[A.Sandy]

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Pupcat Nutrition Consulting
713.931.0856
Mon-Sun 10am-5pm CST
@pupfacts
pupcatnutrition.com

[theBCnut]

Hi Leah
I second crazy4cats suggestion about going over to the page on the review side for diabetes. You are right that that is not a good food for a diabetic dog, way too many carbs. There is also a few threads here for diabetes. You can use the search function on the forum opening page.

[leahzeigler]

My dog was diagnosed with Diabetes about 2 months ago and it has been a roller coaster. He gets 9 units of Vetsulin twice a day. My vet wants him to eat Royal Canin dry diabetic food but he totally refuses to eat it. I have been feeding him Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish Formula and he seems to really like this but I am worried that it may not be appropriate for him. I need help. What other dry foods would be appropriate for diabetes.
Thanks,

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

[IsabelleR]

Thanks, I’ll check into it.

[theBCnut]

Mercola has a good digestive enzyme, but I don’t know if they add sugars to feed the enzymes.

[IsabelleR]

Thank you for your response. My little angel does have a lot of challenges, but she has such a sweet and strong spirit. This diabetes is a tough one, though, and is already taking a toll on her. I need to figure out how to help her and soon. I will see if I can find a veterinary nutritionist, as you’ve suggested. In the meantime, do you have any recommendations on probiotics…she loves Prostora, but since the first ingredient is sucrose, I’m not giving it to her anymore. Also, I’ve bought some venison at the grocery store and plan to start adding that to her current food to increase the protein content and have replaced her venison and potato treats with venison jerky.
Thanks, again.

[theBCnut]

She has enough different issues that I don’t know if anyone here can help you. The diabetes needs a low starch diet. The panceatitis needs a low fat diet. IBD often needs a low fiber, no grains diet. I would recommend consulting with a veterinary nutritionist for a homemade, possibly homemade raw, diet, because it sound to me like she needs a diet based on low fat meat and the necessary vitamins/mineral and not much else.

[IsabelleR]

Hi,
I’m new to this site and am seeking dietary advice. My 16 year old Jack Russell was just diagnosed with diabetes after we noticed she had started drinking lots of water for about two days. Her blood sugar was in the 600s and she had traces of ketones. She has had inflammatory bowel disease for years and takes .625 mg prednisolone daily along with being on the Royal Canine hypoallergenic potato and venison prescription diet. The diabetes came on quite suddenly — her blood was checked monthly as she was recently on 6 months of chemotherapy and glucose was always around 90 or so. She also has a heart murmur for which she takes Enalapril. She is not overweight, but lost a pound in the past two weeks, so is skinny at 15 pounds. The vet started her on 2units of Humulin N twice daily, and just increased her to 3 units twice daily after her glucose curve. Because of all of her conditions, he suggested taking a conservative approach and also to keep her on her current diet, minus any treats. Any suggestions on a more appropriate food for her, that would also work with her IBD – she can have duck or venison, although I switched her off of duck about a year ago after she had a mild case of pancreatitis. Thank you — I’m feeling helpless and desperate.

[MinPinMom]

Redrock302, I understand what you are going through. I have a 9 year old Min Min (Taz) diagnosed with Diabetes July 31, 2013. levels started at 560. But now his levels bounce from 150-199, 200-292, to 199-236. I can’t get 3 weeks in a row with a level under 200. This is one of the worst battles for a fur baby. Overweight at 27 pounds, but down now to 24 which I am glad to see, but trying to get him to his ideal weight of 18. No Hills diet because he has been grain free since prior to his Diabetes due to skin problems. I try cooking for him chicken, eggs with cheese, or even turkey burgers even buying 95% meat wet foods as a topper. He will eat one day, but not the next. I lay with him coaching him to eat so he can take his insulin. He is on 10 units 2x per day. I can’t find a dry and wet food that he will go crazy over so I won’t have these battles. We fight numerous ear problems. Meds at least once per month. Just when you think he is in the clear he starts with the ears again. I can’t stand to watch him not eat because he needs his insulin as I am afraid his levels will never stabilize and the Vet will only increase his insulin. But what is the use if he won’t eat. Any help out there would be a blessing.

[rebeccaleaver]

My cat was diagnosed with diabetes in. “07” at 11yrs. I found a website at the time that listed the carb content of every cat food on the market, I printed it out & it became my food bible. He developed hyperthyroidism one year ago, went into renal failure in Oct. & died Nov. 5 this year just shy of his 17th. Two weeks ago my Doberman,age 4, was diagnosed with diabetes with hypothyroidism. I looked for this website or a similar one & can not find one. I don’t know what way to go with him grain free? all wet? comination of both? any advice would be much appreciated.

