Living with a Diabetic Dog

Who would name a dog "Mr. Smith"?

2011-08-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

Image via WikipediaYou'd be surprised. You might also be surprised that many of the names people find too silly or stupid are actually BAD for the dog (I'm not talking about names like Lucky, which seems to be cursed): there's a scientific explanation, which you can read about at WebMD's pet pages. It turns out that consonants count, according to Roxanne Hawn, because "Certain consonants (k, p, d) create broadband sounds with more energy across sound frequencies that get a pet’s attention. These sounds activate more audio receptors in the brain." How about that?

New Help from the FDA

2011-08-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Image via WikipediaI'm a couple days late with this, but it's worth noting anyway. I've written before about the importance of reading pet food labels, and how we really need more information than is there. Now the FDA has a new pet food initiative that will at least keep track of pet food problems as they occur. Read their announcement of PetNet, which "is a secure, web based information exchange system that will allow FDA and Federal and State Agencies to share initial information about pet-food related incidents, such as illness associated with the consumption of pet food or pet food product defects." Sounds good.

It's too darn hot

2011-07-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeWe're in the dog days now, so it's a good time to review hot weather dangers for our dogs, and WebMd's animal section has a good article on it. Excessive heat is often a serious problem for diabetic dogs because of their special hydration issues, so we need to pay closer attention to our pets' drinking habits and monitor their time outside.
My sister's larger Great Pyrenees, Doc, was clipped close for the summer in early June and doesn't seem to be having too many problems this year, though his fur seems to be growing back a lot faster than it should. Not all fluffy dogs should be clipped, however, so you need to check with your vet before jumping on the bandwagon.

Visiting Minnesota

2011-05-23T12:21:00.001-05:00

Woody, after a hard day

I'm visiting family in Minnesota right now, and hanging out with a dog I don't see as often as I would like, Woody the "Sharpador." Woody belongs to my brother Eric (Eric Wiertelak, the well-known neuroscientist and ballroom dancer), who just got married yesterday (Congratulations, Eric and Yuki), but right now he's living with my nephew Dan. Since both Eric and Dan have experienced owning a diabetic dog (the late Lucky), I was not surprised to find that Woody is on a well-regulated feeding schedule (twice daily, portion controlled) to keep him healthy.
I kind of wonder if I have an obsession about this, because it's not the first time I've been visiting someone and watched how the dogs of the house were doing in terms of diet and exercise. So far, so good.

From the dog-lover's mail bag

2011-04-02T11:21:00.001-05:00

Image via WikipediaI got an e-mail from the ASPCA yesterday reminding me that April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and it seemed like a good time to take note of a bunch of messages I've gotten the past couple of weeks. For some reason, the ASPCA is still carrying me as a member even though I can't afford to donate anything right now (thanks, guys). This is their 145th year, and, as they do every year, they are asking people to "Go orange for animals," and selling a number of orange garments and other products on their website. They're also running a photo contest.
I'm sorry to say that most of the mail I've been getting lately involves animal cruelty. For example, DogTimes has an item that was pretty horrifying about a dog who was hit by a car six weeks ago and only got medical care last week!
Healthy Dog News (from WebMD) has less distressing material in their most recent issue. The cover story is about whether or not pets should be shaved for the summer (most shouldn't, some can be), but the article that drew my attention was on feeding dogs table scraps. I'll acknowledge that table scraps were probably the main food supplied by owners before the development of commercial dog food, and that most dogs did okay on them, but I firmly believe that the potential for overfeeding and other problems is great enough to avoid giving your dog "people food" (one thing the article mentions is that dogs' "saliva isn’t designed to break down carbohydrates," while ours is, which is something I didn't know). As you know, I'm not all that big a fan of commercial dog food, but at least you won't have a situation where everyone in the house is opening a can and slipping some to Rover on the side.

It looks like my in-box has more stuff than I thought. I'll get to the rest of it next time, but meanwhile, you can do something to help some of the victims of animal cruelty right now, and it won't cost you a cent. Go to the Animal Rescue Site button that's off to the right, click on it, then click on the box that comes up. Your click means that advertisers will have to pay the site, and that money goes to help feed shelter animals.

