Dog Diabetes - How to Care For Your Diabetic Dog

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.

2011-09-11T15:49:00.001-04:00

Fans of the diabetic dog Zeke can purchase a button with his photo on it from Zazzle, check it out! All proceeds will go towards Zekes veterinary bills and his pet medications. We will be adding more products with Zekes photo on them 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.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program

2010-09-13T09:44:00.000-04:00

With my supply of Canadian Vetsulin, also known as Caninsulin, running out I requested that my vet order the Vetsulin on a Wednesday. On Friday morning the UPS driver brought my package of Vetsulin. I was surprised at how quickly it arrived. It was shipped via UPS Next Day Air and well packaged with a gel ice pack that was still half frozen.

I paid $42 per 10ml bottle plus $12.90 for shipping on 2 10 ml bottles. This is just a little more expensive than purchasing Caninsulin from the online Canadian pharmacy where I paid $88 for ten 2.5 ml bottles plus $14 for shipping.

With the Vetsulin having the issues with consistency of strength it is better for me to purchase the larger bottles so that Zeke is getting more of the standard Vetsulin dose with each injection. I could not find the 10ml bottles of Vetsulin / Caninsulin at the one Canadian pharmacy that I could find selling Vetsulin online.

Top 10 Dog Diabetes Online Resources

2010-08-11T18:31:00.006-04:00

I have done alot of online research on dog diabetes so that I can educate myself on how to manage Zekes' dog diabetes. Below are some websites that I feel are very helpful and contain alot of information on dog diabetes.

K9 Diabetes (great forum on dog diabetes)

Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM

Vet Info Dog Diabetes

Pet Diabetes

Pets Web MD

Diabetes in Dogs

Washington State Univ Veterinary College

Merck Vet Manual

Pets With Diabetes Forum

Canine Diabetes

Have you come across some great online resources for managing your dogs diabetes? If so please feel free to post them in the comments below.

Update on Vetsulin Critical Need Program Pricing

2010-08-08T19:44:00.001-04:00

I took Zeke to his veterinarain for a check up over the weekend. She had completed the paperwork to enroll Zeke in the Vetsulin Critical Need Program which is for dogs who cannot be safely transitioned to another type of insulin. The price to get Vetsulin directly from Intervet, the manufacturer of Vetsulin, will be $42 for a 10ml vial (we used to pay $33 and then $35 before) plus shipping costs. There would be a flat rate shipping cost for up to 5 vials. The most vials we could purchase at one time based on Zekes' current Vetsulin dosage would be 6 vials. So I need to compare this to the pricing on the Caninsulin (Canadian Vetsulin) that I ordered from an online pharmacy in Canada and see what is cheaper. Without doing the math I think the pricing is pretty similar.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program

2010-08-02T16:07:00.002-04:00

With my stockpile of Vetsulin about to run out later this summer I ordered Caninsulin from a Canadian mail-order pharmacy that handles pet meds. Caninsulin is the same exact medication as Vetsulin only it is sold under the name Caninsulin in Canada. What I would normally pay about $66 for here cost me $88 plus $14 for shipping so it is much more expensive. The Caninsulin took about 1 week to arrive and was shipped with an ice pack in the box.

Zekes' veterinarian has enrolled him in Intervets' Vetsulin Critical Need program which is for dogs with diabetes who for health reasons cannot be switched to another type of insulin. The way the program works is that the veterinarian fills out a form and sends it to the manufacturer of Vetsulin, once they approve it, the manufacturer will send the Vetsulin medication directly to the pet owner, and then they will bill the veterinarian who will then bill the dogs owner. Sounds kind of complicated but I suppose they think this will prevent the vet from dispensing the Vetsulin to newly diagnosed dogs.

In any case I am very glad that I will still be able to get the Vetsulin here in the USA. We do not have any information yet on how much the Vetsulin will cost under the Critical Need program. I will post an update once I know more.

Below is a link to Intervets page about the Vetsulin Critical Need program. If you scroll about halfway down you will see it.

Vetsulin Critical Need Program

Cataract Surgery for Dogs with Diabetes

2010-07-31T16:37:00.002-04:00

I took Zeke to Dr. Ebbinger at Veterinary Vision in Rochester, MI for an evaluation of his eyesight in November of 2007. Zeke was scheduled for Cataract Surgery in January of 2008.

Cataracts and Blindness in Diabetic Dogs

2010-07-31T16:30:00.003-04:00

Zeke was diagnosed with dog diabetes in July of 2010 when he was about 10 years old. By October he was completely blind due to cataracts caused by the dog diabetes. I noticed that he would occasionally walk into the door frame when going outside but I just thought his eyesight might be affected by him getting older. The really bit thing that made me question Zekes' ability to see was that he no longer barked and whined like crazy I would leave him in the car for a few minutes. I later determined that this was because he could not see me walking away from the vehicle.

I took Zeke to his regular veterinarian who assessed his vision and determined that he could no longer see. I was heartbroken for Zeke, who as a country dog, was somewhat of a wild dog that would run off chasing animals in the woods or going off for a long walk by himself or with our other dogs.