[BijouMama05]

Arquello1062 – The treats you bought don’t seem to be the ones pets are having trouble with since they don’t contain Rosemary in any of its forms (extract, oil, leaf, etc.). The one I have states the ingredients as chicken & rosemary extract (nothing else). They are Full Moon Freeze Dried Chicken Treats, not the Full Moon Chicken Strips. I did contact the AAFCO with all of my data, vet reports and much more regarding rosemary and dogs (including thousands of adverse reactions in dogs & cats who eat this ingredient in pet foods, treats & human foods/meats) & it has been put on the radar of the FDA/CVM, the vet toxicologist in Tennessee & other watchdog groups by them. I tried to get numerous pet food companies, watchdog groups, pet food advisory groups, etc. to take notice, but no one would take me seriously or take the time & everyone kept ‘passing the buck,’ saying the responsibility belonged to someone else. So, I did all the research (medical, scientific, GRAS, AAFCO, FDA, CVM, AVMA, consumer affairs, hundreds of different foods & treats, etc.) & sent it to all the appropriate agencies in the hopes that someone would finally listen & do the right thing for the pets we all love. Finally someone listened. It was a whimper, not a bang, but at least it was a noise and I can only hope that it got the attention of the right people. I can only hope that something will finally get done about the use of rosemary as a ‘flavor enhancer’ in pet food & its acceptance as a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) ingredient for pets, especially when it is known to cause such severe reactions within hours of ingestion in thousands of pets (vomiting, diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance & hypoglycemia [from vomiting & diarrhea], etc.). Rosemary has been known to be a bile stimulant for over 100 years & in small dogs & cats, those with digestive problems, GERD, colitis or sensitive stomachs, health problems, older pets, puppies, diabetes, etc. this excess bile would definitely cause the extreme symptoms seen when rosemary is consumed by these pets (but not as often by larger or healthier animals).

[Cherylak]

My dog is currently on Hills Prescription WD canned for diabetes. I am searching for another food to give him. I bought a couple of cans of 4Health dog food but not sure if it is a good choice. If anyone can share what they feed their diabetic dogs it would be very helpful. He also gets 4 health small bites small bites. Thank you.

[husky3]

Hello,

I’m replying to my original post in regards to my Husky not losing any weight. We switched to a completely raw diet in February, and she is still gaining weight. 🙁 She weighs in at over 60 pounds now. She would have a poor body condition score. Can not feel ribs, or locate the spine or hip bones. Exercise has been a little less since it has been so hot lately, but I have also decreased her food amounts. Almost to the point that I’m not sure if she’s getting enough to sustain her daily needs. I don’t know what else to do at this point. I have two other Husky’s that are thriving! They have excellent body condition, and get just as much exercise, but with a lot more food, almost twice as much food!!

In May, we had an ultrasound done on her, and they said that there were some slight changes to her liver & kidneys, but nothing major. We also had her thyroid checked again, and ran tests for Cushings, Addisons, Diabetes, Diabetes Insipidous, and Atypical Cushings. They all came back negative. We ran an allergy panel as well, and she did have some environmental allergies that we are working on now with the drops.

While she tested negative for Atyp. Cushings, they did say her hormones were a little elevated, and we are treating that with Lignin and melatonin. I have seen a change in her attitude, for the better, but no weight loss.

She had an ear infection a couple weeks ago, and another one about 3 months ago, which is a new development. She also has red stained paws from her licking them, or perhaps it is a yeast overgrowth?

Does anyone have anything else to add to this conundrum? Any medical ailments that mimic cushings, or thyroid problems? At this point, I don’t think it can be diet related unless she is allergic to raw meat, and it’s not chicken.

Thank you for your help.
Tay

[suesue2013]

Thank you very much for your information, to not be sorry for anything that I can read or for the good advice. And yes my little girls were a little overweight, however, the vet kept telling me she was not too concerned ‘yet’. But what was shocking to her was than both girls came down with diabetes and they are not from the same parents. She said “the overweight did not cause this problem” But you are correct, it was not good for them. Being on the vet diet got them down about 4 lbs each which is really good and they look great. Thanks for your concerns. Bob

[BlackAndTan]

Hi Sue,

So sorry you’re dealing with these issues. What a rough patch!

