[Gina D]

I have an 11 year pit/boxer mix named Kia. Before I list all her health problems, please don’t assume I should put her down; she is happy, plays ball, chases the cats and is obviously still enjoying life. The second she seems sick(er) I will put her down.

She has Cushing’s Disease, she was diagnosed probably about 4 years ago. She has been on trilostane and is doing fantastic. Her tests always come back normal for what she has health wise.

She was diagnosed with Diabetes about 2 years ago. We switched her food to Science Diet WD, a low protein diet. I took her sugar and gave her insulin twice a day.

About 3 months ago she was diagnosed with cancer, either a fibrosarcoma or osteosarcoma. From all the research I did, I decided the surgery would be too hard on her, especially with the type of surgery.

Okay, so now that you know most of her history, my vet wants to change her diet. I think her thinking is let’s treat what is (probably) bothering her most and to get some weight on her, rather than give her the low fat stuff.

My problem is finding food for her. I have always given her dry, vet wants to change to wet. Prescription diet makes nd for cancer,but it is $3 a can. I have no problem mixing it with something, but for a 75lb dog, it is just too pricey.

Vet said high protein, high fat, low carbs wet food. I think I may have to mix a good dry in because of $$$. Vet also suggested puppy food but it high in carbs. I am really frustrated trying to find a happy medium of nutrition and a high/medium quality wet/dry food.

Sorry for the book. You all know how our 4 legged friends are family! Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

[Jon h]

Hi everyone,

So I’ve lurked here for a while now collecting information regarding nutrition and have come across an interesting topic. I became interested in natural allergy remedies as it seems our Australian cattle dog has some itchy skin problems the vet believes is related to allergies from the environment.

Now before we get on to the topic of honey I would prefer that this be a FACT based discussion not a personal opinion, anecdotal evidence type discussion. Unfortunately as humans we are able to make extremely irrational and unfounded correlations especially when we don’t understand something or want something to be true (ie we desperately want a natural remedy to be as effective or more effective than a pharmaceutical remedy). This has no place in the canine nutritional world (or human) as toying with an animals nutrition based on weak non-scientific beliefs is in my opinion horribly ignorant and in some cases an unethical thing to do. So please keep responses scientific in nature and cite articles if you can (petmd, blog posts and natural canine health daily articles type sources with no references don’t count as scientific!)

The theory behind the honey supplementation seems to be this: Local honey supposedly contains local allergens and supplementing with it acts similar to a vaccine by exposing the animal to low levels of an allergen and helping to develop an immune response to the allergen.

Now this sounds all fine and dandy in theory and certainty a naive layman will take this as face value and argue this as being fact (i’m am trying to be an informed layman!). But does this actually have any scientific value? That is what I want to find out.

I have read several claims that in fact there is no scientific basis for this. The argument is that bees do not extract pollen from the common plant sources of airborne pollen which cause the allergic reactions in our dogs. They of course get pollen from flowers and a few other sources, they do not collect pollen from say pine trees or most grasses. Any contamination during transport or in the nest from the common local allergens is said to be negligible and will not help build an immunity.
example of a study on humans:
http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206%2810%2961996-5/abstract

There is also a Finnish study on humans which took 3 groups, one group as a control, one supplemented with regular honey and one supplemented with a honey that had birch pollen added to it. The Ones taking the honey with birch pollen saw improvements and had to use less antihistamines to control their symptoms while the ones supplementing with regular honey saw no difference.
abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21196761

Now my problem is that I see honey toted continuously on natural canine remedy sites. However I do not see a signal study either in humans or canines showing any truth to the theory. Any evidence is extremely weak correlation evidence with no control or consideration for other variables. All actual scientific studies of this theory i’ve personally come across show that their so no truth to this theory. So is this just a myth?

The second problem I see that REALLY concerns me is there are huge ranges of supplementation dosages. Some references say to feed your dog 1/4 teaspoon per week while other such as the lady in the non-scholarly article below say two tablespoons per day for larger dogs (in her case her lab and staffordshire terrier). Now that is extremely worrisome to me as there are 17 grams of sugar per table spoon of honey. if I am to assume her dogs weigh approximately 80 pounds (upper end of pure lab retrievers and beyond the upper limit of staffordshire terriers) then I estimate their daily requirement of calories (using online calculator) to be 1630. If there are 64 calories per tablespoon of honey (google) this would mean they are getting 7.9% of their daily intake of calories straight from simple sugars. Comparing this to my daily intake of ~2300 cals (because from my understanding canines metabolize simple sugars similar to the way humans do) this computes (if i’ve done my math right) to 48 grams of straight simple sugars a day for me. This is over my targets for the day even making the assumption that my other foods have zero sugars in them…. Now assuming that the dog is already getting sugars from their regular food source you are probably doubling their recommended sugar intake per day. This doesn’t seem right to me at all as a human consistently doubling their recommended sugar intake daily would be a good candidate for type 2 diabetes. So why are people recommending this to do to our dogs?

Michele Crouse interviewed about honey supplementation (under “honey for dogs” section)
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html

I’m hoping this sparks some interesting conversation. As you can probably tell I am somewhat against this theory. Mostly because I have yet to see a shred of scientific evidence for it and I don’t personally like adding or subtracting things from my dogs diet based on personal opinions and weak, unfounded theories. I’d be interested to see if there is actually research supporting this idea.

Is there any truth to this theory? or are people just pumping their dogs full of sugar and added calories?

[theBCnut]

Now, I’m going to say something that sounds like the opposite of what others are telling you, but bear with me. NONE of those things caused the seizures. Epilepsy, diabetes, renal and/or liver failure, brain tumors, poisoning, these types of things cause seizures. Those other things only trigger seizures, but the underlying problem is already there.

Your dog need to be checked out to make sure the seizures are from epilepsy, because any other cause left untreated can kill your dog. If it is determined to be epilepsy, then chemical exposure, stress, and a number of other things can trigger the seizures. So as was mentioned, getting him off flea meds, heartworm meds, clearing out cleaning chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, scented candles, air freshners, etc. can reduce or even eliminate the seizures, so it’s important to do as much of that sort of thing as possible, especially early on when you can see if it is making a difference. Cleaning up the diet is really important too. Go natural as much as possible.

[Naturella]

Hey, guys! So, I am dog-sitting the dog that belongs to the family for whom I also babysit. Her name is Snowy, a shitzu-Maltese looking mix, maybe Lhasa Apso mix, don’t know, but it is one of those fluffy ones. She is adorable, incredibly submissive to humans, but likes her personal space when it comes to dogs. She is okay with Bruno as she is around his size (if she were a bit fitter, she would probably weigh as much as him) and has met him before, but I was worried that my roommate’s dog would eat her, lol… They had met once before but both were leashed and Snowy doesn’t like having her butt sniffed, so she growled at Casey and Casey growled back and Casey being around 60lbs I was worried that they wouldn’t get along. But, I brought her in, and they were both free (unleashed), with me and Casey’s alpha (my roommate) around and after the initial sniffing and slight fussing they were fine around each other. Casey is now in her room (my roommate’s room), and Snowy and Bruno are hanging out between my room and my bathroom. Bruno is being a tad of a bully and every time Snowy lays down on her bed that I brought from their house, he goes over there and tries to rub his smell on it, thus pushing her out, lol. She acts like a grumpy old lady (albeit only 4 years old) and fusses and leaves.

Now, I am so excited because I have permission to bathe Snowy tomorrow and I can’t wait to because she’s a tad smelly and also because I can condition her hair with my blend of oils and she will be soft, shiny, and smell good! I will also wash her bed tomorrow so it matches her cleanliness.

