Most of my experience is with feline diabetes, but some things are similar.
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Originally Posted by goldengal
We took him to the vet and he suspects he has diabetes.
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Did the vet do a fructosamine test to confirm the diabetes?
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Originally Posted by goldengal
He put him on glyburide .5mg per day (1/2 a pill twice a day) and last night he was so lethargic he scared me and I gave him 1 teaspoon of corn syrup.
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Oral hypoglycemics tend not to be very effective at treating diabetes in animals and can actually cause liver damage, as well as exhausting an already overworked pancreas.
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Originally Posted by goldengal
it turned out to be possible allergies but he was on antibiotics for over 2 months
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Do you know if steroids were ever used to treat the allergies? These can sometimes result in temporary or even permanent diabetes in some animals.
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Originally Posted by goldengal
Before we put him on insulin, I want to make sure he really has diabetes cause I am not too crazy about putting more crap in his little body.
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A fructosamine test is the best way to determine if the dog has diabetes mellitus. There are other causes of PU/PD and weight loss, so it's definitely a good idea to figure out what's going on before starting insulin. However, if he really does have diabetes, then insulin is what he needs, and the sooner the better.
And about insulin choices, does your friend know which one the vet is thinking of using? I ask because Caninsulin/Vetsulin, while not technically withdrawn from the market, has some major consistency issues and would not be a good choice to start out on.
Some links worth reading:
http://www.k9diabetes.com/
http://doggydiabetes.com/treatment.htm
http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
Also, Brenda (aka
the gang) has a diabetic minpin, and
danam314's dog, Koda, has diabetes, although I'm not sure when she was last on the board. Here is one of her threads on the subject:
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....iabetes+canine