog

Best Pet Carriers Can Be Found at PetCarrierVerdict.Com

2016-05-11T16:31:00.001-04:00

Whether your pet is a dog, cat, rabbit, or ferret you will find the best and widest choice of options for a pet carrier at PetCarrierVerdict.com

A variety of different types of pet carriers are available including the traditional top or side loading hard and soft sides carrying cage types with a handle, pet strollers, wheeled soft sided carriers similar to a carryon bag with wheels except its for your pet, large purse type carriers for small dogs, even wearable pet carriers similar to baby carriers worn by mothers to carry their newborn babies. The wearable pet carrier options also include pet slings.

They even offer a pet carrier that attaches to your bicycle for dogs that like to ride! I think my favorite is the Petsfit Comfort Expandable Foldable Pet Carrier. It has somewhat of a pop-out tent on the side so that it expands and makes more room for you pet. Reminds me of a pop-out camper!

So if you are in the market for a new pet carrier for your pet you will find every model under the sum at PetCarrierVerdict.com

Embroidered Collars for Diabetic Dogs - Or For Any Dogs

2014-11-06T00:20:00.001-05:00

Today I would like to share an awesome website that I recently came across online. What caught my attention on the Shop Tough Gear site is this amazing embroidered dog collar.

If you have ever lost a dog then you know the importance of having your dogs phone number on the collar so that if someone finds the dog they can call you. In the past I have always used engraved dog tags on my dogs collars. But did you know that these tags almost always eventually fall off. I cannot tell you how many dog tags my dogs have lost over the years. That is why I totally love this embroidered dog collar. Your dogs collar cannot lose your phone number this way.

The collars are made of bamboo and are hypoallergenic and will not irritate your dogs neck. This is important if your dog has skin issues. These are premium bamboo dog collars and any information that you desire can be embroidered onto the collars. They can even put the message "Diabetic Dog" on the collar and your vets phone number.

Another great product that Shop Tough Gear offers is LED Safety Paw Collar There are may poor quality LED collars on the market. The ones offered by Shop Tough Gear are produced with premium materials and name brand batteries. The seams are tough and the tag rings are strong. They even offer USB LED collars.

How to Locate your Pet using a Lost Pet Searching Service

2014-09-10T01:06:00.001-04:00

There are many pet recovery services that will help you in locating your lost pet. Some lost pet searching services may use of a bloodhound to locate you pet. Other services are available online as a search registry for lost and / or stolen pets. Below you will find detail on a few respectable lost pets services that are available today.

Bloodhound Search Services

They have the ability to differentiate fragrance and scent more than a thousand times over a human’s ability to smell. The bloodhound's perseverance on a trail is credited to its dominant long snout that leads the way, and its vital supportive features that make this breed to go-to in search and rescue. You may ask if a bloodhound be trained and skilled in locating your lost pet, and the answer is, yes. The bloodhound has unique qualities to smell its target -- by using its trailing scent, it can distinguish between the target’s scent and many other scents. When the bloodhound is trailing a particular odor, it can locate you missing pet.

Search Lost Pet Data Base

You can search online and find numerous online databases that serve lost and found pets. You simply enter your location and some information about your dog and submit. The next step is to begin searching through the found dog listings. Many people who find pets will post the picture on the found websites with detailed description of the pet as well as location where the pet was found -- making it easier for the lost pet’s parents to skim through and locate.

These websites will also provide you with tips on what you can do after submitting your lost pet information online.

A few tips you may find on these online search database websites is:

Take a picture of your dog with you

Take a flashlight

Take a whistle

Search Shelters

Search Veterinarians clinics and hospitals

Use a Pet Classified Service

There are quite a few ways to post a classified ad regarding your lost pet, however it is recommended that you use one of the major, most viewed pet classified ad services online. This will ensure that more people will see the ad and increase the chance of your lost furry child being found and returned home to you and your family.
Additionally, if you have found a pet, call the number on the tag right away or post on ad on one if the major pet finder ad websites. The parents of this wonderful pet are looking, and you can improve the chance of reuniting the pet with his or her loved ones.

Take a picture and be very descriptive when using the online ad services. The more details you can include the better the result.