Vet Visit Advice

2011-02-26T13:52:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaNo, I don't really have advice on this, but WebMD does. I was surprised to learn that it covers animals as well as humans, so I signed up for their email newsletter, and the one I just received has a good article about what you should ask when you take your friend to the vet. This hit home for me, because on my first visit I forgot to ask about emergency care and after hours problems. Of course, I needed to know that a couple of weeks after the visit. Check it out.

Pet food labels

2011-02-13T04:52:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaAfter my last post, I decided to do some research on dog food labels, and I found some interesting info. First, WebMd has an article on deciphering the labels at http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/how-to-read-a-dog-food-label, and you can also sign up for their pet health newsletter to receive the latest on new studies. As far as I can see, the information on the labels may be fine for a healthy dog (although they should list sugars separately even then), but they're inadequate for dogs with health issues like diabetes.
Another site with a surprising amount of information is that of the Food and Drug Administration. They have a full (maybe too full) explanation of the current labels. Within the FDA, pet food issues are handled by the Center for Veterinary Medicine, whose director is Bernadette M. Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D. Now that I've got that name, at least I have someone to direct my inquiries to. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Think Before You Treat

2011-02-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaI just got an email from Purina's PetCentric website, telling me that February 23 is International Dog Biscuit Day. Wow. Those of us who have (or have had) diabetic dogs know that it's important to put some thought into the kinds and amounts of treats we give our dogs. However, although the website recommends Purina treats, there are no links to the main Purina website so that you can check out what goes into them. At the Purina website, which is actually pretty good in terms of content, there are links to the webpages for the individual products. I discovered that Beggin' Strips contain sugar (real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup), but there was no indication of how much. Why don't pet foods have the kind of nutrition labels we see on people food? Maybe I'll start a campaign.

Would I give a diabetic dog a Beggin' Strip? I might, but I would probably not give him the entire strip, which brings me to my next point: treats count as food! For some reason, a lot of people think that treats exist in some alternate dimension where only food consumed at mealtime affects blood sugar. If you are one of them, get over it. Most commercial dog treats are basically carbs and fat, with flavorings, and they should be used only as treats, meaning that you give one as a reward for good behavior. I am pointing this out because I recently saw someone (I name no names) give his overweight dog at least a quarter of a box of LivaSnaps. Luckily, his dog is not diabetic --so far -- but he is arthritic, and the weight isn't helping.

So, on February 23rd, use your commonsense and treat your dog rationally.

Oops! Blogger problem (nothing to do with diabetes or dogs)

2010-11-23T06:05:00.000-06:00

In case you are wondering, I did not mean to repeat my opening paragraph on the last post -- it just happened. I've been trying to edit it out, but every time I delete it, the entire post goes. I've given up on it.

The funny thing about this is that, based on the above paragraph, Zemanta has just supplied me with photographs and articles that are related to funeral homes and the U.S. government -- I don't see the connection, myself. A few relevant things are mixed in, so I'm putting them below.

You'll be thankful you thought ahead

2010-11-21T08:46:00.002-06:00

Image via Wikipedia

This may seem like a strange time to talk about it, but as your dog gets older you need to think about end-of-life issues, just as you would for a human. I'm thinking about this just now because the older of my sister's two Great Pyrenees turned 13 this month, which is very old indeed for that breed. Gus is still pretty active and alert, but he has developed some weakness in his hind legs, as well as incontinence.   Since I was thinking about how Tony died soon after last Thanksgiving (he had turned 13 early in November, 2009), I mentioned to my brother in law that it might be a good idea to start thinking about the inevitable. Steve tends to think in do-it-yourself terms (partly from personality, and partly because he hates to pay), and he told me his expectations (although not in so many words): 1. Gus would die at home, and 2. he would bury him.

It seems to me that these are common expectations in our culture, but nowadays they are unrealistic.   Unless your dog, or any other pet, for that matter, dies in his or her sleep, you will probably do as I did, which is rush it to the vet because it is in distress of some kind. You will be very upset and faced with several decisions that you are in no shape to make on the spot: BUT THEY HAVE TO BE MADE RIGHT THEN. It is much better to decide ahead of time how far you are willing to go in your efforts to save your pet (if that is at all possible or wise) because when the time is at hand, you could be in a state where you will do anything to prolong his or her life, regardless of any financial hardship or common sense.

