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​Sheltering in Place With Your Diabetic Dog

Posted by Nancy For PetTest, AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator on Mar 24th 2020

​Sheltering in Place With Your Diabetic Dog

Sheltering in Place With Your Diabetic Dog

Here we are in uncharted territory and a pretty scary time. I’m sure like most all of you, I’ve read that this virus can’t be transmitted by our pets. Well, that’s a relief!! Now our goal is to keep ourselves healthy so that our pups can be safe and well cared for.

I don’t have any special insight into the virus, but I do have some insights on how to take care of yourself during this time. I know that stress and fear are running high with so many unanswered questions surrounding this outbreak, so the best thing that we can do is to manage our emotions as best we can.

For those of you that have been stressed because you have been working outside the home, you may be instructed to shelter in place so you will not have to leave your pup alone. While that can trigger other stressors, at least you’re home with your pup. Try to enjoy that time as it will be temporary. Maybe an extended temporary, but temporary nonetheless.

Maybe use that time to inventory supplies, portion out meals, or better yet, just enjoy your pup! This may be a good time to get some more time outside walking or playing fetch. If you are increasing exercise, remember to test before and again after the activity so that you know how that activity will affect BG (Blood Glucose).

I know that with this virus being in our society, there are many factors that can/will affect us. Do your best not to worry about things that are beyond your control. As we have discussed before, your stress and anxiety can affect your pup. Most “sugar babies” pick up on our moods and their numbers are affected. In general, stress will increase BG (Blood Glucose) numbers. There are some pups that will drop lower when they are excited or stressed. Now may be a good time to track these changes in your pup.

Now let’s talk about contingencies… Not something that any of us wants to even think about, but being prepared will give you peace of mind. When I had my boys, I had a life insurance policy with them as the beneficiaries. I also made sure that I had someone lined up to take care of them if something happened to me. I have since found out that you can do some research and find a rescue that will take your pup if something happens to you. This isn’t just a coronavirus thing, it’s a fact of life thing. Start asking and preparing now for the future. I know that it is not easy to think about trusting another person with your baby (or babies), but finding someone that you like and trust is a whole lot better than leaving their fate to a relative or shelter.

Let’s keep in mind that this whole situation will pass at some point, will it change our society? Likely so, but that may not be an all together bad thing. Until we understand more about this virus, let’s focus on what we can control and try to let the things that we can’t control go. Remember to breathe…. It will help.

You’ll notice that for most of the products or groups that I mention, the text is linked to a website that you can purchase that item or a link to join the group mentioned. Just click on the colored text (red or blue, depending what device you are on) and it should take you right to the item or group. 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 Tuesday.

Until next time…