For most, their animals are more than just pets. These pets are actual members of a family and losing one can cause fright, fear, and terrible heartache. Microchips, posters, ads and pet rescue services are there to both prevent a pet from being lost and locate you missing pet.

Homemade Pet Food Book

2013-09-22T23:49:00.000-04:00

When Zeke was alive he was on a diet of mostly or I guess I should say all meat, cooked meat of course. He had gotten spoiled as a young dog and got to the point where he refused to eat anything but meat (no dog food ever). I guess I should have sought out some home made pet food recipes for him but I just gave him whatever meat we were having for dinner. Or maybe some boiled chicken or some cooked hamburger meat. The vets would always look at me strange but then they would agree that he was doing so well and acknowledge that he refused to eat anything but meat and of course they did not want him not to eat so then they would just agree that ok, this is the way Zeke is.

I recently came across this e-book on Amazon that contains home made pet food recipes and wish I would have found it while Zeke was still alive.
Healthy Homemade Pet Food Cookbook ebook is full of good, natural, home made pet food recipes that will result in a healthier and happier pet.

Complications from Dog Cataract Surgery - Glaucoma

2013-02-04T19:55:00.000-05:00

Our poor Zeke is now deceased. He passed away in August 2012. I am now going back and writing more about what I learned by taking care of my diabetic dog. While I was busy treating Zekes diabetes I did not have time to do too good of a job writing about it. In the end Zeke had diabetes, glaucoma in one eye, kidney failure, and we are not sure what else. It seemed like I was at the vets 3 times a week either to see the vet or to pick up medications or iv fluids or something but I was glad to do it for him.

Within a few days of his cataract surgery Zeke developed glaucoma in his left eye. We are not sure why but I know that a few days after the surgery he jumped from my bed to the floor which is about a 3 foot jump. I don't know if this was the cause or not. From doing research online I learned that glaucoma can be one of the complications of dog cataract surgery. Dr. Ebbinger thought that the retina had detached and that the glaucoma was a result from the detached retina. The pressure in Zekes right eye had went so high that it had ruined his vision and would be blind in that eye.

The glaucoma required constant treatment with eye drops with 4 differnet types of eye drops. The drops were Dorzolamide (generic for Trusopt), Timolol (generic) Prednisone, and Travitan. It was pretty expensive to keep buying the drops but he definitely needed them. We also need to get Zekes eye pressures checked every 3 months to make sure that the pressure was staying down.

Fortunately Zekes right eye was perfect until the retina in that eye detached for unknown reasons about 4 years after the surgery. When the right retina detached it was about the time that Zeke had a circling incident. I had found him very disoriented one night and he was circling and trying to figure out where he was. That lasted about 30 minutes and he seemed to recover within a day or so except I felt that he could not see at all. I took him to his regular vet who said it could be a vestibular disorder of the ear or a brain tumor. She could not explain the loss of vision so I took him to the veterinary opthamologist who confirmed that his right retina had detached and this was the reason for his loss of vision.

Zeke gained an addiitonal 4 years of sight in his right eye and we were very thankful for that.

Bitsy, Our New Puggle Dog

2013-02-03T23:22:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that in a few weeks it will be 6 months that Zeke has been gone. We were very sad to see him go. He had lived a good long life and would have been 16 had he lived another 3 months.
I had taken my son on vacation to Washington DC at the end of August. My husband called me on a Sunday morning and said that Zeke had some sort of seizures in the night and was pretty out of it and that he was trying to find a vet. I knew this was the end. This would be Zekes third occurence of seizures in about 6 months time. The first two he seemed to recover from pretty quickly. But this time the vet that my husband took him to thought he was suffering and recommended that he be euthanized.   It was very sad, fortunately it happened on the last day of my vacation and not at the beginning. I just felt terrible that I was not there for Zeke in his final hours.

We missed Zeke alot and our house was so gloomy after he passed. A few days later we  adopted another puggle (cross of a pug and beagle) named Bitsy from a local shelter Friends of Michigan Animal Rescue in Belleville, MI. Bitsy is a very sweet, energetic almost 2 year old puppy and she shares alot of personality traits that Zeke had.