I have a question though – I have been in charge of her menu (foods) and feeding so far, but today one of the daughters had put a ton of food in Snowy’s bowl, and like a good piggy, Snowy ate it all! She ate at least a day and a half’s worth of food! I am really thinking about a giving her a fast day tomorrow, with a small breakfast just because I will be feeding Bruno sardines (Saturday is Sardines day!) and I want to split the can between them. I was going to give her just 1/4 cup of kibble and the 1/2 can of sardines and call it a day for her. Do you all think that would be okay? I would do that to Bruno if he overate one day.

Also, Snowy’s owners said that recently she had begun drinking a lot more water. And she does drink a lot! Doesn’t seem to have trouble holing it in (no excessive urination that I can tell), but is drinking a lot of water not a sign of diabetes? Should her owners be concerned if she’s not also excessively urinating? Or, is she just trying to stay well-hydrated even though I have been trying to feed her “soups” (kibble with water and coconut oil) for dinner every workday (M-F) for a couple of weeks now. The owner said the water drinking started before I switched her over to good food though. Before she was on Kibbles ‘N’ Bits, Beneful, Pedigree, and the like. Now she’s been on Dogswell LiveFree, Wysong Nurture with Quail (now), and I plan to put her on Earthborn next and I am so excited! I will try to get 4 Earthborns on sale and alternate them with some Pure Balance and Victor or whatever other deals I can find, lol. I want to get this pup to be healthy!

I also don’t know if they use any preventative as far as heartworm and other parasites go. She does get her rabies shot every 3 years. They don’t use anything against fleas and she used to have them bad in the summer. Oh, and remember how I said I thought her bumps were gone? Yeah, no, they’re still there, I found them again, and they are pretty hard and don’t move around. Each is on each of her sides, at the end of her ribcage. I wonder what they may be…

[Michael H]

Hi everyone!

We have 2 dogs:

Bernie, 9y M allergic-to-life Basset Hound
Zuli, 3y F Lab Mix

and our cat:
Sophie, 8y F Mackeral Tabby, borderline diabetic

Due to both Bernie and Sophie’s above issues, it seems like my best option at this point would be to try raw feeding. The dogs both enjoy the occasional chicken wing or turkey neck, but I have not yet tried feeding it as a whole diet. The cat, who was originally an outdoor stray who did hunt for her sustenance, does accept things like turkey and pepperoni, but for most of her life has been on dry food…which is probably why she had the October diagnosis for diabetes. She is near impossible to catch (the yearly vet visit can take us anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to capture her-we’ve blocked off hiding spaces as we find them over the years, though once she actually broke INTO the wall to hide) and has a lack of scruff, and at this point I’m really fearing the ability to be able to administer insulin consistently. So, it seems that a diet change may be my only help with this. For Bernie, I can control what goes into the food, and avoid his allergens altogether.

I work from home, so cooking and preparing isn’t a big deal. I handle raw meat for my own consumption so that doesn’t bother me, and I’m very versed in the realm of preventing cross contamination.

My access to pastured/organic items is limited to either very far drives or possible home delivery (have to order a LOT at a time to make the shipping be affordable). For the delivery [ReelRaw] they do have a lot of variety, which is nice, but seems the most expensive option that I’ve come across ($300/mo for all pets, around 50lb of items, still cheaper than whole foods). I do have a butcher shop somewhat nearby, but the only organs they carry or process is beef heart, and the variety of RMB’s I can get aren’t much, as well as they do not carry any pastured/organic meats.

Upon my research, I’m finding a lot of conflicting information. It seems that on one side everyone is pro supplements to add to the meals, which I’m hesitant to do so, as I’m of the perspective to not take any synthetic or multivitamins myself since I feel I’m literally peeing the money away, and rather get what I need from whole foods. I know dogs cant digest fruit/veg well, as anytime I’ve given a piece I find it the next day pretty much intact in their waste. We do own a masticating juicer, so that is an option. I’ve come across some freeze dried foods (Big Dog Natural) that say they ferment the veg to make them bioavailable, which is interesting, though I’m unsure if it’s still too high-carb for Bernie. It could all be a bunch of hogwash as well. I do agree with adding omega 3/sardines at meal time, as I feel that the fats are too delicate for any processing procedure.

Then there’s all the premixes available with vitamins, minerals, kale, sweet potatoes, etc. (Urban Wolf, THK, SSLL Dinner Mix). It’s hard to find a premix without one of Bernie’s proposed allergens in it, and to be honest I’d rather keep the carb count for him down as much as possible, as Bassets are already yeast factories, and Sophie needs as little carb as possible-I don’t think I’ve come across mixes for cats anyways. What dog eats kale in the wild anyways? I have a hard time getting it down myself…lol.

On the other side, I’ve come across a few companies that don’t use added vitamins/minerals (Answers, ReelRaw), stating it’s complete/balanced as is, or with Answers, their own products they (conveniently) suggest to add, which is goat’s milk yogurt, or buy their combination product with veg, clay, cultured things, etc. Bernie is borderline allergic to cow dairy, so I’m unsure if he can even have that anyways. I’ve tried kefir with him before, but the yeast didn’t get any better, and would occasionally have putrid gas as well.

Bernie is currently on Orijen, which he does seem more energetic and less itchy, however the gas has been atrocious, and even though he’s not been really red and itchy on it, still is having a yeast issue (underarms, ears, back of legs). This is a dog that sleeps 14 hours a day on those areas, so not much air is circulating. The gas has gotten better by feeding him less of it, but it can still clear a room. I think it’s due to the lentils/chickpeas-while he’s not allergic to them, doesn’t mean he can digest them well.

So to end my novella for how, I’ll boil it down to some questions:

-Do you feel that the supplements are needed if I use the cheaper conventional meat from the butcher? Or would possibly they be getting enough if I splurge for the pastured meats/organs/rmb? It’s doubtful I can afford both the pastured and supplements.

-Do you feel premixes are worth it, and would make the conventional meat balanced? (again, may not be able to do both pastured + mixes)

-How important do you feel variety in meats is? If I shop locally, I only really have access to beef, chicken, and pork, which I myself am even tired of, haha. Most any recreational or RMB’s I can find in the area are meant for soups and have very little meat left on them. With delivery I can get many more options, but I pay out the wazoo for it.

-Would maybe just doing the freeze dried route be the best idea? Between the issues above and our cat, I’m also leaning towards this route. I’ve also heard that cats don’t dig cool meat very much, and as its the winter now I don’t want Sophie to lose any weight form refusing food. The 2 dogs will eat anything so I’m not worried there. I know I have to avoid giving Sophie all ground meat due to taurine loss. My wife also would rather rip off her eyebrows than touch raw meat, so if it comes a time when I cannot feed them, I’d have to have an alternative on hand anyways.

Thanks for any input!

[jakes mom]

Kellye, I haven’t gone through quite as much as you have with Duffy but I’ve had my share of pet issues! Cats with urinary tract issues, dog with diabetes, another dog with hypothyroid and seizure disorder, a dog with heart disease, cat with hyperthyroidism…a few years ago I was juggling 11 meds between 3 pets. It was pretty much get out of bed, feed and give meds, go to work, come straight home, feed and give meds! What we do for our furry kids, huh? Glad to hear things seem to be improving, he’s adorable.