I am thankful that my veterinarian managed to keep me from grasping at straws in that regard. I thought that I was prepared, and I was, in some ways, but I had no idea how hard it would hit me emotionally. I had already decided that when the time came I would have him cremated privately (see the article "When is the right time . . ." below for information about cremation) so that I would get his ashes, and I had a vague idea of how much that would cost. It never occurred to me to bury him at home; I'm disabled, and our water comes from a well (I don't know for sure if that matters, but I wouldn't take a chance). It turns out that there may also be legal issues involved with a home burial. Steve wouldn't like hearing that.

Burying -- at home -- a dog the size of Gus, who is small for a Pyr, but more than 10 times the size of a Pomeranian like Tony, just doesn't make sense.   I think Steve sees that now; he's actually done some research into the alternatives, not that he's happy thinking about this problem in any way. But I know he will be glad he did.
In the meantime, I'm doing my part to help keep Gus happy and as healthy as possible.

This may seem like a strange time to talk about it, but as your dog gets older you need to think about end-of-life issues, just as you would for a human. I'm thinking about this just now because the older of my sister's two Great Pyrenees turned 13 this month, which is very old indeed for that breed. Gus is still pretty active and alert, but he has developed some weakness in his hind legs, as well as incontinence. Since I was thinking about how Tony died soon after last Thanksgiving (he had turned 13 early in November, 2009), I mentioned to my brother in law that it might be a good idea to start thinking about the inevitable. Steve tends to think in do-it-yourself terms (partly from personality, and partly because he hates to pay), and he told me his expectations (although not in so many words): 1. Gus would die at home, and 2. he would bury him.

Puppy Mills Hiding on the Internet

2010-10-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy to post for a while, but I felt I had to mention a report I received from Dogtime.com about puppy mills operating over the 'net.
These puppy e-mills are becoming a serious problem, and although all of the issues they raise are disturbing, my concern here has to do with health. According to the report, "The Internet also happens to make a great dumping ground for dogs. In fact when breeders are left with "reject" puppies that mass brokers or pet stores won't buy, usually due to health or form problems, the dogs are sold online."
The best long-term solution to the puppy mill problem is for people to stop buying from them, but until people are aware of the problem, it will just go on and on. For now, the American Humane Society has several campaigns going, and their website has advice on how to shop for a puppy to avoid getting a puppy-mill pet. If it's too late for you and you already have a sick puppy, you should contact them.

Got a new dog?

2010-08-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

Image by kalavinka via FlickrWell, you probably know what I'm going to say first: get health insurance for your new dogs ASAP, since their health needs don't end with shots and spaying. Next, you might want to check out DogChannel's New Dog page, which is organized into categories that are actually relevant and helpful, unlike some other sites I could mention. Additionally, they have downloads for new dog owners, like a shopping list (helpful, since you're going to want to buy everything you see, and you might miss a few important necessities), plus an "ask an expert" feature where you can get advice from a vet, a trainer, a groomer, etc.

I zeroed in on the Guide to Feeding Your Pets download, since I had so many different -- and difficult -- experiences while I was dealing with Tony's diabetes and his later bout with lymphoma. It has material on food recalls, people food that is toxic for pets, the wet vs. dry debate, raw diets, and so on. Overall, it's a good basic discussion of the topic, but I was disappointed that they didn't warn about the use of sweeteners (including HFCS) in the semi-moist foods. I remain convinced that this was what led to Tony's weight gain and his subsequent diabetes.
In any event, here are a few interesting articles:

Blood Sugar Monitoring

2010-07-15T09:22:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Got an email the other day about monitoring a dog's blood sugar. I've mentioned before that my brother Eric monitored his dog's blood sugar, while I didn't. Tony had regular blood sugar curves done, and they were always consistent after the first couple of months. Eric's dog Lucky (always a bad choice for a dog name), however, was almost always out of control in that area. Eric had several things going for him that I didn't: at the time, he himself was diabetic (he isn't anymore, thanks to some pretty serious lifestyle changes), so he was hyperaware of everything connected with that; Lucky was a BIG Labrador retriever, which made it easier to draw the tiny bit of blood needed for the test (trying to do this without help to a Pomeranian ain't easy; you can't ever get the right grip); and, Eric is a behavioral psychologist with tons of experience with animals and many medical procedures.
At any rate, if it had been necessary to test Tony's sugar, I would have found a method of getting the blood, and it would have become routine in a hurry-- that's just the way it is. If your vet tells you to do this, DO IT. Like giving the insulin injections, you'll get better with practice over time, and you'll definitely get better control over your dog's diabetes. There's a veterinarian's discussion of this at Pet Place; it's a basic explanation that should give you enough information to ask your vet the right questions.