We had met Bitsy a few weeks earlier at a pet event at the local Tractor Supply store. I had taken Zeke with me to get his nails trimmed. He and Bitsy touched noses so I feel like he kind of approved of her. After he passed I contacted the shelter to see if she was still available and she was.   I had thought we would wait a while after Zekes passing but I knew that Bitsy being such a nice young puppy would be gone if we waited too long. She was such a jumping, crazy puppy and it was hard to be sad with her jumping up and licking your face all the time. It was definitely the right thing to do. Here is photo of Bitsy on a Puggle Christmas Card I designed in my Zazzle store.

Puggle Merry Christmas Card by PuggleStore
View other Puggle Cards

The Friends shelter has a diabetic dog named Starla who is blind from cataracts. They are trying to raise money so she can have surgery to remove her cataracts and restore her eyesight. I know from treating Zekes dog diabetes for 5 years and paying for his cataract surgery and follow up care how expensive it all is so I plan to donate towards her care. She looks very sweet, you can see here here Channel 4 Pet Of The Week Starla .

Do you have a diabetic dog? If so please leave me a comment and tell me about him or her.

Zeke the Diabetic Dog Passes Away

2012-09-05T14:52:00.001-04:00

With great sadness we announce that Zeke has passed away on August 26, 2012. Zeke had had a couple seizures in the night and was in quite bad shape. Unfortunately I was out of town on a short vacation. My husband took him him to a veterinarian who felt that the only option would be to put him to sleep. Zeke would have been 16 years old in a few months on Dec. 1. He lived a good long life and was a very loyal friend who I will miss for the rest of my life.

Zeke had been diagnosed with dog diabetes in July 2007 but we were able to manage it ok with help from the veterinarian and with the right pet meds. At the time I thought it was a death sentence for him but it turned out not to be.

In March of 2012 Zeke was diagnosed with canine kidney disease. His symptoms included excessive drinking and urinating and very dilute urine that looked almost like water. Zeke lived for about 6 months with the kidney disease. It was often difficult to get him to eat although I could usually find something that he would eat at least some of.

Shortly after being diagnosed with kidney disease Zeke had some other type of event occur that involved lots of circling for about an hour, followed by loss of eyesight in his one remaining good eye. Our veterinary opthamalogist determined that the retina had detached in that eye for an unknown reason. Zeke had cataract surgery in January 2008 and I was thankful that he regained eyesight for an additional 4 years. Zeke lived his last 6 months in blindness. It took him a month or two to adapt to the blindness. For the first month he felt most comfortable hanging out in the bedroom. After that he gradually resumed his normal habits of walking around the yard sniffing, laying under the desk in the home office, and laying on the rug in the family room.

Zeke had been receiving 400 units of sub-cutaneous fluids at home daily and was pretty good up to the end, just a week prior to his death I had taken him for a walk. Because of his age I only took him on half the usual walk, when it was time to turn around he kept pulling to continue on and it took me a few minutes to convince him to turn around. So I didn't think he felt to bad at that time.

Goodbye Zeke. You have been a good friend and I will miss you.

Zeke Has Kidney Disease

2012-05-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday Zeke decided to stop eating and was being very finicky with food. I took him to his veterinarian who did blood work and an x-ray of his abdomen. The X-ray was normal but Zekes bloodwork showed that his kidney disease has worsened since the last time it was checked in mid-march. His Creatinine went from 1.9 (which was just above the normal value of 1.8 in a dog) to 3.8. His vet suspected that the kidney disease was causing him to be nauseated and to not want to eat. She set me up with bags of subcutaneous fluid, tubing, and needles and showed me how to give Zeke fluids at home. Zeke perked up almost right away after the first treatment so I was glad for that as I am not ready to see Zeke go.

I seem to have no problem doing the morning treatment of fluids. But in the evening for some reason when I stick the needle in Zekes skin he always turns around, gives me a dirty look, and then barks at me for jabbing him and the needle comes out. I am going to talk to his vet tomorrow. Zeke seems to be doing much better with receiving the one fluid treatment per day he is getting. I will see what she thinks about continuing that.

