Perspective and Your Diabetic Dog
I want to thank Christy for the topic that we are discussing today. It is really important that we keep perspective now that we have a Diabetic Dog. What do I mean? Think back to the time before your pup was diagnosed. Did you freak out every time he/she was having an “off” day? I would guess that the answer is probably not. Our pups, like us, feel differently on different days. I wish that I could say that I pop out of bed every morning just thrilled to greet each day with excitement and vitality. Ummmmmmm… not so much, especially now that I’m a “woman of a certain age”. To expect any different from your pup is unrealistic and actually unfair.
Canine Diabetes is a dynamic disease. What do I mean by that? I mean that it is a moving target, it is ever changing. We don’t call it “Diabeasties” for nothing! There are so many factors that can affect a day’s numbers so trying to micromanage it is an exercise in futility and will take a toll on your sanity! If you are being consistent with testing, meals and injections then you are already ahead of the pack when it comes to treating this disease properly. Consistency is key, without it, you are creating more problems for yourself than you have to.
We all got hung up on the term “regulated” when first diagnosed. I will suggest that you re-frame that in your mind to use “in range” as your target. We aim to have our pups be in a safe range (150-250) more often than not. More often than not is the operative part of that phrase. Stressing yourself into thinking that you can actually have perfect numbers every single day is expecting too much from yourself and from your pup. It just isn’t possible unless you live in a plastic bubble and even then, I’d imagine that your numbers wouldn’t be perfect. There are just too many factors that can influence BG (Blood Glucose), most of which you have absolutely NO control over.
Let’s also keep in mind that the bond between you and your “Sugar Baby” has now gotten even stronger than it was before diagnosis, if you don’t believe me, ask your other pets. I have told the story that I had to put my non-diabetic pup up on the table to get his pretend routine done just like his brother did so he didn’t feel left out of the process! My point here is that your bond has grown stronger and with that comes the fact that your pup is taking some of his/her emotional cues from you so if you are stressed, so will your pup be. We have talked numerous times about stress affecting BG (Blood Glucose) numbers. Keeping that in mind, please try not to let your pup become a stressor as he/she feels your stress and worries about you just like you worry about them!
I’ll never forget the day that I was getting frustrated because I just couldn’t get numbers to come into range quickly enough (for me) and after a test, I was holding on to my composure by a thread, Max looked up at me as if to say, “I’m sorry Mama”. It broke my heart that he was feeling badly that he was the cause of my angst. From that day forward, we did our routine and if the number on the meter wasn’t perfect, I just said, “Oh well” and moved on with our day. That is not to say that I didn’t try everything in my power to get him into a safe range and keep him there. The point is that we were doing the best that we could and my attitude of seeking perfection was not working in my favor, it was absolutely becoming a detriment. I had made my sweet Max “the disease” instead of my sweet Max.
I read all that I could read, researched as much as I possibly could; I asked as many questions as I had to ask until the answer made sense to me. I practiced what I am preaching in these blogs, I used prevention in every area that I could, many that I have blogged about thus far with still more to come. By now, I hope that you have read some or most of these blog entries, (this is number 27) and are gaining a good grasp on the basics of this diagnosis. Now in future blog posts, we will begin talking about nuances and tweaks that can be done to manage this disease just a little better.
The moral of this post is that every high number doesn’t require action on your part. If you start to see a pattern emerge, then by all means don’t ignore it, ask questions, get help from your vet or better yet, those that live with this disease 24/7, they are your most valuable resource. Do your best to remember that your “Sugar baby” is still your beloved pup and not the disease. You are not alone, there are tens of thousands of us that have lived with and are living with this diagnosis every day. I am a perfectionist and this disease taught me patience which I will admit has never been my strong suit. Your pup can live a long and happy life as a Diabetic, so embrace each day and learn to say, “Oh well” when it isn’t a perfect one.
If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at NancyForPetTest@pharmasupply.com. As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
Until next time…