During this time I also thought that Zeke was extremely depressed due to his losing his vision. Later I would determine that I was totally wrong. I will explain in another post why I thought poor Zeke was depressed.

Inexpensive Ways to Monitor Your Dogs Blood Sugar

2010-07-31T16:29:00.003-04:00

When Zeke was first diagnosed with dog diabetes it was difficult to get his blood sugar regulated. We made many trips to his vet and she would draw his blood to check his glucose levels. This testing is necessary when you have a dog with diabetes. It is also traumatic for Zeke because the technicians would take him to the back room and poke him.

So I started purchasing Bayer Diastix to check Zekes' blood sugar. These are dipsticks for the dogs urine. I follow him around the yard when he is due for an insulin injection. When he hikes his leg to go I put a paper plate under him while he is urinating and then dip the Diastix in the urine.

After 30 seconds I read the color guide on the bottle that will tell me how high his blood glucose is. While this method is not exact and it is imortant to have your vet check the dogs blood sugar once in a while, it gives me a good idea if Zekes' glucose level is running too high or too low. If it is consistently negative then I wonder if maybe Zekes' blood sugar is too low, which has happened many times. If it is consistently high then I will raise his Vetsulin dose by .5 or 1 unit and continue to monitor him.

The best price I have found on the Diastix is from Hocks Pharmacy in Ohio. A bottle of 50 sticks is about $10 or a little less which is way cheaper than buying them in the drugstore.

How To Give A Diabetic Dog an Insulin Injection

2010-07-31T16:18:00.006-04:00

When Zeke was first diagnosed with dog diabetes I was sure there would be no way that I would be able to give him an injection without being bitten. Zeke has always been a feisty little dog. He is very sweet but if you are doing something to him that he doesn't like he is going to let you know.

My veterinarians' assistant taught me to do the shots by lifting the nape of his neck up in the air, kind of like a tent. Then just stick the needle in, push, and you are done.

I give Zeke his Vetsulin injection while his head is in the food bowl. That way his mind is on the food and not on me. So far he is tolerating it quite well. In the rare case where I forget to give the injection while he is eating I wait for him to go outside. While he is going out the doorway then I give him the injection. Remember to always give the injection once the dog has eaten at least half of his / her food.

Symptoms of Dog Diabetes

2010-07-31T16:18:00.005-04:00

The Story of Zeke and his Dog Diabetes

2010-01-02T00:26:00.000-05:00

This is the story of my 13 and a half year old extremely cute dog Zeke. It took many years to figure out what breed of dog he is. I could always see some beagle in him. One day I had him in the car and the girl working at the McDonalds drive through commented that he looked like a pug. When I got home I looked up the cross of a beagle and a pug and it looked exactly like Zeke. The designer breed of dog is called a Puggle. I was so glad to finally learn what type of dog he is.

Zeke is diabetic and is doing well on Vetsulin and other pet meds. He was a stray dog that my dad found in 1997. Zeke has been with me since he was 6 months old. The dates are out of squence as I am converting the content from a website to this blog.

I took Zeke to the veterinarian in July 2007 because he was drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating in the house. He was also waking me up at night to go outside. This is a common diabetic dog symptom. Zekes' glucose levels were in the 400s' which is very high since they should be under 140. The veterinarian put him on one shot a day of 14 units of Vetsulin which is a textbook dose based on his weight. Vetsulin is made in the Netherlands.

I would learn over the next several months that getting the right dose for your dog with diabetes is an exercise in trial and error. The dogs need for insulin can change at any time without notice. Dog Diabetes is something that your dog can live a good life with if you and your veterinarian can control the dogs blood sugar levels.

I tried to research diabetic dog food but Zeke has always been a meat eater. At his age we thought it would be difficult to switch his diet. The vet started Zeke out on one shot of 14 units of Vetsulin once per day. After two weeks of still high blood glucose levels the shot was increased to two doses of 10 units of Vetsulin twice a day. Zeke began drinking excessive amounts of water and waking me up at night to let him out so I increased the second shot to 14 units and he was fine.

Over the last 3 years I have learned alot about diabetes in dogs by reading online and by especially from the veterinarian. Zeke has been on doses as low as 8 units and as high as 15. The veterinarian always thought it was Zekes system reacting differently but now with the Vetsulin announcement I suspect that part of the problem was the inconsistent strength of the vetsulin medication. To monitor him I was taking him to the veterinarian about once a month to have his blood glucose tested. Now the vet checks Zekes blood glucose level every couple of months. Currently I am testing his urine several times a week with Bayer Diastix urine glucose test strips which I purchase online from Hocks Pharmacy in Ohio. They have the best prices I have found and since I am in Michigan the shipping time for Ground is only 1 day and Hocks shipping cost is very reasonable.

For the past year and a half Zeke has been on 2 shots a day of 14 units of Vetsulin It can take alot of trial and error to get each dogs dosage correct. The diabetic dogs need for insulin can change at any time without notice. It is important to watch your pet closely and report any changes to the veterinarian.

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2010-01-01T00:41:00.002-05:00

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