Zeke the Diabetic Dog Has A Detached Retina

2012-05-02T13:40:00.000-04:00

Zeke was diagnosed by his veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Easton, at Veterinary Vision in Rochester Hills, Michigan as having a detached retina in his right eye. Dr. Easton made the diatnosis by doing an ultrasound on Zekes right eye and she also did a test called a colorimeter. After doing the tests she thought that his vitreous had just deteriorated and caused the retina to detach. Dr. Easton prescribed Prednison eye drops for his right eye and said that getting the inflammation out of the eye might help the eye to heal but it was doubtful that he would get much vision back in the eye.

Zeke had his cataract surgery done at this clinic by Dr. Ebbinger just over 4 years ago now. Prior to the surgey Zeke was completely blind from cataracts caused most likely by his diabetes until the surgery so I am thankful that he got just over 4 extra years of vision. Zeke has always received excellent care from both Dr. Easton and Dr. Ebbinger. I highly recommend them if you are in Michigan and in need of a veterinary ophthalmologist.

Zeke Recovering From Being Disoriented

2012-05-01T00:44:00.001-04:00

It has been almost a week now since Zekes incident with being disoriented occurred. His symptoms were he was circling to the right, didn't seem to know where he was, appeared to not be able to see out of his right eye which was his only good eye, and just could not relax for an hour or so. By the end of the week Zeke had improved somewhat but still was not normal so his vet prescribed Baytril just in case he has an inner ear infection going on. She doubts this is the case but at this point it was worth a try. Zeke will be visiting his veterinary phthalmologist tomorrow for an evaluation of his right eye. Our regular vet suspects that it is something with Zekes brain such as a stroke or brain tumor. Both are not good things.

Zeke has been sleeping a little more than usual but his attitude has been good. He is no longer disoriented and the circling stopped after the first night. But his eyesight is gone in the right eye. Zeke had cataract surgery 4 years ago and his right eye has been perfect. But when he had his episode of disorientation almost a week ago now he appeared to be able not to see. The regular vet confirmed that by shining a light in his eye and getting zero response.

On his left eye the ophthalmologist suspected that his retina detached 2 weeks after surgery and the resulting glaucoma ruined the eye. So if the sight in the right eye is gone this leaves Zeke a blind dog which is sad as he is still normally very mobile and enjoys running off. I am keeping a much closer eye on him now.

Our vet is curious to know what the ophthalmologist thinks happened to Zekes right eye as it may give clues as to what happened to cause his being disoriented.

Could Zeke Have Canine Vestibular Disorder?

2012-04-27T00:53:00.001-04:00

On Monday morning Zeke was fine. He took off for about a 30 minute run by himself and was fine. I came home on Monday evening to find Zeke very disoriented, turning in circles to the right. and unable to see. It took a couple of hours to get him to relax. Zeke was only able to see out of his right eye and it seemed the sight in that eye was gone. Zeke appeared to be trying to figure out where he was and I was unable to confort him at all. We already had a vet appointment scheduled for the next day because Zeke was not eating well.

Prior to going to the vet I did a google search on "older dog disoriented" and learned about canine vestibular disease which I was convinced that he had. Our vet explained that canine vestibular disease shares symptoms with strokes and brain tumors. She did a thorough exam and determined that there was no response to light in Zekes right eye. His left eyesight had been lost a few years ago after his cataract surgery and resulting glaucoma in the left eye.

Our vet is leaning more to something going on in Zekes brain like a stroke or brain tumor since the vestibular order being an inner ear issue would not cause Zeke to lose his vision.

While I am worried about Zeke I think he will be ok. The vet treated him with fluids, and a shot of Cerenia for nausea. She also gave us Cerenia pills to take home. She suggested that if it was canine vestibular order most of it should resolve within 72 hours. If it did not resolve then we could possibly consider an evaluation by a neurologiest.

Hypoglocemia in Diabetic Dogs

2012-04-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Zekes blood sugar continues to be low when the vet checks him. I finally figured out the problem is that Zekes appetite is reduced lately, he is not tearing through his food like a shark like he has done in the past. He has been finicky with food in the past but he is more finicky than usual and sometimes not finishing his food entirely like he previously. So far the vet has not identified a reason for it. She runs a blood panel about every 3 or 4 months and for the most part everything is normal however on the tests done in Feb. Zeke is showing slight signs of kidney damage.

