Hi! New Member...

[Hankdog1]

Hi,
My name is Jen, and I just joined this group. I have two Chihuahuas, Rocco (14) and Hank (12).
We have had Hank since he was a pup, and he has always been our "special needs" dog. Recently, he began losing weight very rapidly so we brought him into the vet for a checkup (plus he has been peeing ALL of the time). The blood work showed a strong likelihood that he has Cushings and that he was also diabetic. The scary part is his blood glucose levels were SO high - they tested over 1,000. Plus his ketones were at a 2, which I guess is really high and really dangerous. The vet said that the most important thing is to treat the diabetes first, then we can do more testing for the Cushings and treat that once we get the diabetes under control. They started Hank on insulin - 2 units twice a day, and they have us testing his urine (for glucose levels) throughout the day. So far we haven't seen a change - but Hank goes back to the vet tomorrow. I have a feeling they are going to increase his insulin.
The vet said that there is a good chance that the diabetes is being caused by the Cushings - is this fairly common?
And most importantly, how much do you think this will affect Hank's life expectancy? Our dogs are the center of our world and we love them like they are our kids. I am beside myself with worry :(
Thanks for your help,
Jen

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Jen and welcome to you and Hank! :)

Well, you are certainly off with a BANG!, huh? Bless your heart! So much to learn and face all at once. BUT, you are lucky! You found us and we can help ya'll.

First, I want to direct you to our sister site, k9diabetes. Hop on over there now, register and post Hank's story. Here is their addy - http://k9diabetes.com/forum. They can give you a great deal of help with his diabetes and get you off on the right foot.

Then come back here and read the additional posts that I am sure will be up by then.

Take this with you....you and Hank are no longer alone. Neither of these conditions is a death sentence; several of our members deal with both in their babies and have hope to share with you as well as experience.

So go register at k9diabetes then come back to see us. Between the two of us, we will keep you quite busy for a few days but you will learn more than you ever dreamed possible - and with the learning comes a modicum of sanity. :p

Keep your chin up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

[Hankdog1]

Thanks so much, Leslie! I will check out the diabetes site now.

:) Jen

[foxandhound]

Hey there, Welcome. The diabetes site is great as is this site. You are definitely in good hands as I am a new member as well and have learned more from the wonderful people here than any vet I have ever met. And, we have met many. We have been unlucky with vets, more lucky with specialists. :) Good medical professionals are out there and your vet sounds like a good one! Just make sure you keep up on your dog's testing, results, interpretations, and medicines. I learned that the hard way. My advice to you is to get the diabetes under control and then proceed here. So good that you caught it. So good that you want to understand it. Just know that you are not alone and as Leslie said, not a death sentence. :) Lots of hugs!

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Jen,

Ok, we are gonna play 20 Questions for minute. :p We do this in order to get as clear a picture as possible so we can offer the most meaningful feedback. We don't really get nosy until we get to know you a bit better! :D;)

How much does Hank weigh now?

You say that Hank has been your "special needs" dog - can you tell us what other conditions he has? Is he on any other meds, supplements, or herbs? If so, what and how much?

Has he been neutered?

Do you have copies of his tests so far and would you mind posting the results that are either too high or too low, along with the units of measurement (ug/dl, nmol/l, etc) and the normal ranges for each result?

Do you know if his liver enzymes were elevated on his blood work?

Enough questions for now? ;)

Weight loss is common in diabetes, not so much in Cushing's. Most cush pups will gain weight and develop a pot-belly. The excess drinking and peeing are signs the two conditions share. It is not uncommon for pups to have more than one endocrine disorder, which both Cushing's and diabetes are, as are thyroid issues. BUT both can be handled.

I would get the BG under control first as that can be life-threatening and Cushing's is a slow progressing condition. Once you have a handle on the BG, then you can turn your attention to finding out if Hank does have Cushing's or not. Then if he does have Cushing's, once treatment starts on that front the diabetes may be much easier to control.

I am really glad you found us and look forward to learning more in the future. Keep in close touch with the diabetes group while you are learning how to deal with it. But that doesn't mean you forget about us! You and Hank are family now so we will want to know how things are going, and to help if you need us.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

[k9diabetes]

FYI, Hank is off to Angell this afternoon because the local vet wasn't treating his ketones and extremely high blood sugar.

http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2421

Natalie

[lulusmom]

Thanks for the update, Nat. I'll be saying prayers for Jen and Hank.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Jen,

I just read up on Hank's diabetes thread and am soooo happy he is back home with you and doing so much better! Ya'll are going to be just fine, I know it! :D

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always