[Susan]

Hi Jakes mom, the only thing I can think of is to hide the insulin pen in the middle of ur palm going up ur palm & act normal then when he’s looking else where or chewing on a toy or sleeping, calmly pat him, then just do it very quickly so he just feels a little pick, then quickly hide the insulin pen & act as if nothing has just happened, dont make a big deal when its time for his injection… My daughter just had a baby & she had diabetes the last 2months of her pregnency & she too didn’t want the injection & choose the tablets first but they weren’t working, so doctor said she’ll have to use injection pen & she was surprised, she said she didnt really fell the prick, these new insulin pens are different to the olden days….some dogs make a big fuss, like my rescue boy if he see the nail clipers he runs, hides, snaps at me, so someone must of hurt him when they trimmed his nails… I call him a big sooky baby, so when he’s sleeping at night, I get the nail clippers out hide them under my leg, then start to pat him around his paw then get the 1 nail that always grows & curls then quickly cut it, then he wakes up, jumps off the bed looking down at his paw & I show him, look there’s ur nail, he looks at his paw & realises he still has his paw & I haven’t chopped it off, the big baby…. LOL

[jakes mom]

I posted a few days ago about my friend whose dog has just been diagnosed with diabetes. Next problem, he’s freaking out at shot time, struggling and trying to bite. Any tips or tricks are appreciated. Best I could come up with was 1. maybe a bit of ice or quick pinch of the skin before the shot, to maybe numb the area before injection and 2. make it a special time with high value treat he only gets at injection time, a bite or 2 of chicken or something. I had a diabetic dog years ago and never had a problem with the shots so didn’t have any tried and true advice for her.

[USA]

Hi Kellye P,

That’s Great News!! I am so very happy for you and Duffy.

I still wonder about the ketones that had showed up in Duffy’s urine in the past. I think it could be beneficial for you to buy a vial of Keto-Diastix. They are about $25 for a hundred and they are a urine test for ketones and glucose. My thinking is that if Duffy tests positive for ketones AND glucose in his urine then this will let us know that his ketones are due to high blood sugar and you would then take a closer look at his diabetes control. If he tests positive for just glucose then again you would take a closer look at hid diabetes control.

If Duffy tests positive for just ketones then it could be that he suffers from malabsorption of nutrients due to a pancreatic issue and you would take a closer look at how to get those enzymes into his system. Finally if he tests negative for glucose and ketones then you have determined that the issue is probably NOT related to diabetes or EPI.

I would test his urine first thing in the morning, 1 hour before meals and 2 hours after meals. You can do 1 test one day and at another time on a different day. I would try for at least 3 readings in each time frame so you have multiple readings to analyze.

It’s a low cost non-invasive at home way of ruling out or confirming whether or not Duffy is having any issues with his pancreas or glucose that hasn’t shown up on previous tests.

Anyhow I have a smile on my face for you and Duffy right now and I am hoping for the best!!!

[beth e]

has anyone been told pancreatitis? we have been thru the gulping swallowing that definitely seems like acid reflux. plus throwing up what looks like oatmeal – hours after a meal. we took our cairn terrier to the vet after weeks of on and off symptoms. our regular vet was not in and the substitute diagnosed it as pancreatitis. said we should leave her for an iv. since she has no problem drinking or eating we said we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her as the stress would far outweigh the benefits of the treatment. so she came home with antibiotics, pepcid and tramadol. chicken and rice diet didn’t go well she’d spit out the rice so we went to chicken and green beans. no kibble since we figured that was the oatmeal like substance she was vomiting.. the other dog eats wellness grain free kibble and some wet wellness chicken. ( and she also did before this all started) they both had a teaspoon of greek yogurt before bedtime. now its nonfat greek yogurt. we are sure stress is a big part of the problem since she is constantly looking out the windows for the cats. tight as a piano string if you touch her. the pancreatitis diagnosis is not keeping with the symptoms. she always has an appetite. she used to drink lots i mean lots of water- at one time we suspected diabetes but tests came back no. but since she is off dry food the water consumption at least the dramatic “got to have it and have it all” has stopped and she drinks normally. today i’m wondering if its the cats and she might be allergic to them. this mornng she had a few coughs and swallows – we went out in the backyard on a leash – she walked all around where they hang out came in and coughed and did the acid reflux gurgling on and off for an hour.

[InkedMarie]

Having a dog with diabetes isn’t cheap, unfortunately. If food cost is an issue, can your friend afford to care for the dog? Sorry to have to ask…

[jakes mom]

I have a friend whose Chihuahua/border terrier has just been diagnosed with diabetes. There’s also another chi in the house who’s had issues with pancreatitis. Can anyone suggest a good food for them both? Budget is a very big concern. I’m sure raw is not an option, both because of the cost and also the “yuk” factor for the humans. I’m thinking something in the 3 star range, since they eat Purina now.

[theBCnut]

I have know many dogs that were free fed and not overweight at all, but their owners still couldn’t answer questions from the vet about recent eating habits, which is important if there is a health issue. Other than that, I haven’t seen any problems. However, most dogs that are free fed really do over eat, especially if it’s a multi dog household. There are a few specific medical problems that require a dog to eat on a schedule, like diabetes, but not many.

[theBCnut]

You may want to search for the topic of diabetes. There is already a thread on it somewhere, where USA Dog Treats recommends foods. He is really good on diabetes.

[Patricia J]

Any opinions on the best canned food product for a 10 yr old diabetic mini schnauzer with many issues? Prone to pancreatitis. Has been DKA 2 times. Very hard to regulate. On Vetsulin 7 units 2 x daily. Has UTI’s constantly due to so much glucose in her urine. Was feeding Authority canned senior chicken. She also gets 3 oz. boiled chicken breast with 1/2 can food, AM and PM feeding. Just changed to Wellness Turkey with sweet potatoe. Any suggestions for high protein, low carb and low fat canned food? I spent hours in Petsmart reading labels and am so confused. I chose the Wellness because it seemed to have the best overall % of protein, fat and carbs. but, if there is a better product for her, I’d love to know about it. Thanks.

[Shawna]

OH MY GOSH!!! You guys are hysterical!! 🙂

Cyndi and Dori are correct. I did get blocked from posting to the Purina Veterinary Exchange Facebook page. 🙂 I posted much more than below but this will give you an idea.

They recently posted an article about reasons not to feed “people food” to dogs which drummed up a LOT of negative feedback for them. I was actually one of the nice (well, polite) ones on the page. 🙂

1. I asked them if they felt veterinary nutritionist Meg Smart (who taught veterinary nutrition) was incorrect when she stated “I see a benefit in feeding whole foods whether cooked or raw.” http://www.angryvet.com/angryvet-nutrition-interview-drs-joseph-wakshlag-and-meg-smart/#sthash.fVPLTfI9.dpuf They ignored my question but warned me about marketing for other sites.

2. Sugar is apparently added for “texture and fiber”. But do the nutritionists and vets who formulate Purina diets, specifically Beneful, really feel that sugar is an appropriate ingredient for dogs? They told me this page was for their prescription line and that my question was “off topic”. Keep in mind that the original post was about “human foods” like “milk”, “raw eggs” etc. 🙂 I actually don’t disagree with most of the points they were trying to make (adding foods could alter the balance of the already balanced diet). It was their delivery that was the problem.

3. They posted info about their new HA line for allergies. These foods have been chemically hydrolyzed to break the proteins down into amino acids which makes them less likely to cause an allergic reaction (as the body is allergic to proteins not amino acids). However proteins that have been hydrolyzed create the same issue as monosodium glutamate — which has been shown to cause illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, white matter brain lesions, multiple sclerosis etc. So I asked Purina if dogs were “immune” to the problems associated with MSG in humans. They told me to check with my vet on what my dog might be immune to. Uhm??? So I explained I meant all dogs, not just mine. They ignored the question. Then I linked this article by vet Dr. Shawn Messonnier suggesting dog are affected by “excitotoxins” like those in Purina HA. http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/Dr_Shawn.html Still ignored the question.

