Celebrating Milestones
Having a diabetic dog is a lot of work, from insulin injections to food to testing to learning how to manage this disease. There is a lot to learn! Today I want to talk about celebrating milestones, no matter the size! So grab a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage and let’s get to it!
After Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and severe pancreatitis the first thing I celebrated was her healing from pancreatitis; it was a very scary time and I was worried she wasn't going to make it, but she did and thankfully she healed quickly. It was a quiet celebration and just a little one, but we conquered the illness like bosses.
Lucy's diabetes was a tough one for me, as the months went on she continued to lose weight and I could not get blood glucose levels stable. Curves run at home were inconsistent, even though she was always a bowl curve, readings never matched. So I switched her from Vetsulin to Novolin N and a month into the switch I saw an enormous difference in blood glucose readings. Finally blood glucose levels were stable and consistent. Another celebration! And this celebration was also a huge weight lifted, I finally felt like I was accomplishing my goal, better diabetes management.
Once I got blood glucose levels stabilized I worked on food because she was so thin. She was on prescription food for diabetic dogs that is high in fiber, and high fiber was not a friend to a dog that was lean to begin with. This was an incredibly stressful time for me because even though she started gaining weight blood glucose was all over the place. I transitioned Lucy's food over a prolonged period, three weeks. At one point, 2.5 weeks into the transition her BG skyrocketed, and I thought I made a terrible mistake. The next day, BOOM! Blood glucose levels were back to normal. This trend continued until I could exhale and claim another milestone! This celebration was loud and proud!
When Lucy hit her one-year Sugarversary she was extremely healthy and happy, I yelled it from the rooftops... We were kicking DM's butt!
Early into Lucy's diagnosis I was told that the median lifespan of dogs with diabetes was two years. I was determined to beat this dismal statistic, so when we successfully got to year two of Lucy's Sugarversary I cried with happiness... She was healthy, she was happy and playing. Lucy was her pre-diabetes self!
Lucy was diabetic for 4.5 years, years three and four into diabetes anniversary there was huge celebration, I posted in our Facebook group Diabetic Dog Owners, made special treats and patted myself on the back. She beat the median life span of a diabetic dog and was doing well! Of course by the fourth year she was slowing down, but that was due to age, she was 15 years old at the time.
Celebrate these milestones, no matter the size! Share these milestones because managing canine diabetes can be tough and YOU are the one doing all the work to ensure your dog is living its best life possible. In fact, you should take a huge bow because YOU DID IT!
Until next week, stay cool and caffeinated!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
If you are looking for a Facebook community to join for support, I have proudly been an admin in Diabetic Dog Owners for almost five years. You can also join Canine Diabetes Support and Information on Facebook as well.
Be sure to join the PetTest family on Facebook and Instagram. PetTest has fun, interactive posts AND they have fabulous giveaways every week!
Do you need a blood glucose meter kit for your diabetes arsenal? Click here to purchase one today!
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