Rapidly Decreasing Insulin Dose

[Hubcitypam]

When Poodle was diagnosed with diabetes almost 3 years ago he was on 17 units, then 16, then 14. Late this summer they reduced it down to 12 units, then 10. There was a weight loss of a pound or two (from 30) and a food chage which might have contributed, but that much???

 

He's been on 10 units about 3 months and has been coming back around 120 or so and at same weight. While I was there today with Buddy his glucose was 49. They gave him some Nutracal (sp?) and said to take it down to 8 units and we'll see.

 

Is he going to eventually work himself out of this? I didn't think diabetes was reversable.

[Busderpuddle]

I don't know anything about diabetes in dogs but my mom was able to stop all of her diabetes meds when she lost a small amount of weight and completely changed her diet. Her doctor even took the diagnosis off her chart after 2 years.

[retread]

I had a diabetic cat and could never get his insulin dosage regulated on dry cat food. His glucose levels went from 250 to 50 and back to 250.

I finally decided to try canned cat food and bought a supply of 9 lives. His levels went to 95-115 with no insulin. It was evidently the carbohydrate amount in the dry food.

He lived 6 years on canned food without insulin and died of liver/kidney failure at 17.

Food can make a difference.

 

 

ps. I have a One Touch Ultra blood glucose meter if anybody needs one. Works good but needs a battery.

Edited December 6, 2012 by retread

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

It depends on the type of diabetes. People and cats have much more a possibility to be regulated with diet, exercise etc than dogs. Most dogs have the type that will need insulin for life. Insulin needs do shift, I have no idea why and the vet doesn't always seem to have a good explanation either sometimes. Did you or they do a full curve?

[Hubcitypam]

Did you or they do a full curve?

No we have not done a full curve, just checks 6 hours after his last shot. Wondering after staying fairly the same at 16 and 17 units for 2.5 years it suddenly takes big nosedive and cuts in half in 4 months. Speculation when he was diagnosed was that the diabetes might have been caused or compounded by very severe pancreatitis. Can the pancreas heal itself to a degree?

 

I should have asked the vet today but we were talking mostly about Buddy. I will ask when I e-mail him on how Buddy is doing in a few days.

[Remolacha]

I think the pancreatitis could have an effect. I had a cat that developed diabetes after having pancreatitis. Once the pancreatitis was cured, it took about 6 months and she was off the insulin. That was the first time I ever heard of such a thing! But, that was a cat, your Dr should be able to say if the same holds true for dogs.

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

Did you or they do a full curve?

No we have not done a full curve, just checks 6 hours after his last shot. Wondering after staying fairly the same at 16 and 17 units for 2.5 years it suddenly takes big nosedive and cuts in half in 4 months. Speculation when he was diagnosed was that the diabetes might have been caused or compounded by very severe pancreatitis. Can the pancreas heal itself to a degree?

 

I should have asked the vet today but we were talking mostly about Buddy. I will ask when I e-mail him on how Buddy is doing in a few days.

 

I don't know. I asked my vet if she thought that Daisy would ever be able to get off of insulin and she told me it's very rare for dogs to ever get off of insulin. Let me know what your vet says, I would be interested. Daisy had a bout of pancreatitis as well followed by diabetes. She was on 8 units, went down to 2 and now she is on 4 units.