4. They also posted an article stating “Many people have turned to gluten-free diets to help them lose weight & feel better, but the fact remains that very few dogs’ diets are improved by going gluten-free.” So I asked them if they had done testing to demonstrate that gluten couldn’t cause “gluten ataxia” in dogs (gluten ataxia is a neurological disease in humans caused by gluten). I linked articles discussing gluten’s role in other diseases in humans, like type 1 diabetes (the kind dogs get) and asked if any testing had been done.

I also linked a Journal of Nutrition page demonstrating dogs can lose weight on a HIGH protein diet (52% was the diet tested). This is about the time they blocked me and deleted all of my comments.

I don’t feel too bad cause they deleted most of the negative and questioning comments on their page from others too. 🙂

My guess is that you would be asked to leave, or appropriately quieted, if you started asking questions like this but if it’s boring and you want to stir the pot a bit….. 🙂

I LOVE Panera salads and more importantly, my 3 year grandson who is gluten intolerant loves their salads. Especially the apple one although he gives me all his pecans.. Woot woot 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Shawna.

[Kellye P]

USA — I am looking at the fructosamine test from March and it says the reference range is 260-358. I remember my vet saying that he was in the range that might require us to lower his insulin but she didn’t want to do that because he was doing so well. The specialist always tells me to not treat the numbers but to treat the dog. Per the explanation on the results, 260 is just above the range that might mean prolonged hypoglycemia. I am home all day so I observe his behavior. He does not drink a lot or act like he’s unhappy. He is quite content. The specialist says a happy dog is the goal so to stop worrying. (easy to say!!!) Neither vet was the least bit concerned about the 250 glucose reading when he was off insulin. They expected him to be much higher. My vet talked to the Vetsulin people and many other specialists. She calls anybody and everybody to get consultations on this little dog. He goes for his thyroid and fructosamine test in a couple weeks so I will have new numbers and will post them here. As for the thyroid, since he has been on the thyroxine, he has tested normal every time. I really hoped that was the problem but the full panel done last year showed everything was normal. In fact, the most frustrating part of this whole story is that we can’t get my dog to test positive for anything that will give us a new idea for how to treat him. He is the most abnormal “normal” dog in the world.

sue62b – I paid big bucks to two different companies that specialize in vet formulated recipes for dogs. When I saw the final results, I was a bit skeptical. The amount of food they advised was less than what I feed now and it was so amazingly healthy. Yes, that’s a good thing, but maybe not for a skinny dog??? For example, lean chicken breast – broiled, with a tiny bit of chickpeas and a dash of corn oil. It came to about .25 cup. (with a vitamin supplement added but no calories in the supplement) I don’t like corn oil due to GMOs but that’s another story.
Another recipe had lots and lots of broccoli. Does anybody have a very picky dog who would willingly eat broccoli?? And, of course, I researched every single ingredient they told me to feed him and I had a few issues with broccoli. They told me I wasn’t feeding enough to cause harm but why would I feed anything that might be dangerous? There was a study done that showed broccoli could cause problems in dogs but they told me it was not a proven fact and many dogs eat it and there are no problems at all. That’s not good enough for me. 🙂
I did try the Wellness Duck and Oatmeal. Duck is a preferred protein per my Traditional Chinese Medicine vet. Duck is “cool” so it counters the “hot” diabetes. Turkey is also “cool”. Lamb is “warm” but I may try that one too. My boy was not super crazy about the Duck and Oatmeal. It would be great if he’d eat it because there is a store that sells it right by my favorite grocery store. I am keeping Chewy.com in business with my many orders of almost every food they sell! I had good luck with ZiwiPeak canned food but only one type was considered tasty by my boy and that one became unavailable in January. It cost $5 per can, by the way. 🙂
I do use didgestive enzymes, plus coconut oil because my TCM vet said it adds calories and is another “cool” food.
He has always preferred dry kibble and right now he likes the Nulo food but he used to like Fromm and he was heavier at that time so I just ordered more Fromm. (they have a duck recipe)
Thank you for the info on K9Kitchen. I will check it out!!
Good luck with Patch. If you have access to vets who went to the Chi Institute, they have all sorts of herbal supplements that might help you. I used Liver Happy back when my boy had slightly elevated levels. His next test showed a reading of 45, as I recall, which was fantastic. Even the Chi TCM vet was amazed. Unfortunately the Chi blends for diabetes contain cinnamon and my boy will throw up cinnamon every single time. That is really a shame because that herbal remedy gets rave reviews from other parents of diabetic dogs.

Thank you both!!!!

[Susan]

Hi Kellye, I’m having the same problem with Patch keeping on his weight he doesnt have Diabetes, he has Pancreatitis & IBD, I want to have him tested for diabetes Ive read that some dogs that have pancreatitis will get diabetes, I was going to have him tested for diabetes….what I do is I look for kibbles with high calories, low fat%. I found the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal has 450 kcal per cup ME but then Patch started scratching his ear I looked at the ingredients again & released it has potato protein Patch cant eat Pototes so now I feed have him the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal it has 406 kcal per cup ME its less then the Duck but its higher then most kibbles that Ive found, I also feed Patch 4 meals a day, you have to work out how many calories ur boy should be getting a day & feed him a bit more, well thats what Ive been doing with Patch & he’s gain 1/2 a kilo in weight but its only been 2 weeks since I started increasing his food… I know with raw they lose weight when you first start, does he need the digestive enzymes..
I know when Patch was eating 1 cup of boiled chicken breast, boiled pumkin & 1/2 a boiled egg mixed altogether he gained all his weight back but then I found out he can’t have chicken so I changed it to tuna in spring water drained & he lost weight again, so boiled chicken breast must have more calories then Tuna does, I know pasta would put on some weight but with diabetes you have to watch their carbs but they are allowed a little bit per day…Have you tried a dog nutritionist for some recipes what he can eat with his diabetes & gain weight awell….on yahoo there’s a group call “K9Kitchen” run by Monica Segal she does recipes for illness..

[USA]

Hi Kellye P,

You said:

“During the days he was not getting insulin, his glucose levels were right around 250. However, his urine test showed ketones. The specialist said that did not make sense. My vet said she probably would have taken him off insulin if he stayed at 250 without it. The ketones messed up that plan, though. Nobody has any explanation as to why he had ketones. I think that is the key to the weight problem but I have no idea what it means.”

This is from the Merck Veterinary Manual:

“The normal fasting value for blood glucose in dogs and cats is 75–120 mg/dL”
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/endocrine_system/the_pancreas/diabetes_mellitus.html

With a blood glucose reading of 250 mg/dl I am not surprised that he had ketones in his urine and I don’t know why anybody thought that 250 could be a reason for taking him off insulin. 250 is HIGH!

Ketones are a sign that your body is starting to burn fat instead of glucose for energy. This can be a sign of poorly controlled Diabetes and I don’t think it was a mystery why your pup had ketones in his urine with a blood glucose reading of 250 mg/dl when a normal blood sugar for a dog is usually between 75 to 120 mg/dl.

Would you mind posting his last 2 or 3 Fructosamine and thyroxine (T4) test results please? Losing weight can be a symptom of poorly controlled Diabetes and/or an overactive thyroid and that’s why I would like to know the actual numbers of the tests.

Sorry for you and your pups troubles!