Incidentally, there's something new and exciting in the monitoring pipeline for humans, which should eventually work itself into veterinary applications. See the article below.

It's the heat AND the humidity when it comes to dogs in the summer

2010-06-19T07:16:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

A while back, I complained about an article on winter care for dogs because it wasn't published until winter was nearly over. Fortunately, the folks over at DogChannel.com have put out their warnings early enough for us to make some use of them, especially since we've been having an early heat wave here in the Midwest. You probably -- I hope!-- know enough not to leave your dog in a closed car, but you may not know how to recognize when your dog is in trouble.
According to the article:
'Heatstroke’s early signs include rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, thick drooling saliva and a dry nose and mouth. “The dog often has a panicked or wild expression,” Chodrow says. “If you lift up a lip, the gums above the teeth will be a muddy grayish-pink or a brick-red instead of their normal clear pink color. As heatstroke progresses, the dog may stagger or have seizures. In advanced stages, she may show bloody diarrhea, coma and death. Heatstroke is a medical emergency: If untreated, it can be fatal.”'

Keeping an eye on your dog in this kind of weather is all the more important if he or she has other health issues, such as diabetes, which affect hydration (if his or her blood sugar is not under good control, you really need to limit outdoor play in the summertime). It's a good idea to limit outdoor play time for any dog on a hot day, and you need to make sure that shade is available no matter how short a time you will be outdoors.
I've talked about my brother-in-law's group at the dog park before, and there can be some other problems with that kind of setting in the heat. For one thing, people go there not just so their dogs can have fun, but also to socialize with other dog owners. The group that Steve hangs out with are Great Pyrenees owners, and he's lost track of time more than once while chatting with them. They all wait until early evening to take the dogs to the park to help prevent heat-related problems, which is good, but as the DogChannel article points out, humidity is a problem all by itself. If the humidity is high, evaporation is slowed, and since the dogs cool themselves by panting, heat stress can build up even after the sun goes down.
There are a couple of other factors that the article mentions that I want to talk about, but the first is most important for diabetic dogs, many of whom have excess weight. As the article points out, that can have an effect on breathing as well as retaining heat, since the weight acts as extra insulation. The other problem they cite is dogs with double coats (like Pomeranians, for example). Although their coats can insulate against the heat, once they do get hot, the coat holds it in. And, of course, the kind of exercise matters, too. Here again, I'm thinking of dog parks, where many dogs get a far more intense workout than they do at home, and where they may forgo drinking at times because they are so involved with their play.
The article has a lot of good advice, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Read it, protect your best friend, and remember -- warnings for heat danger for humans also apply to pets.

I would also recommend the article below about outdoor dogs. It's kind of surprising, to me at least, how people rationalize their worst decisions.

Does everyone have a dog nowadays?

2010-06-12T06:58:00.001-05:00

Image by State Library of New South Wales collection via Flickr

As I've mentioned before, I teach English composition, and a couple of days ago I showed this blog to my students as an example of a topic-driven blog (they have an extra-credit opportunity to create one and keep it going during the summer term). I was kind of surprised when I got questions about dogs and diabetes (specifically, blood sugar monitoring) rather than the questions about blogging that I was expecting. Before I took a few minutes to deal with the off-topic questions, I asked for a show of hands from the dog owners in the class. About two-thirds raised their hands. That's a lot of dogs.
As I was driving home after class, I wondered how many of those dogs have health insurance. I'll have to ask.

So, what about that Dog College?

2010-05-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I said I would talk about DogChannel.com's Dog College, and I'm finally getting around to it. They offer three courses a month. I completed the Nutrition exam (a very high score, if I do say so myself), but I seem to be wiping out at Physiology (I only got the order in which a dog's feet move by waking up Gus and watching him). It's my own fault. I tried to jump ahead and take the exam too soon. I think my students are starting to rub off on me. In any event, it was interesting to read about how dogs move, and the quiz confirmed my impression that my short-term memory is going to hell.

