The Importance of Home Testing

WHY DO WE PROMOTE TESTING AT HOME?

Because it is one of the best defenses we have against diabetes, besides insulin therapy!

AAHA recommends testing of blood glucose levels, ketones, and glucose in 

urine on a consistent basis. They recommend these things so that our dogs can live long, healthy lives. The median survival rate of diabetic dogs is approximately two years, but with the proper tools, they can live much longer because we can keep tight control of the BG.­

I tested Lucy faithfully for four and a half years, and one of the reasons that she did so well was specifically due to me testing her daily. I knew the following by testing her BG:

• Testing blood glucose levels give me a clear window into how insulin and food are working.­
• I knew she was getting the appropriate dose of insulin.
• I knew if something was off and I needed to take her to the vet’s office for further testing.
• I was able to treat for hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia because I knew how to  test.­

I tested for ketones on a regular basis and tested for them more often when her blood glucose levels were higher than normal. By testing for ketones in the urine I knew if BG was uncontrolled and causing ketone build up. Ketones are an acid the body produces by using stored fats instead of using glucose. Ketones are a toxin that builds up and causes diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and potentially deadly illness.

Glucose urine testing is recommended because we want to see a trace to small amount of glucose in the urine. No glucose in the urine means that our diabetic dog is in a state of hypoglycemia.

Adding these testing methods may seem a bit daunting, but once you get in the habit of testing, it takes only a couple minutes each day, and it gives you piece of mind that your diabetic dog is running like a well oiled machine!

If you are looking for a glucose meter kit, please get the PetTest meter kit, it has everything you need to start testing blood glucose levels. Here is the link for quick reference: https://shoppettest.com/pettest-meter-kit/.

Want to take the PetTest Meter Kit a step further to make testing painless? Purchase the PetTest Painless Glucose Monitoring System, you get the PetTest Meter Kit and the PetTest Genteel Lancing Device. The PetTest Lancing Device has helped many members in our Facebook group get a blood sample! https://shoppettest.com/pettest-meter-kit-with-genteel/.

And finally, PetTest offers a combination urine test strip, the PetTest Ketone Glucose Urinalysis Reagent Strips for Pets, https://shoppettest.com/ketone-strips-for-pets/.

If you are looking for a community to join for support, Diabetic Dog Owners and Canine Diabetes Support and Information can be found on Facebook as well.

For more conversations, photos, and giveaways check out PetTes t on Facebook and Instagram.