With a dog with diabetes you have to be very careful to reduce their insulin if they eat less than usual. Zekes' vet has been reduced to 10 units of NPH in the am and 10 in the evening.

Zeke the Diabetic Dog Continues to be Hypoglycemic

2012-03-30T09:25:00.000-04:00

After Zekes hypoglocemic episode a few weeks ago our veterinarian lowered his NPH dosage to 13 units twice day. He had previously been on 15 since January. We returned to his veterinarian last week to have his blood glucose checked. It was 50 which is too low. Incidentally it was also 50 when he was at 15 units after the major hypoglycemic incident a few weeks ago. So she lowered his NPH dose to 11 units. At 11 units Zeke was drinking too much water and waking me up at night to go outside. This reminded me of his early days of being diagnosed with dog diabetes when I was trying to get his blood glucose levels regulated. So I increased his dose to 12 and he seems to be doing well He will return to the veterinarian next week to have his blood sugar checked again. Hopefully his blood glucose will be in a more normal range around 100 - 120.

Zeke Has Hypoglycemic Incident

2012-03-15T01:24:00.001-04:00

Our diabetic dog Zeke has been doing well. He turned 15 years old on Dec. 1 and when he was first diagnosed with dog diabetes I never dreamed that he would live to this age. In January his vet increased his insulin to 15 units of NPH twice a day because his blood glucose test was high. He had been doing well and I had not taken him back to the vet since early January. Two nights ago we had a big scare. Zeke started having some shaking, kind of like a big hiccup in his abdomen area. These would happen 3 -4 times per minute. I thought it was strange but didn't think much of it. Then when he jumped off my lap he landed on all fours but he could not stand and his legs buckled underneath him.

When my 15 year old German Shepherd dog died years ago his legs going out was the first indication that something was wrong. My black lab Tiffany died in 2004 at age 13 and her legs went too and she died at the vets that evening. So I was positive that this was the end and Zeke was dying. I would say goodbye and he would be gone by morning. After saying my good-byes I took him to my husband who also said his good-byes. Next I had a thought what if his blood sugar went too low so I went and got the Karo syrup. I took a 10 ML syringe (with no needle) and put about 2ML of Karo syrup in it and shot it in Zekes mouth. We also shot in some water to make sure the Karo went down.

Next I ran downstairs to my computer and looked up the symptoms of hypoglycemia in diabetic dogs and found Pet Diabetes Hypoglycemia. Zeke had all of the symptoms listed (shaking, loss of balance/stability). Next I ran back upstairs where Zeke was lying on the bed and gave him another dose of Karo and some water. A few minutes later the shaking stopped and was acting normal. I brought Zeke some fried chicken which he ate. About 30 minutes later I put him on the floor and he walked perfectly. I was so happy. Zeke would live and he was not dying after all.

If you have not figured it out already you should always have a bottle of Karo syrup on hand if you have a diabetic pet. This was Zekes first hypoglycemic incident and this July it will be 5 years since he was diagnosed with dog diabetes.

I took Zeke to his veterinarian the next evening to have his blood glucose level checked. It was 50 which is low however Zeke was not having any hypoglycemic symptoms. The vet had me lower Zekes dose of NPH to 13 units twice per day which could possibly be a little too low for him but as my vet explains it is much safer to give too little insulin than too much.

Can Diabetic Dogs Use Rimadyl?

2012-02-20T19:59:00.000-05:00

Prior to Zekes cataract surgery he was laying around and acting depressed. I thought it was because he had lost his eyesight. Zeke's diabetes had made him blind due to cataracts almost immediately after he was diagnosed in July 2007. Once Zeke had cataract surgery in January 2008 the veterinary opthamologist put him on Rimadyl to reduce swelling in his eyes. He immediately started acting alot perkier and I thought it was because he was so happy he got his eyesight back.

Zeke had been on 25mg of Rimadyl twice a day. Ten days 10 days after the surgery Zeke deveoped some stomach issues from the Rimadyl so the veterinarian took Zeke off of the Rimadyl and I noticed he was not as perky as he had been. It was then that I realized that Zeke probably had arthritis and was benefitting from the Rimadyl. After a few days the stomach problems resolved and we put Zeke back on 25mg once a day. He did well on that dose and seemed perky and happy. He has been on Rimadyl about 4 years now and is doing well.

