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Avatar universal

DM

Hi
My 11 yr old corgi has DM We are at the point where we think we should put her down.  It is a horrible decision to make as she is still so alert and loving.  But she can't walk at all and drags herself around when she can.  Most of the time now she barks to have us carry her from place to place.  We are quite concerned with the onset of winter and how we are going to be able to get her outside in the snow.  She is having a lot of trouble going to the bathroom when she wants to.  I guess I don't know how much longer we should wait to make this decision.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I can offer help with your dogs degenerative myelopathy as well and understand how tough this is for you to deal.
Dr Carol
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Thanks for your offer of help.

I don't know what else to do to make my dog comfortable.  She isn't in pain but she looks really tired and is starting to have trouble going to the bathroom.  She wants constant attention which I can give.  

How does this disease progress?  What can I expect next?  
Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi I gues I should have said my corgi has degenerative Myelopathy.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello
I do not know what type of insulin you are using for your diabetic dog or how you calculate and monitor your dogs daily insulin levels but these are two critical issues for diabetic pets.

Many Diabetic Pets Have been Affected by the Vetsulin Recall. Learning How to Switch Diabetic Pets from Vetsulin to DNA Based Insulin is quite simple. Regulating your diabetic pet at home and making your dogs own Urine Glucose Curve is also helpful.

Switching pets over from Vetsulin to DNA based insulin is not hard and daily regulation using your pets urine along with a product, available at Walgreens, called Diastix, will help you regulate your diabetic pet at home as quickly as possible. Generally pets should be regulated within a week of beginning their new insulin.

This is very helpful and will provide you and your vet with valuable information. It will allow you to monitor sugar level trends and follow your pet’s sugar levels accurately and cost effectively. You can also add a box at the end of each day to mark down any important signs you noticed in your pet that day such as appetite, energy levels, attitude, water consumption, frequency of urinating, etc.

Whenever you visit your vet bring your chart along and review it with your vet.

Once you make your pet’s sugar curve chart, be sure to post it in a convenient place like your refrigerator door. This way everyone in your family will be on the same page when it comes to your pets insulin dosages.

We have had a lot of success at our veterinary clinic with our diabetic canine patients by adding in digestive enzymes to help take the work load off of the already sickened pancreas. We also add probiotics, which are referred to as “good’ or “friendly” bacteria, such as Lactobacillus.

For example you’ve probably see a commercial on television for a type of yogurt called Activa. It is fine to offer pet’s yogurt and most pets enjoy the taste. Unfortunately your pet would need to consume so much yogurt to get enough friendly bacteria he would likely end up with another stomach ache. So we use concentrated PROBIOTIC supplements, mixed with your pet’s meals to accomplish this. We promote normal digestion while letting the sickened pancreas take a break.

We also discuss home-made diabetic pet diets with our patients and have enjoyed success in many of our diabetic pets.

If you'd like to discuss this further, feel free to contact our office and I would be glad to help you.

Best Wishes
Dr Carol Osborne, DVM
Helpful - 0

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