The last course for this "term" is Communication. The article, in my opinion, is thorough and informative (one commenter-- who gave the impression that she was not terribly bright -- really disparaged it, while a number of dog trainers who commented were extremely positive). Everything in the article tallied with my own experience, so I'm giving it my approval. There is an interesting discussion of wolf behavior in contrast with dog behavior, so I'm going to recommend this to my brother in law, who is convinced that his dogs are much closer to their wolf ancestors than they are.

Now that I've finished this term, I'm looking forward to the next set of courses (and hoping that they get into preventive care for your dog).

Is your dog a slacker?

2010-04-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

I have come to the conclusion that every dog I have ever met is probably a slacker. Sure, some dogs may actually be heroes who just haven't had any opportunity to show their stuff, but the rest are just faking it. They're so good at faking it, though, that we all believe our dogs are capable of doing something amazing, like Buddy, a German Shepherd who lives in Alaska. He made headlines up there for saving his family's home on April 4, and he's become a YouTube sensation. The video is from the state trooper's vehicle. Buddy actually went and got help-- just like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, or Strongheart, the dog in the picture above (he was a big silent movie star).

On the other hand, would you really want your dog to be that kind of hero? This seems to be one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for kind of things. I'm glad none of the dogs I know has had to be a hero.

Want to know more about dogs?

2010-04-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

As time goes on, more and more websites devoted to dogs and other pets are popping up, some with more valuable content than others. I have hopes for Dog Channel.com's "Dog College," which appears to be both an informational service and a contest. You have to join Club Dog in order to participate, but it's open to everyone 13 and over, and free. The prizes are provided by Petco. It runs three months, and you get a diploma for finishing, plus reward points. There is also a special prize for the "valedictorian," which consists of a year's worth of Iams food and 5000 Club Dog points.

I'll take a look at their offerings in my next post. I expect this to be good, since Dog Channel.com is owned by Bow-Tie, Inc., the company that publishes Dog Fancy magazine (fyi, the website has a lot of the things I enjoy in the magazine, like local directories, for just one example, so it's worth visiting). I've always loved the retriever (I think) puppy in the Dog Channel logo: he has a wonderful expression on his face that makes me feel that I can trust these folks, however irrational that effect might be. We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime, there are three interesting items about Petco in the news. They have a new initiative that is perfect for an Earth Day (today) post, and they are also assisting food banks, according to the New York Times. However, they are also under fire for selling female guinea pigs (helping to cause an overpopulation problem). Well, you can't please everyone.

Ethical Dilemmas and Individual Cases

2010-04-17T07:16:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

I just came across an interesting discussion about the cost of pet health care at a blog run by Liberty Mutual, the insurance company. The blog is called The Responsibility Project, and the subtitle is "exploring what it means to do the right thing." One of their staff writers, Kathy McManus, posted a piece a while back about how many pet owners spend large amounts of money in this area, and she posed the question, "When it comes to expensive veterinary medical care, is it more responsible to pay for a pet or perhaps give the money to charity instead?"

I teach rhetoric, and logic is an important component of that curriculum. This question is posing what is called a "false dilemma," which is where you are offered only two choices of action in a situation when there are actually many possible choices. Obviously, you could spend the money on anything, which would not necessarily be irresponsible. However, her intention was to get followers of the blog to talk, and not, I hope, to suggest that it is irresponsible to spend your own money on caring for a pet who is wholly dependent on you for all of its needs. Over 1600 people posted comments, some just a sentence of reaction, but a large number of them are very moving personal stories about animal companions and what had to be done to save their lives.

There is a horribly provocative essay by the notorious Peter Singer, "The Singer Solution to World Poverty," in which he looks at a number of scenarios that are all similar to the question McManus asks, with the telling difference of animal lives replaced by human ones. Based on his other writings, I think we can probably assume that he does want people to take some action in this regard, but the main effect of the essay is to force readers to confront their own hypocrisy. Oddly enough, the tenor of the responses to McManus's question is a rejection of any accusation of hypocrisy. Many of the respondents noted their contributions to various charities, and virtually all feel no guilt over spending their money to save a pet's life. Many of them also talk about the sacrifices -- not just in the financial sense, either -- they have made in order to save their pets, which I find encouraging.

One point came up repeatedly: you never know, going in, how much you will have to pay for your pet's healthcare. What starts out as a small issue can slowly develop into a big-ticket crisis, so insuring your pet for these situations helps you avoid a lot of these difficult decisions. And the value of that relief can't be overestimated.