Years ago I had an older arthritic dog that we had tried the Rimadyl on and it did not do anything at all for her. After 3 or 4 months we discontinued it. So every dog is different.

Articles

2012-02-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

Zeke The Diabetic Dog Turns 15 On Dec 1, 2011

2012-01-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to report that Zeke turned 15 on Dec. 1, 2011. He is really doing well overall. We recently took Zeke to his vet for a routine glucose check. He was high at 400 so we increased his NPH to 15 frm 14. A few weeks later his vet checked his glucose level. It was 168 and his vet was happy with it so we will keep him at 15 units and check him in another month or so.

Zeke was diagnosed in July 2007. At the time I was very worried and thought his lifespan would be shortened. By with the excellent veterinary care and medications he has received he is living a full and normal life by dog standards.

2011-09-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

Fans of the diabetic dog Zeke can purchase a button with his photo on it from Zazzle, check it out! Zeke is a puggle which is a cross between a pug and a beagle. All proceeds will go towards Zekes veterinary bills and his pet medications. We will be adding more products with Zekes photo on them soon so please check back soon!

Puggle Button from Zazzle.com

Zeke Has Successfully Switched from Vetsulin to NPH Insulin

2011-08-09T12:10:00.000-04:00

I'll write more later but just wanted to let everyone know that I have successfuly switched Zeke off of Vetsuilin and onto NPH or Humulin N. I was really nervous about it as was my vet but it has basically been a non-event. Zeke is doing well. I will write more later about the process I went through to switch him off the Vetsuilin and onto NPH. Now I only wish I had done it sooner.

I am purchasing the NPH at the Walmart pharmacy for about $25 per bottle without a prescription. We switched Zekes insulin about 3 weeks ago and the bottle is about half gone so it looks like 6 weeks of insulin will cost me about $25 which is much less expensive than I was paying for the Vetsulin and that is not even counting the overnight shipping for the Vetsulin.

I took Zeke to his vet on Friday and his glucose was 148 which she was satisfied with for the time of day it was. We will continue to monitor him but right now his dose seems to be 12 units in the morning and 12 in the evening.

We had been purchasing the Vetsulin from the Cross Border Pet Pharmacy in Toronto Canada. John gave us outstanding service and shipped fast and always kept me updated. But when he received word in early July that he was not going to be able to continue to get the Caninsulin (Canadian version of Vetsulin) I talked to my vet and we made the decision that it was time to switch Zeke to another insulin.

At the time I could get the Caninsulin from the UK but for a high cost and also higher shipping cost. My vet suspected that the UK supplies would eventually dry up as well.

At this point I am glad we switched Zeke and only wish I had done it sooner.

Animal Cops is the Best Show Ever!

2011-02-18T22:10:00.003-05:00

Guest written by our friend Donnie Donovan

One of my favorite television shows is Animal Cops on Animal Planet. I have had a long time love affair with animals be they furry, slick, scaly, feathered, or just weird. If it flies, swims, crawls, or simply hang glides I like it. Animal cops always gets to me because the show is designed around highlighting the actions of law enforcement to aid injured and abused animals. Whether the critter has been neglected horribly, or badly injured, it doesn't matter. These enforcement officers have to deal with some of the worst criminal offenders on the planet. These people often would never have the guts to attack another human being but they batter their pets instead.

I was watching Animal Cops on my Direct Star TV one night and saw a special on dog fighting rings busted. I think it was Animal Cops, because it seemed like it was. Honestly, I'm not sure. However, the actual episode was horrible. some of those poor animals looked like they were on the verge of death. The enforcement agents had to confiscate them. It hurt my heart to hear that some of the dogs would probably be euthanized as a favor to them. They were so badly injured that they needed to be put out of their misery. Thousands of dogs are brutalized this way every year around the world. I'm just so glad it's illegal here!

