Help need dog advice fast

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I noticed my dog eyes yesterday were changing color, so I tested his site by throwing treats. He had problems finding them, He was using his sense of smell to get them. I rushed him to the vet where they found that he had Diabetes, sugar was at 604 and he went from weighing 26 pounds in Feb to 15 LBS now. They wanted to keep him over night to get him regulated now there saying that there almost there but want to keep him another night, Is this normal? It is costing me an extra $300 to $400 for each night. I came close to putting him to sleep. Should I have put him down? What should I do let him stay an extra night or demand my dog back now or should I put him to sleep. I am not sure if he is fully blind I think he might see shadows. Will his site get better or worse? He is 11 and a half.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

I noticed my dog eyes yesterday were changing color, so I tested his site by throwing treats. He had problems finding them, He was using his sense of smell to get them. I rushed him to the vet where they found that he had Diabetes, sugar was at 604 and he went from weighing 26 pounds in Feb to 15 LBS now. They wanted to keep him over night to get him regulated now there saying that there almost there but want to keep him another night, Is this normal? It is costing me an extra $300 to $400 for each night. I came close to putting him to sleep. Should I have put him down? What should I do let him stay an extra night or demand my dog back now or should I put him to sleep. I am not sure if he is fully blind I think he might see shadows. Will his site get better or worse? He is 11 and a half.

Oh Frank,

I am so sorry to read about your dog.

This is a very personal decision that only you and your family can make. However, I will offer this...as far as the partial blindness-yes, it may stay. Dogs are very good at compensating for their losses. That part wouldn't bother me.

What you do need to realize is that you now have a Diabetic pet. This will require work...food intake, monitoring sugar levels and probably insulin shots..just like a human.

Yes, the quoted costs are probably customary especially since you live in New York. If you intend on keeping the dog and seeing it through it's illness then it's obviously best to keep it right where it is.

Again, no one can make this decision for you. Only you know what you can handle and what is in your heart.....

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

How old is he? I have had to put a couple of pets to sleep and it is not easy to do. But looking back on it, we waited way to long to do it. They would have been been better off, if we would have put them to sleep sooner. Sometimes you have to think what is best for the pet and not what is best for the owners.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We are keeping him and will be giving 1 or 2 shots a day. I just do not understand why they are keeping him for 2 nights. Is that normal?

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

Frank, having had a pet (Labrador) with diabetes I can tell you that I am glad I was able to keep her alive and part of our family for an additional 15 months. It was work, but I felt well worth it. She needed insulin injections daily and of course that was my job. She was on a schedule for food, water and medication. Even on Sunday I was up at 6:30 to take her out, catch in a paper cup the first urine of the morning and test it. I then drew her injection and gave her a shot. She was a very good girl and after the first few days never tried to bite me when I injected her (she was 85 pounds). She had a very good quality of life for 15 months and then started having seizures. It was quickly down hill from there.

This is a very personal decision and only you and your family can make it. My girl was only 7 when she became diabetic. She was 8 ½ when she died.

Whatever your decision, remember you have loved you pet and given him/her a wonderful life.

Joy

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

Frank, it is normal to make sure the blood sugars are regulated. It will make it easier on all concerned to have the sugar regulated before bringing the dog home. Once the sugar is regulated you can monitor it with much more ease and have to deal with spikes and valleys.

Joy

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Picture was taken this past Aug

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Frank, having had a pet (Labrador) with diabetes I can tell you that I am glad I was able to keep her alive and part of our family for an additional 15 months. It was work, but I felt well worth it. She needed insulin injections daily and of course that was my job. She was on a schedule for food, water and medication. Even on Sunday I was up at 6:30 to take her out, catch in a paper cup the first urine of the morning and test it. I then drew her injection and gave her a shot. She was a very good girl and after the first few days never tried to bite me when I injected her (she was 85 pounds). She had a very good quality of life for 15 months and then started having seizures. It was quickly down hill from there.

This is a very personal decision and only you and your family can make it. My girl was only 7 when she became diabetic. She was 8 ½ when she died.

Whatever your decision, remember you have loved you pet and given him/her a wonderful life.

Joy

My experience was very much like this. Our dog was 10 when she was diagnosed. Good thing she was a female and we were able to dip the urine stick in the piddle puddle she made each morning. Based on the results, we adjusted her insulin dose for that day. She lived over 2 years on the shots and had a great quality of life until she got sick, had seizures, stopped eating and we put her down.
Frank, I'm sorry you are going through this. You have to consider that someone has to be home for him every day at both breakfast and dinner time. Having a diabetic dog really limited our social life because someone always had to be home to "shoot the dog". Lucky there were 5 of us, and we all had to do it although I was the main diabetes manager. We were so glad to have her the 2 extra years, and they were good ones.
Good luck to you.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Question What happens if you miss 1 or 2 injections? Or if I gave him one instead of 2 lets say Sat Morning and give him 1 instead of 2 Sunday night. The reason I used Sat and Sun is cause we are going to PA for a day in Jan and can give him his shot before we leave and 1 when we return.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Frank,
I think you should see how he responds, it's do-able, but requires commitment.
You can have a vet tech that is a dog walker come to your house for a fee.
Talk to your vet's office.
I am so sorry that you and your pup are going through this.
B.

[MargeS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MargeS]

missed injections can play havoc with sugar levels in blood.
once in a while shouldn't be too bad, but a few in a row and it may be hard to get regulated again for a while. you will learn how your dog reacts to meds vs food intake, and it will become a bit easier to control.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We got him home today, he is bumping into things but he is not as bad as I thought he would be. I think he might still have 20% of his sight. I have to feed him 2 times a day 12 hours apart giving him a shot right after. I am about to give him his first shot now, wish me luck.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

We got him home today, he is bumping into things but he is not as bad as I thought he would be. I think he might still have 20% of his sight. I have to feed him 2 times a day 12 hours apart giving him a shot right after. I am about to give him his first shot now, wish me luck.

I am wishing you luck and it must be hard for you to have a sick pet. It is a commitment to take care of the dog but it gives him more quality time with you. Beags gave some very good advice.

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Frank, remember to always have him eat first and then give the shot. If he doesn't eat, or vomits, call the vet for further direction. You may have to hold or adjust the dose. If you give the shot first the blood sugar will drop, and if no food follows, he could have a diabetic reaction.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Well giving the shot for the first time was not to bad, My wife helped holding him and what I was afraid of did not happen, I was afraid he was going to cry when I gave him the shot, He felt nothing it went in and out with out trouble. The only problem is his blindness, Bumping into things is not just it, Looking into his eyes is killing us, My wife can not look at him. We both cried afterwords. I am thinking of taking him to a Dog eye doctor to see if he can help. I was told that by the vet that he might be able to but the cost can be as about $5,000 which I do not want to spend with my son in Collage. the Vet thinks that it is Cataracts and that surgery might fix it.