[Kimberly T]

Hello!
I currently have a two year old toy schnauzer suffering from the usual allergy symptoms, chewing or licking of paws, pink itchy skin, etc. I started noticing these symptoms at a very early age, so for one of her regular check ups I brought the issues up to my vet. She stated that allergies don’t tend to start showing up until after they are atleast two years old, and that she was probably just doing “puppy” stuff and I was overreacting. After growing up with schnauzers in my life from an early age, I am pretty aware of “most” of there common health concerns. Our last family baby had diabetes, pancreatitis, and finally went completely blind. My parents always fed low grade food (kibbles n bits, pedigree, royal canine) and now knowing this can lead to so many health issues I have kept my little girl (Sophie) on nothing but 4 and 5 star food. Noticing the allergy symptoms I started to rotate foods to see if anything would help or change, and nothing seemed to help. Within the colder months the chewing decreased, but nothing was cured. Now recently she came back from the groomers in massive pain! Skin and ear problems. I went back to the vet and finally after some tests they said she had bacterial and yeast infections due to what they can only guess is seasonal allergies! After the antibiotics and healing process I am desperate for her to never have to endure such pain from something I feel I could of prevented! Any help on food, vitamins, etc. Would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you!!

[corky b]

Hi All,
My 9 yrs old border collie was just diagnosed with DI which apparently is a very rare thing. Med school are $700 per month. No way I can do that. Changing up her diet to reduce the sodium. Just bought raw frozen beef and small bag of sojourn mix. At this point I’m so confused at t he whole raw thing. What’s the best most economical way to get her a good low sodium diet? Anyone know?

[USA]

Hi MastiffMomma

I know you are worried about calories but I feel that calories can always be adjusted by the AMOUNT of food you feed. For me it’s all about the carbs for a dog with Diabetes. Diabetes can be a devastating disease in people and dogs so my top priority would be to cut carbohydrates to below 15%. Commercial dog food companies have taken a different approach. Because starch is cheaper than protein they will try to use low glycemic starches and fibers to slow down the absorption of the carbs and avoid a spike in blood sugar (glucose). That would be fine if dogs needed a lot of carbs to survive. Since they don’t it makes much more sense to cut the ingredient that ALL diabetics have a problem with, SUGAR in any shape or form!

There are only 3 basic nutrient groups, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate so a food that is low in carbs will be high in protein and fat. This is okay for MOST dogs. Some dogs will have a problem with high fats and some dogs will have a problem with high protein.

I would always unless there is a medical issue with fat or protein try a ultra-low carbohydrate food first. Without a doubt carbohydrates are the enemy to a dog with diabetes and cutting carbs can increase both the quality of life and the length of life for a diabetic dog.

Dry food kibbles need starch to hold them together so the lowest you can go in carbs is about 15% and most kibbles are MUCH higher. I estimate that the dry food he is eating now is 50% carbs. Dry foods can also tax the kidneys because they are so concentrated and low in moisture. Kidneys are one of the first things to be affected by diabetes so dry foods are not my first choice. I have listed a couple of dry foods because whatever food you choose to feed has to fit your lifestyle as well as your mom’s.

/dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-dry/
http://www.midamericapetfood.com/victordogfood/pdf/Brochure-GF-Ultra%20Pro.pdf

Canned foods do not need starches to hold them together so they can go all the way down to 1% carbohydrates on a caloric basis. They can also be of a higher quality due to less processing and and a more natural moisture content. The canned foods I have listed below are all below 10% carbs but their fat content is high.

/dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-canned/
/dog-food-reviews/wellness-dog-food-core-canned/
/dog-food-reviews/tripett-dog-food/
/dog-food-reviews/by-nature-95-percent-meat/
/dog-food-reviews/castor-pollux-ultramix-grain-free-canned/

Remember that any changes in diet will require a change in the amount of insulin your Mom’s dog will receive. Lowering Carbs will require you to lower the amount of insulin your mom’s dog gets on a daily basis. Changes should be made slowly and gradually and with the help of a VET. Home monitoring of the dog’s blood sugar will greatly help you to manage the dog’s diabetes.

It’s nice that you are looking out for your mom and her dog!!!

[MastiffMomma]

Hi everyone–I hope someone can help me out here! My mom has a 9 year old JR/Chihuahua cross who has had diabetes for about a year now. He is currently on Royal Canin Moderate Calorie Gastrointestinal Veterinary Exclusive dry and wet food, and has been on this since he was diagnosed with diabetes. He currently takes 8 units of insulin twice daily, and weighs about 15lbs.

Since adopting my own dog (mastiff/German shepherd/ lab cross) I have begun researching dog food and ingredients, and after reading the label of my mom’s dog’s food I am concerned that he is not getting the nutrition he needs. The first ingredients are brewers rice, chicken byproduct meal, corn, and brown rice. There are also several other ingredients noted as “controversial” according to DFA. This food is also quite expensive for the number of poor ingredients it contains ($40 for an 4kg bag of dry food, plus the canned food to mix with as he is a picky eater).

I was wondering if anyone here could recommend a low calorie dry dog food that would be suitable for him? I know it’s difficult to put a star value on therapeutic dog food, so something with higher quality ingredients and no byproduct meals would be excellent.

Thanks in advance!

[Lilmonster]

Hope it is just a UTI Akari! I am having a similar problem with my little one.

Melissa – your response worries me a little. My dog has also been peeing a lot more than usual lately, sometimes in small amounts sometimes in large amounts. We’re not 100% sure it’s not behavioral since we just adopted her two months ago, but prior to last week she wasn’t having accidents in the house at all (with the exception of the first two nights she was home when I was a softie and didn’t crate her despite her being used to sleeping in the crate at night and going out to pee immediately after being let out of the crate, as the rescue told me). Another reason we don’t think it’s behavioral is because she has soiled two of her beds now, and dogs generally don’t potty where they rest, no? She also doesn’t hide from us when it happens, twice we were playing tug indoors and all of a sudden she just stopped playing and squatted.

The vet did a urinalysis but said there was no sign of UTI bacteria in her urine, although the pH was slightly high. She didn’t say anything about the possibility of diabetes or kidney issues – is that because they would have seen it in the urinalysis if it was present? Are there separate tests I should ask for? She hasn’t shown any other signs of illness – no vomiting, no blood in the urine, no lethargy. She’s only around a year old so it’s not an age related thing. She has been drinking a good amount of water lately but I wouldn’t characterize it as excessive since it’s been pretty hot out and she usually does most of her drinking after playing or eating. Additionally, she used to get all of her pee out at once as soon as we went out, but now she will pee immediately, then once or twice more before we go in.

The vet put her on a one week course of antibiotics in case it’s the beginning of a UTI. I was reluctant to give her medication she might not even need, but I’m a little desperate to figure out what’s going on since we live on the 46th floor of a high rise and it’s to the point that we take her down, she potties, we come back up and 30 mins later she has an accident. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Melissaandcrew]

Keep a close eye on her which may be hard if she us outside. Increased urination in a dog can be something “simple” such as urinary tract infection or d one thing more sinister such as kidney issues or diabetes. Personally I would take her to the vet to be sure. What is the temp outdoors?

[losul]

Lisa, I’ve been thinking about Chewy. Hopefully you have started to be able to keep badly needed nutrition in him now?

