Lifesvr7
05-22-2015, 01:04 PM
:confused:Hi,
I am a member of the K9Diabetes forum but thought I would pop over here and get some insight from this side of the fence :)
My dog was diagnosed with diabetes and "possible" Cushings a month or two ago. Since then we have been treating him with humulin N then Novolin N insulin ...moving from 11 units to 22 units. His glucose numbers are still in the mid 400- mid 500 range on average. He has shown MINOR improvement as in the beginning, we saw more 600+'s and hardly and 400's, but he's not improving very much. He weighs about 90-95lbs...and has lost some weight since all this started. He also had a UTI when he was originally diagnosed, which has since been treated and has resolved.
Update:
Sam is now up to 22units. We have been Increasing him a bit faster since his numbers just aren't going down very fast. I do his curves at home and can watch him pretty close, so I think the vet is becoming more co for table with moving a bit faster.
Unfortunately, although we are not seeing anymore 600's and are seeing far more 400's than we were in the beginning, we are still no where near normal.
I think the vet is now leaning toward testing him for Cushing's. There was always a thought that he may have it because he had an Alk. Phos. Of 1096 when we did his blood work. His ALT-252,lipase-783 , chloride- 101, sodium-141 and NA/K Ratio-26. All other labs (other than glucose) were normal. Some of those labs were likely abnormal due to his UTI. We decided to try to treat the diabetes first to see what happened but just aren't getting much results.
She wants to do the Low Dose Dexamethasone Supression test. I'm still worried about false results, but I think it is more likely to get. False negative than a false positive. I also do t want to NOT test him, if that is the issue, because it may help get things under control. There is always the slim chance that the underlying problem is the Cushings and once that is treated, the diabetes may not be so much of an issue.
I guess I'm interested in feedback. For those who have dogs with both diagnoses, what was your experience with this test if you had it. I'm a little worried about him not having insulin while they do the test since his numbers are already so high. I think they said I need to skip his insulin the night before and the morning of the test and not feed him in the morning. I will talk tow the vet again tomorrow to confirm details and see if we are going to move forward with the test or if we are going to try to do another dose increase of two.
He really doesn't have any clinical signs of Cushings. He does have rare episodes of weird panting and did have polydipsia but that has gotten much better since we started the insulin and treated his UTI.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE, his neuropathy in his back legs seems to be improving a bit on its own even though his numbers are still high. He got up on the couch for the first time yesterday in a long time! Since the neuropathy started, he hasn't been able to get up to his favorite spot because once his back legs hit the squishy cushions, they would immediately give out. He also isn't stumbling down the stairs, much, if at all and doesn't seem to get as tired or need to take breaks as much (from walking) when he goes outside.
Any information or feedback would be appreciated!
Thanks!
I am a member of the K9Diabetes forum but thought I would pop over here and get some insight from this side of the fence :)
My dog was diagnosed with diabetes and "possible" Cushings a month or two ago. Since then we have been treating him with humulin N then Novolin N insulin ...moving from 11 units to 22 units. His glucose numbers are still in the mid 400- mid 500 range on average. He has shown MINOR improvement as in the beginning, we saw more 600+'s and hardly and 400's, but he's not improving very much. He weighs about 90-95lbs...and has lost some weight since all this started. He also had a UTI when he was originally diagnosed, which has since been treated and has resolved.
Update:
Sam is now up to 22units. We have been Increasing him a bit faster since his numbers just aren't going down very fast. I do his curves at home and can watch him pretty close, so I think the vet is becoming more co for table with moving a bit faster.
Unfortunately, although we are not seeing anymore 600's and are seeing far more 400's than we were in the beginning, we are still no where near normal.
I think the vet is now leaning toward testing him for Cushing's. There was always a thought that he may have it because he had an Alk. Phos. Of 1096 when we did his blood work. His ALT-252,lipase-783 , chloride- 101, sodium-141 and NA/K Ratio-26. All other labs (other than glucose) were normal. Some of those labs were likely abnormal due to his UTI. We decided to try to treat the diabetes first to see what happened but just aren't getting much results.
She wants to do the Low Dose Dexamethasone Supression test. I'm still worried about false results, but I think it is more likely to get. False negative than a false positive. I also do t want to NOT test him, if that is the issue, because it may help get things under control. There is always the slim chance that the underlying problem is the Cushings and once that is treated, the diabetes may not be so much of an issue.
I guess I'm interested in feedback. For those who have dogs with both diagnoses, what was your experience with this test if you had it. I'm a little worried about him not having insulin while they do the test since his numbers are already so high. I think they said I need to skip his insulin the night before and the morning of the test and not feed him in the morning. I will talk tow the vet again tomorrow to confirm details and see if we are going to move forward with the test or if we are going to try to do another dose increase of two.
He really doesn't have any clinical signs of Cushings. He does have rare episodes of weird panting and did have polydipsia but that has gotten much better since we started the insulin and treated his UTI.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE, his neuropathy in his back legs seems to be improving a bit on its own even though his numbers are still high. He got up on the couch for the first time yesterday in a long time! Since the neuropathy started, he hasn't been able to get up to his favorite spot because once his back legs hit the squishy cushions, they would immediately give out. He also isn't stumbling down the stairs, much, if at all and doesn't seem to get as tired or need to take breaks as much (from walking) when he goes outside.
Any information or feedback would be appreciated!
Thanks!