Hidden problems under those thick, fluffy coats

2010-04-01T08:33:00.003-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I saw something that brought home a problem that is the major risk factor for diabetes (in dogs and humans), which is excess weight. My brother-in-law, Steve, took the younger of his two dogs to the groomer, and he discovered why a Great Pyrenees's coat requires either constant attention from the owner or regular visits to the groomer (no more than 3 months apart).

My sister and her husband have been having a hard time lately moneywise (who hasn't, right?), and they had to put off taking the dogs to the groomer. Gus, the older dog (he's three-quarters Great Pyrenees and one-quarter Komondor -- his coat doesn't cord, but he has some cool waves) went last month, and there were no problems. Doc's coat looked pretty good, at least as good as the dog in the picture above; after all, they do brush him and so on, but what none of us could see was that his undercoat had become a giant mat. The groomer called my sister to tell her that they were going to have to shave Doc.

So, last night, Steve went to pick Doc up, and he said later that he was afraid to bring him home, since he expected his wife to go into hysterics when she saw her "new" dog. In fact, I was the first to see him when he came into the house, and I didn't know anything about the matting. "Who is that?" I asked. Steve kind of winced. "It's Doc." I couldn't believe it. Doc weighs about 130 pounds, and he looked like he was half the size he had been that morning. However, without all that fluffy white fur, his body was suddenly easy to see, and it was obvious that he is overweight. You could see that his silhouette was too round, just like those diagrams all the vets have in their waiting rooms that tell you what a dog at the right weight looks like.

My sister's reaction was totally unexpected. She kept saying, "he's so cute! Like a giant puppy!" She went nuts over him, but she also noted his enlarged midsection, and pointed it out to her husband. Now, for years he's had issues about feeding the dogs. Gus is a fussy eater, and doesn't eat a lot at the best of times, so when Doc came along and REALLY liked to eat, Steve rewarded his appetite with more food than was good for him. Doc's new look finally showed Steve what he had done, and I think he's learned his lesson. He saw what I went through with Tony. I am willing to bet that Doc is going to be getting less food and more exercise from now on.

I hope to have a picture of Doc in his "puppy cut," but I'm not sure Steve will let us take one. He hangs out with a bunch of Pyr owners at the dog park, and he's always been proud that Doc is such a big dog. I think he'll be too embarrassed to take him until some of the fur grows back.

Here's a sad story that just popped up from my Zemanta feed (Doc never looked as big as the dog in the Vail News photo, in case you are wondering), plus some less tragic tales:

A short note about PETA

2010-03-10T07:26:00.000-06:00

I don't know what your feelings on PETA may be, but I have long been appalled by their policies on animals that are brought to them. If you don't know about this, you should read some of the material on them before you make up your mind. There is an item today in the AOL News concerning PETA's recent statements about the tragic death of a Sea World trainer, and this has brought the issue back into the news (you may also want to check out the PETAkillsanimals.com website). As one of my firm beliefs is that too many people are having their diabetic dogs put down because they either don't understand that they can live good lives after the diagnosis or because they just don't want to be bothered, I am especially disturbed by the unnecessary euthanasia of thousands of healthy dogs for which PETA is responsible. With all the money gullible animal lovers give them each year, surely they could do more to get them adopted. It would be a better use of the money than running the walk-in freezer where they keep the dead animals until they have a big enough batch for cremation.

Exercise and the diabetic dog

2010-02-28T09:46:00.000-06:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

There's another useful article from PawNation that I want to bring to your attention, since it deals with an important issue for dogs with diabetes: exercise. "Combating Your Dog's Cold-Weather Boredom" is mainly concerned with cabin fever and its results, such as chewing (usually on forbidden items like shoes and papers) and accidents in the house, but most of the remedies author Gabrielle Linzer recommends involve exercise. The connection between exercise and blood sugar appears to be hard to pin down in terms of the precise effects (see the article about sled dogs I noted yesterday), but there is no doubt that exercise can help with control.

The first cabin-fever solution Linzer mentions is almost certainly NOT a good idea for dogs with diabetes, however. Quoting a professional trainer, she "recommends stuffing your dog's meal in a Kong." I can tell you from personal experience with Tony that any kind of alteration in food delivery methods can wreak havoc with a dog's treatment.  Although before he was diagnosed he was happy to eat almost anything, anywhere, anytime, anyhow, after he was on insulin he became pretty rigid in his preferences, and at least a couple of times a week he would either refuse to eat or would only eat part of his portion. I wouldn't have tried the Kong trick anyway, since he never liked Kongs to begin with, but I would hesitate to suggest this to other people with diabetic dogs simply because of its potential for disrupting the dog's feeding routine.

