Asking again…anyone with professional or personal experience with canine diabetes?
He is my mothers dog and is around 10 yrs old. He is at ideal weight if not maybe a little under. He gets an insulin injection twice a day. He is currently eating Purina Veterinary Diets – DCO…. First ingredient (with out a doubt) CORN!!!! I am trying to find the little buddy i grew up with a holistic substitute. I am highly against any prescription food and suggesting it is a waste of time i dont care who makes it. She also cannot use a raw diet i dont need anyone to suggest that either. ALL i am looking for is ANY brand of premium dry kibble that someone has had experience with. I got one good answer earlier and that was Timberwolf- Ocean Blue from a dog same age, same size. That is all i have to work with. I am just asking the question again in hopes that someone who was not signed on earlier when i asked could help.
Evo is good, Merrick is good, Wellness is good, Newman’s Own, Castor & Pollux, Solid Gold, Pinnacle, etc.
Go to OnlyNaturalPet.com. They have an incredible selection. Also go to your local, mom and pop pet supplies store and ask them. There are so many good quality foods but the small shops can only carry a few.
I have a diabetic dog and I’ve given him Merrick, Newman’s own, Wellness, and Solid Gold, they are all good (he is currently on a raw diet – sorry).
I would add a dollop of canned pumpkin to your dog’s food. Diabetic dogs do best on a high fiber diet and Pumpkin is one of the best sources of fiber. You can also get good fiber from sweet potatos. Be careful of the dried sweet potato chewies such as the Bichon Fries. Because they are dried, it takes a little longer for the dog to digest and can throw off their glucose.
There are a bunch of treats that are OK. Evo makes one that is all meat. Newman’ Own is good as are Wellness Solid Tiny Treats. There is also a few treats out there made with Sweet Potato flour, but I forget the names. There are a lot of products out there, but a lot of the products seem regional.
Do you check your dogs glucose level? I check mine from time to time. If it’s OK, then I won’t check for a while. If it’s off, I keep checking as I adjust his insulin and get his glucose back to normal. I know you’re not asking, but the way I draw blood is by cutting his nail to the quick. In my experience, it’s the best place to draw blood, but you’ll need to stop the bleeding with styptic powder. They don’t like it, but it only hurts for a second. The good thing about the dog being older is that he probably isn’t going to do anything physical to throw off his glucose levels.
I know it’s you mom’s dog, but it really doesn’t matter what you feed it if it’s glucose isn’t under control. we use a standard Accucheck glucometer. It’s a little tricky at first but it’s not too bad, but it does take 2 people – one to hold the dog the other to draw blood.
If you change his food, it will throw his glocuse off and you’ll need to check it. One last thing, don’t be afraid of the dog’s glucose levels going too low (heading towards insulin shock). I freaked the first time it happened, but it’s no big deal. when the dog starts stumbling and acting drunk (it’s actually very funny and the dog seems to enjoy it) you just give it a little Karo syrup.
East End Veterinary Canine Physical Rehab; Dena UWTM Session#8 OCt 22nd