Sources for Caninsulin

2011-02-16T23:31:00.004-05:00

With the Vetsulin Critical Need program being cancelled I am in search of I am in search of sources for Caninsulin. Caninsulin is the exact same medication as Vetsulin and is manufactured by Intervet, the company that makes Vetsulin. I will add to this post as I find additional sources for purchasing Caninsulin. So far I have identified these online pharmacies who sell Caninsulin:

777Canadian Pharmacy - I have ordered from them in the pastand they were reliable. But they have hiked their prices way up. I prefer not to do business with companies who take advantage of situations like this so unless I am desperate I will not order from them.

Cross Border Pet Pharmacy (Canada) - They are limiting you to a one month supply so I ordered 3 bottles which will last me a little longer than a month. The 10ml bottles are $23.67 each CDN, much less than the $42 I pay through the CNP.

Update 2/18/2010 - John from the Cross Border Pet Pharmacy called me today to tell me that my order of Caninsulin will be shipped on Monday but he wanted to alert me that his supply of the Caninsulin is being limited by the manufacturer. He can fill my current order but after that the supply situation is not known. I really appreciated him calling and their great customer service. I will definitely order from them again if they continue to be able to supply the Caninsulin.

Update 2/24/2010 - my order that was shipped on Monday 2/21 arrived today. It was shipped from Canada using a service called EMS which is basically International Express Mail through the post office. The total cost for 3 bottles was just under $100 which included a $27 shipping charge.

I am investigating two UK pharmacies who list Caninsulin on their website. In the UK Caninsulin requires a prescription,. I have sent an e-mail asking if the UK pharmacies ship to the USA and about the shipping charges. Please check back for an update on this.

http://www.vetmedsonline.co.uk/search?jssCart=703fb98de34e52df9110c004fb703599

http://www.vetmedsplus.co.uk/mm5/merchant.mvc?

Update 2/17/2011 - Vet Meds Plus responded that they will not ship to the USA.

At this point I do not know if Caninsulin and Vetsulin are made at the same factory. The Cross Border Pet Pharmacy limited my order to a one month supply and made a mention of having availability until July and not knowing if another batch would be made.

Please leave me comments below if you have identified some alternate sources for Caninsulin.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program Ending

2011-02-11T18:33:00.024-05:00

I received a letter from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal health today stating that the critical need program is ending. I immediately called my veterarian in somewhat of a panic. We have been avoiding transitioning Zeke to another insulin because he has done so well on the Vetsulin and because he is 14 years old. It would be so much easier to let him finish his life on the Vetsulin. So I asked her staff to order the maximum amount of Vetsulin that I can order at one time which is 6 bottles.

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Vetsulin Customer,

You are receiving this letter because our records indicate you have one or more pets participating in the Vetsuiln critical-need program (CNP). As you know, we alerted you in late 2009 that the product had not met its stability specifications and may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation.

We must advise you that because of a manufacturing issue unrelated to the stability oissue referred to abovv, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is discontinuing the Vetsulin CNP as of Feb. 7, 2011. However, we will continue to provide Vetsulin for the CNP until our current supply in the U.S. is exhausted - we anticipate being able to fulfill order through February 2011.

This difficult decision is being made because quality tests showed the sterility of the most recent batch of Vetsulin manufacturered for the CNP may be compromised by bacterial contamination. This batch of Vetsulin has not been released. While the company is still investigaging the quality issue, aditional batches are not being manufactured at this time. We, therefore, cannot supply the program and it must be discontinued.

We are aware of no evidence that the Vetsulin currently on the market and being unsed under the Critical Need Program is affected. No adverse events consistent with potential bacterial contaminiation in catas and dogs receiving Vetsulin have been reported under the current program. We sincerely regret any difficulties this causes and strongly recommend you contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to transition your pet to another insulin product. Your veterinarian has been made aware of this issue as well.

We sincerely apologze for the need to discontinue the Vetsulin CNP but wanted to provide you with as much advance notice as possible.

As always, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is concerned for the well-being and health of animsals of all species and the people who care for them.

Sincerely,

Christopher Pappas, Jr., DVM
Director of Companion Animal Technical Services

I don't know if the Caninsulin will also be discontinued so I will be placing a call to the Canadian pharmacies where I have previously purchased Caninsulin in the past. At the AskAVet website I came across this article about Caninsulin.