Some questions about his umbilical hernia, large or small? Has it gotten larger over the last several months? Is it painful to the touch for Chewy? I’m wondering if for some reason, perhaps financial, you had delayed the procedure, because in general a vet would do it by 5 or 6 months if they were pushing the time frame out to allow for spaying/neutering at the same time, otherwise probably earlier, and especially if it was causing problems or growing in size. From what I can determine Chewy is now about 9 months old. With a very small hernia, it might be only a bit of fat that pokes through the hole in the abdominal wall. With a larger hole, a loop of the intestine might drop into the sac and cause restriction which could definitely make Chewy vomit. Worse, a more severe restriction could even strangulate the intestine with much more dire consequences. Occaisonally the hole may even begin to close on it’s own by about 6 months. If the intestines are outside of the abdominal musculature structure and it begins closing……

This would be a large umbilical hernia, and no doubt the intestines have dropped into the sac. This one might be large enough not to substantially restrict or strangulate the intestines, depending on the actual size of the hole. It’s still quite dangerous.

http://www.faqs.org/photos/hernia-2773.jpg

“The symptoms associated with a hernia, like the one pictured in Figure 1 and 2 may initially relate to the inability of food to pass through this constricted section of intestine. Muscles within the wall of the intestine are responsible for moving food and water through the organ. Waves of contractions called peristalsis propel the contents along the length of the intestine. When an obstruction is encountered, like the one described, the peristaltic waves reverse direction and move the food backward through the entire digestive tract. This results in food and water being vomited.”

http://www.americananimalcare.com/pethealth/hernia_surgery_dogs_cats_umbilical_diaphragmatic_irguinal.html

I don’t know what is causing Chewy’s vomiting, but it’s really serious stuff to be vomiting everyday for many months, and a pup at that. You really must work on getting to the cause and very soon.

BTW, if Chewy’s case even has anything to do with acid production, low acid production can cause the same symptoms as too much acid production. I’d think thrice about self medicating with acid inhibitory drugs, especially at inspecific dosages, and remember he’s ONLY an 8 to 9 lb malnourished pup. 1/2 or 1/3 of an adult human dose???? Stomach acid is even more important to the dog, a carnivore. Acid is needed for proper digestion, especially protein digestion, acid is needed for the stomach to empty correctly, and failure to do so results in GERD. Stomach acid is a defense against bacterial infections and fungal infections, certain vitamins and minerals also require acid to be absorbed such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, B-12, etc. Improper digestion of foods can lead to to large of particles getting into the lower digestive tract and causing allergies, diarrhea, pathogenic bacterial fermentation, etc. Acid stimulates pepsin to be released into the stomach for digestion, and for pancreatic enzymes and bile to be released into the small intestine to further digest carbs, fats and proteins. I could keep going on and on. Proper overall health begins with proper acid production. Improperly diagnosing, and prohibiting or shutting down acid production with zantac, prilosec, etc. could be the start of a vicious circle and downward spiral of, helicobacter overgrowth/ infections leading to ulcers, other pathogenic infections, colitis, gastroenteritis, IBD, pancreatitis, allergies, diabetes, malnourishment, inability to digest all but the simplest of foods (hydrolyzed), dependence on inhibitors, evermore drugs to staunch the symptoms (like metronidazole and steroids) and mask the root cause, and ever declining health. Be very careful….. and best wishes Lisa.

I wonder why acid inhibitors are some of Pharma, Inc’s. biggest blockbusters of all time?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by losul.

[Janet M]

My 8 year boxer has been having issues with either having very small soft stools and bouts of diarrhea. He had his stools check and the vet found no infections/parasites etc. They put him on antibotics just in case. They did a complete blood and urine work up and nothing showed up except his urine was very diluted. He has been drinking more water lately. We have tried so many different dry dog foods. He has been on Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and that has not helped. I have even been putting pumkin in his food. For the last few days I took him off the dog food and only gave him boiled white meat chicken with a little pumpkin mixed in. It helped a little but he was still going soft and very little stool. Now he is back on the Science Diet and has diarrhea again. Any suggestions on what dry food to try now? I have two boxers and can’t afford to spend 75.00 a bag when I go through a 30 pound bag about every 2 weeks. They checked him for Cushings’s, diabetes etc. I think he might have IBS. Please any suggestions.

[Bobby D]

My 15 year old rat terrier has diabetes, and just suffered a bout of pancreatitis. The veterinarian put him on Hills prescription i/d canned food. He is doing well on the new diet, but why is this dog food only available from the vet? As far as I can tell from the label, there is no medicine in the food, and there is nothing exotic in the ingredients. The label states that it provides complete and balanced nutrition for growing puppies and maintenance of adult dogs. The veterinarian told me it was quite alright to put my other, non-sick, dog on the same food. So why do you need a prescription?

Bobby Dipole

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Dane –

First off, if he’s drinking large amounts of water, urinating frequently and he won’t gain weight you need to get him to the vet to have some diagnostic tests performed. These are potential symptoms of kidney disease or diabetes. A dog that’s fed a raw diet shouldn’t drink much water at all – my two (large) dogs don’t even drink one bowl of water per day between the two of them. I’m not trying to scare you but if something is going on the sooner you catch it the better the prognosis will be.

Second, are you adding anything to the Blue Ridge Beef grinds? Unless they’ve recently come out with a new complete and balanced product that I’m not aware of, I thought they just make meat/organ/bone grinds? Meat/organ/bone “grinds” (as they’re referred to) are not a balanced diet. They’re meant to serve as as the base of a meal and they make things simpler by already having the muscle meat, organ and bone in the correct proportions. Supplements still must be added to make the diet complete. While it’s possible to balance a homemade diet using whole foods only, for simplicity’s sake and to get him on a balanced diet as soon as possible, I’d recommend adding a multivitamin (look for one with <10% DV calcium – one I frequently recommend is Twinlab Daily One Caps). I’d also add 1/2 C. of cooked and pureed vegetables (baby food veggies are fine if you don’t want to cook and puree them yourself) and feed a tin of sardines or salmon once or twice a week OR add a capsule or two of fish oil daily. These additions will provide him with the vitamins and minerals he needs, a little fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[USA]

Hi Mary C

The highest quality dog food would be one you made yourself using lean pasture raised meats and wild caught fish, fresh organic vegetables and a few supplements.

In commercial dog foods I would rate them as follows:
Raw
Dehydrated
Canned
Kibble

One of the issues with a very low carbohydrate food for dogs is the fat content. Most commercial foods with low carbs are high in fat, some are really high. If your dog doesn’t have any other health issues he or she might do fine with a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. If your dog has other issues such as pacreatitis a high fat diet might not work as well.

I strongly believe that with a diabetic dog the number one priority is to limit carbs as much as you can. After all, diabetes is a failure of the bodies ability to regulate and metabolize ALL carbohydrates and injected insulin cannot currently duplicate the bodies own production of insulin. Diabetes CAN be controlled with the proper diet, the proper insulin regimen and home testing of blood glucose.

So please tell me a little bit about your dog:
How old
Current food and amounts fed and at what times in relation to insulin injections
Current insulin regimen, what type, how often
Current blood sugar readings
Overall health and any issues besides diabetes

Once you develop a routine that works for you and your pup things get easier! Give your pup a hug for me!!!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Mary C:
Check out the review side for Diabetic Dog Food, here’s the link:
/frequently-asked-questions/diabetic-dog-food/

There is a poster there, USA Dog Treats, that would probably be able to help you with the information you are looking for. Just look for one of his posts and reply to it with your question. Here’s a link to another website concerning K9 diabetes that may have info as well:
http://www.k9diabetes.com/index.html

Good luck!

[Mary C]

What is the best dog food on the market for dogs suffering from diabetes? (Quality human grade organic protein and low carbohydrates.)

[jgr789]

When my dog was first diagnosed with diabetes three years ago, I fed her a combination of the Prescription Hills W/D and Wellness Core Reduced Fat kibble. I didn’t like the ingredients in the prescription food so I thought mixing the two would be better. She was fairly well regulated until a recent bout of pancreatitis. We are also currently looking for a new food, something that will be good for both conditions.