Her other recommendations seem very useful, particularly for those who need to keep their dog's activity level constant throughout the year. She has some good ideas about how to play indoors with your dog, and I like her suggestion to enroll your dog in a class.

As Pomeranians are bred for colder climates and our house has a large fenced yard, Tony spent more time out there in the winter than he did in the summer. It was pretty funny to watch him break trail in snow that was up to his chin so that he could complete his self-imposed duty of checking the yard's perimeter.  In the heat of summer, he generally wanted to stay inside with the air conditioning, and he would run around the house a couple of times a day on his own in addition to the games I played with him to keep him in shape.

Too bad this article was published on 2/24, when we're nearing the end of an especially intense winter season instead of at the end of fall. Keep it in mind for next year.

Learning from the dogs

2010-02-27T12:05:00.001-06:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I was just doing my usual searches for news about canine diabetes, and I came across something I missed before. It was discussed on the terrific dog-blog, Doggyblurb.blogspot.com last April, but it's still worth talking about, especially if, like me, you have loved ones who are diabetic (my mother and my sister). According to Diabeteshealth.com, "Michael Davis, a professor at Oklahoma State University who has studied sled dogs for 10 years, says their incredible endurance may be the key to treating obesity in people who have either type 2 or pre-diabetes." Now, I know I usually talk about dogs with diabetes, but this news item points up the intertwining nature of our relationships with our dogs. It appears that what the sled dogs can teach us has to do with insulin sensitivity, which is key to both diabetes and burning fat: these dogs have metabolisms that are simply amazing. If Davis can figure out how this whole system works (it's a mystery so far), we may see something that really works and can help everyone, human or other, who has or is at risk for diabetes. As long as we don't have to run an Iditarod . . . It's also worth noting that Davis was/is not generously funded, so if you've got the bucks to be providing research grants, you might do a lot worse than throwing one his way.

And here are a few articles that you may find interesting:

New Article on Top Ten Reasons for Vet Visits

2010-02-19T13:55:00.000-06:00

I'm on AOL, and on today's main screen there was a link to Pawnation.com for a list of the Top Ten Reasons Dogs and Cats Visit the Vet. The number one reason is ear infections, according to a pet insurance company. The page also has links to Pawnation pages on various ailments in a "Top Ten Searched Pet Health Conditions." Number 4 is Pet Diabetes, which doesn't surprise me at all. I also came across a Google News item about companies that are offering pet health insurance to their employees.

I forgot to mention in my last post that some of the proceeds of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show poster go to The Seeing Eye, which, as I'm sure you know, supplies service dogs to the blind.

Are you watching the Westminster Dog Show?

2010-02-16T08:46:00.001-06:00

Image via Wikipedia

I am (and I can't believe the Pomeranian didn't win the Toy Group! What is it with poodles?), with occasional cutaways to the Olympics. Of course, I'm grading papers at the same time. I don't know if you've noticed, but many of the commercials during the dog show are dog-related, which makes sense, and some of them talk about what the companies are doing for dogs. The one that really struck me as odd is the one for Progressive Insurance. It follows the ones from their ongoing ad campaign with the goofy cashier who gets all worked up over discounts. It's not available for viewing on their website at this moment, but you can check via the link above to see if it's up yet. They don't give any details, but the implication is that your dog is covered by them through insurance that covers your car or home. I gotta ask. What exactly does this mean? Does it cover emergency care, or what?
As you probably know, I'm a great advocate for health insurance for pets (and people, too, of course, all the more so since I do not have health insurance myself). I find myself of two minds about this commercial. I like the idea that they are covering pets in any way, and I hope it makes people realize that insurance for pets is a good idea, but I also think that it might make people think that this kind of coverage is all you need. It's not. You need basic health insurance so that you won't have to make decisions based on what you can afford rather than what the dog needs. This is especially worth remembering in February, which is the dental health month for pets. Even though most vets offer a February discount, it is still an area of care that a lot of pet owners neglect, many because of the cost.

Off the soapbox now. Check out the WKC website. The poster for this year's show is fabulous.

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