My vet and I decided that I should stockpile as much as I am comfortable with and if Zeke should outlive the supply then we will deal with transitioning him to another insulin.

Update on Zeke

2010-11-04T19:12:00.000-04:00

I am glad to report that Zeke is doing well with his diabetes. With the last batch of Vetsulin that I purchased through the Critical Need Program I had to increase his Vetsulin dosage to 15. When I check his urine with the Bayer diastix he measures at exactly the middle of the stick when it is time for his next injection so for Zeke this is perfect. Whenever I start a new vial of Vetsulin I am always careful about giving Zeke more than the 14 units that his veterinarian prescribes. It takes me a few days to a week to get the right dose and then after another week or two that vial is empty and I start the process all over again. This is because of the strength of the Vetsulin being inconsistent which is the reason that the FDA banned Vetsulin from being sold in the US in November of 2009. Fortunately they have allowed it again only for diabetic dogs who cannot be regulated with any other type of insulin.

So with all of the animals healthy I have started my Christmas shopping and of course that includes presents for both of the dogs and the cat. Our other dog is 13 and 1/2 year old Baile. He is a Rottweiler Doberman mix and other than some arthritis he has no health problems. I was doing some online shopping the other day and came across some great pet beds and pet toys at become.com. I was also looking at new pet carriers for our cat. After a while I got confused by all of the choices and decided to save the task for another day.

Pet Meds for Arthritis, Rimadyl

2010-10-30T17:09:00.000-04:00

Zeke will turn 14 in December of this year. Despite the dog diabetes he continues to be healthy and even vigorous at times. He walks most nights with me about a half mile and continues to take off running once or twice a week with our other elderly dog, Bailey,who is 13 and a half and not diabetic.

I attribute his vitality in part to the the Rimadyl that Zeke takes for his arthritic problems that older dogs get. Zeke has been on Rimadyl since January 2008. At that time he had cataract surgery to relieve the blindness that came with his diabetes. The veterinary opthamologistput Zeke on Rimadyl to reduce inflamation from the eye surgery.. After two weeks when they took him off the Rimadyl I noticed that Zeke was perkier on the Rimadyl so we kept him on it.

Zeke was taking 25 mg of Rimadyl once a day. His veterinarian noticed that Zekes liver vaklues have been climbing over the last year so we have reduced him to 25 mg of Rimadyl every other day and his liver values the bloodwork that his vet orders each month shows that his liver values are decreasing which his vet and I very happy about.

On the day off of the Rimadyl Zeke takes a medication called Ultram which is for pain. He takes 1/2 of a pill in the morning and sometimes in the evening. Zeke seems to be doing ok so far on the pet meds regimen that he is on so we will continue to monitor him.

I had an older dog named Sheena who was on Rimadyl in the mid 90s and I did not see any difference in her. So I am glad that the Rimadyl keeps Zeke acting so young.

When Zeke was diagnosed with diabetes in July of 2007 I really thought that it was the beginning of the end for him. Luckily with the help of some very patient and caring veterinarians, the right pet meds, and me, his loving dog-mom,he continues to do well. We will be celebrating Zekes 14th birthday on Dec. 1, 2010.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program - Second Order of Vetsulin Received

2010-10-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

I recently received my second order of Vetsulin through the Vetsulin Criticial Need program. This time I purchased 3 vials and the cost with UPS overnight shipping was about $140. The Vetsulin arrived 2 days after my veterinarian ordered it for me just like it did last time.

I have always had to monitor Zekes glucose output in his urine with Bayer Diastix which are urine dip sticks that tell you how much sugar is being put out in the dogs urine. With the Vetsulin I am obtaining through the Vetsulin Critical Need program there does seem to be the difference in strength between the vials like there always was before The only difference is now we know it is because of the inconsistency of strength in the Vetsulin itself.

When Zeke measures high for glucose on the Diastix I adjust his Vetsulin dose up a half or whole unit,. If he measures negative for glucose when it is time for his next Vetsulin injection then I lower his dose by a half unit or a whole unit.

As always I take Zeke to his veterinarian about every month or two to have his blood glucose checked. Zeke is one of those diabetic dogs who seems to always either be a little too low or a little too high when the vet checks his blood glucose levels.