Good luck to you with the diabetes. There’s a lot of trial and error involved in finding the right food. You might also want to check out the K9diabetes forum where you will find a great deal of information and support. http://www.k9diabetes.com

Judy

[caffeine65]

Good Afternoon,
Two weeks ago my dog was diagnosed with diabetes (he is also losing his vision). I have been giving him insulin but his blood sugar levels are not really going down (they were in the high 500s now at 540). I have been searching for “good” dog food for him and was wondering if I should just make it myself. He started to eat the Iams chicken/rice dog food and I mixed a no grain dry food but he has been snubbing it for the past couple of days.

Any suggestions pro/con?

Thanks.

• This topic was modified 4 years ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[Susan]

You said that ur dogs itch none stop, you must start with an elimination diet, I started one about 1 month ago as my boy has Pancreatitis & enviornment allergies we dont know if he has food allergies that’s why I’d say the vet suggested an elimination diet, The vet said the first month just feed boil chicken but I knew my boy could eat boil chicken so I added cooked pumkin, then when I saw he wasnt scratching or rubbing his tummy on my beautiful white rug the next week I added sweet potato within 2 days Patch was rubbing on my carpet so I stopped the sweet potato & know he cant have sweet potato or a kibble with sweet potato…. then I added pasta another NO it made him itch then I read dogs with skin problems like yeast & bacteria shouldnt eat carbohydrates, potatos, sweet potatos etc, then I added half a boiled egg & he’s been good, Im thinking of adding broccoli next.. Im reading Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD she has help me understand alot of things & this group its a easy book to read & very easy recipes, she explains what foods aren’t good & what foods are good for certain illness, like Skin problems & what causes ur dog to itch, Pancreatitis Diabetes, Gastro problems, feeding senior dogs, getting a pup onto raw etc, she has cooked recipes & what supplements to add.. in the elimination diet you cannot give any treats nothing, just that one food for 2 weeks then 2 foods so on.. you must cook all vegetables so they are fully cooked, she even suggest to pulped vegetables as dogs digestive system weren’t meant to eat vegies, here’s one of her recipes for Skin allergies a Low Glycemic regular fats Diet..this is for a 50 pound dog to be divide into two or more smaller meals per day.
8 ounces 1 cup regular fat ground beef
2 ounces 1/4 cup beef liver or kidney
2 eggs scrambled or boiled
4 ounces 1/2 cup steamed or boiled broccoli
4 ounces 1/2 cup cooked yellow crookneck squash
4 ounces 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Serve meat cooked or raw combined with cooked vegetables eggs & yogurt if serving meat cooked wait until meat & eggs have cooled before stirring in the yogurt…..
What I do is I cook once a fornight & freeze everything except the egg then put in fridge the night before to thaw for next day…

[Susan]

My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis & IBD & Allergies, Ive been doing alot of reading about Pancreatitis. Ive read that kibble isnt good as the Pancreas has to work harder digesting kibble putting more strain on the Pancreas, have you thought of cooking.. I’ve been boiling chicken breast & pumkin & an egg, I freeze the chicken breast in meals sizes & I freeze the little bits of pumkin, I take out the night before & put in the fridge for breakfast, I boil a egg every second day cause I only give him half boiled egg at breakfast, I shread the chicken & mash the pumkin & mash the egg all together so its all mushed up, easier to digest, also make sure any vegetables or grains are well cooked to make them easier to digest. I then warm in micro wave.. At night I give his kibble only..this has helped the chicken pumkin & egg his pain has gone that he was having under his right rib cage, he’s not coming over to me no more for me to rub his side like when I just had him on kibble.. I’d say that she’s having pain then not wanting to eat. maybe try a low fat can food if u don’t want to cook but I havent found a can food that is low enough in fat, thats why I cook..Ive read that Diabetes & pancreatitis are closely linked, Dogs with Diabetes are often prone to Pancreatitis & vice versa..here’s some Low-Glycemic vegetables you can cook with chicken breast or lean low fat ground beef broccoli or cauliflower, cabbage, summer squashes zucchini, dark leafy greens mustard greens & spinach.. I mite try adding some zucchini, I dont know about spinach I always was told if ur constipated eat spinach…Im reading a book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olson PhD.. it has easy recipes for Pancreatits, diabetes, bladder, liver, heart, cancer etc, she explains what not to feed when ill..also what vitamins to add, excellent read.. the book cost about $11 online..

[llynns]

My dog has also had Pancreatitis. At the same time as the pancreatitis, he spent several days in the ER with Gastroenteritis. We fed him a bland diet for 3-4 weeks. In addition to the Pancreatitis issues, he is also allergic to white potatoes. I slowly (very slowly) transitioned him over to Horizon Legacy Grain Free, Salmon. In addition to the food change I started him on digestive enzymes. He’s currently on Wholistic Pet Canine Complete. I think the combination of the food change and the supplement addition is what really worked. I don’t know that just changing the food would have given me the same results as also adding the enzymes and probiotics. I could not advise on the diabetes….I have no experience with that. Good luck on your search.

[jakes mom]

Akari, didn’t mean to worry you. Just saying the smaller sized clumps are normal for my guys. If he was older I’d be worried about large urine clumps (possible sign of diabetes) but he’s a young guy so probably not an issue. We’re all going round and round with the smell and the size of the clumps, etc. I think you’ve got the right idea, call the vet in the morning and see what they say. Better safe than sorry. And I’d just toss the rest of that brown litter so you can see if there’s any blood in the urine. Or clean it and leave the empty box, see if he’ll pee in there and you can bring a sample to the vet.

[ken r]

I am skeptical that this is caused by dietary fat. For one thing, a high fat diet, if its increasing triglyceride levels, should be increasing them more pre-fast than post fast. For another, a dog thats just eating so much fat in his diet that its screwing with his triglyceride levels that much should be obese too.

What did the rest of the lipid panel look like?

First off, i would make sure that this is a dietary issue, not a secondary issue to another condition. Ask for a thyroid panel and a test for diabetes (an under or an overactive thyroid both cause elevated fasting triglycerides, as does diabetes).

If this is a diet issue, its far more likely to be caused by carbs than by fat. Dietary fats do increase triglycerides after a meal for a pretty simple reason — dietary fats _are_ triglycerides… and right after you eat them before your body figures out what to do with them theyre sitting around in the blood stream. This is precisely why triglycerides are tested after a 12 hour fast.

However, If your dog has a very high _fasting_ triglyceride level, and that is caused by his diet, fat is not the most likely culprit. Carbs are. Though a high fat diet causes triglyceride levels to spike, it actually lowers fasting triglceride levels. A high fat diet can cause obesity. And obesity causes high triglyceride levels. But in non obese people (and dogs), a high fat diet causes lower fasting triglycerides.

If obeisity isn’t an issue, you should be looking for a low carb, not a low fat, food. First of all because a low carb diet is proven to lower fasting triglyceride levels, and second of all because a low carb diet is better overall.

In order of preference, you should be looking for

1. a grain free, low carb food,
2. a whole grain only low carb food (note — brown rice is better than white rice, but it is not a whole grain)

Also, 2 things to potentially add to your dogs diet —

1. Marine (not plant) derived Omega 3 fatty acids — these have a profound effect on triglyceride levels. I broke open a full fish oil capsule daily for my boy, but he weighed 150 pounds. I have no idea what the appropriate dose for a 22 pound dog would be..

