How Long 'til "Regulation" in Your Diabetic Dog
Today we talk about the question that everybody wants to ask, but rarely do. There is no specific timeframe for “regulation”. First of all, let’s get rid of that term, regulation. Those of us in the Canine Diabetes community prefer “in range”. It’s a much softer, more accurate term. That’s the easy part of the answer; the real answer is that there is no concrete timeframe to answer the question. And to add to it, no two dogs are alike so the answer is likely different for everyone. For me it took forever because as I have shared, my Max was in rebound (Somogyi) twice along the way. Let’s manage your expectations…
Let’s identify our target first. Many people believe that trying to run a Diabetic dog in a non-diabetic range which is 70-140 is the appropriate target. I loudly disagree with that target. In “my” community we shoot for the safer range of 150-250. I have addressed why this is a good idea in prior blog posts and you can find one of them here:
https://shoppettest.com/blog/what-is-a-good-range-for-my-diabetic-dog/
Now that we are clear on what we are “shooting” at and why, if you absorb nothing else from this post but this next sentence, I’ll be happy. TAKE YOUR TIME! There is no prize for getting “in range” the fastest. What is most important is that you get there safely. Safety is the most important part of this equation. When you are trying to bring numbers into range, the temptation is to get there quickly. Resist this temptation. Slow and steady wins this race on all levels.
For large dogs, we increase in 1 unit increments until you get close to “in range”, then fine tune with ½ unit increments until you get close. The half units will fine tune. For small dogs, we increase in ½ unit increments the whole way. One full unit of insulin should lower your numbers by about 100 points while ½ a unit will lower numbers by about 50 points. Using caution here is important as I have seen dogs hit a plateau and then that last ½ unit increase will “snap” them right into range.
This disease is an exercise in patience. Increasing insulin too fast or in too high of increments will likely set you up to miss your perfect dose. Refer back to this blog post.
https://shoppettest.com/blog/oops-i-went-too-fast-with-my-diabetic-dog/
Just like so many things with this disease, it takes however long it takes to bring your pup in range. No two dogs are the same and what works for one won’t work for all so taking your time and doing this right will pay big dividends in the end.
When we are seeing readings in the 300 – 400 range for what seems like a long time, we get used to that. Then when that meter reads in the 200s the first time a little bit of panic ensues. It’s one of those “be careful what you wish for” scenarios. Going slowly acclimates your pup and you so that when you finally hit the 150-250 range, you are both ready and it is truly cause for celebration!
Hang in there, you will get there.
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Until next time…