2. Soluble Fiber — metamucil is probably easiest. I used a tablespoon. But again, that was for a person-sized dog.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by ken r.

[crazy4cats]

I have never dealt with that issue as my current and past dogs will eat anything at anytime! I hesitate to make any suggestions due to your pup’s health conditions. I’m not sure if you have checked this out, but on the review side of this site, there is a list of excellent low fat foods. Just click on best dog foods and it will bring up different categories of foods, including low fat. It is my understanding that with diabetes, that kibble is not the best form of food to feed. Canned, dehydrated, cooked or raw is best. I hope someone that can help will jump in. But, I’m not sure that anyone can predict which food your dog will like and for how long. LOL! I feed my dogs with digestive issues Victor grain free mixed with canned, eggs, or sardines or fresh pet select. I also give a digestive and probiotic supplements. I hope you find something that makes your pup better. Good luck!

[jgr789]

My dog has gastro issues (Chronic Pancreatitis/ possible EPI) as well as diabetes and I’ve been trying to find a dry food that she will eat for longer than a few days. We’ve tried Annamaet Lean and that worked for about a week, then California Natural, Fromm Gold and Natural Balance among others. In the past she’s eaten the Wilderness foods, Wellness Core Reduced Fat, Nutrisca, Nutrisource, Taste of the Wild, Earthborne, Rachael Ray Grain Free and Royal Canin LF. She liked the Merrick Classic Chicken, Brown Rice and Pea but it gave her terrible diarrhea, so I think I should stick to Grain free as well. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[theBCnut]

Kibbles are pretty much all high carb because they need the carbs to hold the kibble together. Think about using a low carb canned food instead. There is a topic on the review side for diabetic dog foods and there is someone(USA Dog Treats) that monitors that thread and is very knowlegable about diabetes.

[Susan]

Look for a low carb diet with moderate levels of fat & high levels of protein, recent studys have suggested help balance sugar levels in the bloodstream for the diabetes.. also carbs are harder to digest so a low carb diet mite help with the gastro problems awell…at the top of this page u see “reveiws” click on then put ‘low carb kibbles’ in search bar on the left..I just looked & Wysong Epigen 5 stars, Pinnacle peak protein formula 5 stars & Hills Science Diet Adults light 2 1/2 stars, the others were canned wet.. I dont know if they’re cheaper but someone on here may know a kibble that is similar to the 2 5 star ones & cheaper..

[Kristine A]

I have a dog that is diabetic! He is currently on Science Diet WD Prescription dog food. It gets very expensive but I have tried a few other foods but his blood sugar levels go way up so I had to put him back on the WD food. I also have 2 other dogs with very sensitive stomachs and they also do well on the WD food. I really need some advice on a cheaper but healthy dog food for diabetes and gastrointestinal issues. Does anyone have any recommendations?

[Susan]

Yes, Im reading a book called ‘Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs’ By Lew Olson, PhD..She recommends a Low-Glycemic diet, high in protein & fat & low Carbohydrates…there are stories through out her book, one is about a dog called Jake a Doberman/Labrador mix, who started to have seizures when he was 3 years old, Jake was whats called a “Cluster” meaning he always had multiple seizures close together, Despite trying everything from conventional medications to acupuncture, his owner Jo was unable to get the seizures under control.. After exhausting all the usual medical avenues, Jo started to look elsewhere for alternative treatments, joining an online Epilepsy group, one of the things recommened by the group was a raw diet. With nothing else left to lose Jo started Jake on a new raw diet, Within five months Jake had gone from having seven seizures every two weeks to one a month, Her vet was astonised at the drastic improvement a raw, fresh food diet had made when all the other treatments failed..There’s more on how she explains how the sugar in carbohydrates can affect epilepsy, hypothyroidism, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, & yeast infections & how a low-glycemic diet is a good defense against all of these conditions.. Dogs dont have a nutritional need for carbohydrates..there’s more to read but too much to write..she has simple recipes in her book for illnesses, its an excellent read, its online for around $10..

[Susan]

People that have or had an ill dog or cat could put up what kibbles or certain foods that they found has helped with their dogs illnesses eg: a dog with Pancreatitis, Kidney problems, Itchy skin, Colitis, Heart problems, Diabetes, I.B.D, Artheritis, Old age etc..It just may help someone at the moment thats looking for a good food….also good lower protein diets for the dogs that cant have a high protein or high fat diets..

[hamptonmeadow]

I would be more concerned with diabetes. Tke her to the vet and have her tested. It is controllable and you need some advice. Buy good but not high carb dog foods. Not science diet or any of those vet sold ones.

Joint supplements are being highly debated. I don’t know which ones work and many of them don’t. I think you may be seeing a change in food rasing her blood sugar. Good luck and let us know what it turns out to be.

[USA]

Hi Michelle

There could be something wrong with that particular bag of food or your dog might not be feeling well.

When you use NPH or N type intermediate acting insulins they last about 12 to 16 hours per dose and they have a peak which is when you are supposed to feed your dog.

There are long acting insulins like levemir and lantus which have no peak (or very little peak) and are taken once a day. They are for the sugar (glucose) that your body (or your dog’s) makes. Then there are fast acting insulins like Novolog and Humalog which last around 5 hours and are taken before (or right after) meals. They are for covering the glucose (carbs) from meals.

The graph in the link shows the different types of insulin and their onsets and durations.

http://community.diabetes.org/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/1281i92D09A0934C03334/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1

In a two insulin regimen you would give your dog a long acting insulin once a day for the sugar (glucose) that your body (or your dog’s) makes. And you would give a rapid acting insulin before meals. You could also give the rapid acting insulin right after a meal. This way you could base the dose on the actual amount of food your dog did or did not eat.

This is the gold standard of insulin regimens (in humans) and this is the one I personally use (I have diabetes) and recommend for people AND dogs. It is a more intense regimen and requires more effort on your part. It also requires you find a vet that will support you in this kind of insulin regimen.

The food you are feeding is 47% carbs and I have a problem with treating a person or dog with diabetes a diet this high in carbs. I think the reason it is used for dogs is that bottom line, carbs are cheaper than meat. So they use a lot of fiber (9.7%) to slow down the absorption of carbs into your dog’s bloodstream!

I would look for a canned food that is below 10% carbs. If your dog does NOT have a problem with high fat diets then low carb canned food is a much more appropriate diet for a dog with diabetes. It would require a lowering of your dogs insulin dose and you need to have a vet support you in a change like this!

I wish you and your husky the beat!!!

[Michelle J]

We have a 9 year old Siberian Husky who is diabetic and has been for about 2 years. We started out feeding her Hill’s W/D as recommended by the vet we were using at the time. However it was difficult to purchase because you had to have a prescription for it and where we lived we could only buy it at the vet’s so it was not easily accessible. Also we were uncomfortable with the main ingredient being corn. That being said we started searching for a better alternative and started feeding her Hill’s Science Diet Adult Light. She was eating it like it was going out of style. This past weekend we purchased the same kind but she is not eating it. This makes it impossible to be able to give her the correct amount of insulin 2 times a day. I was wondering if it could be spoiled or if there was a recall on it? Is there a use by date on it that I can’t find? Also since there are a lot of you out there that will hopefully read this, can you suggest a better food for diabetic dogs? I would appreciate any help you can give! Thanks!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Shasta-
Have you had a full blood panel done on her? There are at least three very common conditions that I know of that can cause that. I have experienced or have had friend’s cats have these symptoms and it has turned out to be either hyperthyroidism, kidney disease or diabetes. I really hope that isn’t the case for sure. But, a possibility. I use a lot of the budget friendly Authority canned food for my crew. Good luck.