I think HoundDogMom has great links, above. I’m have less depth of reading in the area, but I’d just like to mention a few things I know to be true.

1) sugar, regardless of the amount, shouldn’t be in our dog(s)’ food. It has no place in their diet.
2) most vet-prescribed food is of surprisingly POOR quality. It makes no sense, but this is just the way it is. It often contains corn, syrups, wheat, rice, and various fillers, with meat/meals several ingredients down the list.
3) diabetes in some cases can be reversed, so read up as much as you can! I was terrified when my dog started having seizures last year, but I’ve done a lot of research and feel much more in control. The more you know!
4) If they are overweight, this is extremely dangerous for a dachshund because of their spines. Dachshunds should always stay just a few ounces underweight (lean!).

Sorry if I’m repeating things you already know.
Good luck! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi suesue2013 –

Unfortunately most rolled dogs foods contain sugar (or some other sweetener) as a preservative. Rolled foods are very unhealthy (at least all the rolled foods I’ve seen). 🙁

I would highly recommend reading the following articles and doing a lot of your own research prior to deciding to feed a “prescription” veterinary recommended diet:

“Canine Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Diet” from Whole Dog Journal:
whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_5/features/Canine-Diabetes-Diagnosis-and-Treatment_20521-1.html

“Canine Diabetes: A Common Yet Serious Problem” from Whole Dog Journal:
whole-dog-journal.com/issues/4_1/features/5022-1.html

“Help Manage Your Dog’s Diabetes Through Proper Diet” from Whole Dog Journal:
whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_6/features/Best-Dog-Food-For-Diabetic-Dogs_20543-1.html

“Canine Diabetes” from Dog Aware:
dogaware.com/articles/wdjdiabetes.html

“Diet and Diabetes” from Dog Aware:
dogaware.com/articles/wdjdiabetesdiets.html

“Life Style Factors that Can Plague Your Pet with Diabetes” by Dr. Becker:
healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/04/07/causes-of-pet-diabetes.aspx

“The Devastating but Preventable Disease that Affects Your Pet” by Dr. Becker:
healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/11/25/preventing-pet-diabetes.aspx

**Some of the Whole Dog Journal articles may not be available to non-subscribers.

[suesue2013]

I have two female Dachshunds, not related, who have been eating Natural Balance, in the Log style, for the past 4 + years. Now they have both come down in Diabetes. Our Vet told us we had to change the food immediately to a Diabetic food and she put them on Vetssulin twice a day, each. I read on the label of Natural Balance to see what the content of sugar was in a roll of their food, and it does not say, it just says Sugar. Has anyone heard anything about this food?? Bov

[rogerharris]

Here are top 10 wholesome dog treats you can make at home:

1.Dog Cookies: Include kiss me cookies, peanut butter cookies, pink delight paw print cookies, etc. that are specially made for puppies.

2.Pumpkin: You can use wheat cream or rolled oats with pumpkins. There is no need to cook first; you should bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. This treat is made mostly for senior dogs.

3.Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Biscuits: This vegan diet is great for gluten intolerant dogs. You can use millet, almond, rice, corn or oat flour if your dog is allergic to wheat.

4.Apple Cinnamon Dog Biscuits: The treat is meant for dogs with arthritis and/or diabetes. This dish should be refrigerated overnight or for one and a half hours then baked for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

5.Oatmeal Bark Bites: This treat is good for dogs with pancreatic or liver disease since it has low animal protein and fat.

6.Veggies Treat: The treat contains low levels of phosphorous and fat. This is restricted for diets that curb liver and kidney diseases. When cooking, include vegetables like zucchini and sweet potatoes which are low in phosphorous.

7.Crispy Yam Doggie Snacks: Bake slices of sweet potato and make the dish sweet, salty, crunchy or spicy.

8.Vegetarian Muffins: Include ingredients for vegetarian diets like apples, carrots, wheat flour, molasses, oats, etc.

9.Beef Dog Treat: These biscuits are meant for dogs that love meat.

10.Chicken Dog Biscuits: To make the treat, you have to use organic low sodium chicken broth that is organic.

These and other dog meals are easy to make and the ingredients are readily available. These recipes are a great way to offer wholesome treats to your dogs unlike the commercial foods in the market which cause kidney complications. Make your dog treats from 100% natural and organic ingredients.

[theBCnut]

How long after the crazies was his blood tested? I know people with diabetes that are totally off their rocker when their blood sugar is messed up. Did he do all that while you were home or were you gone and came back to find it? If you were gone, he may be having bouts with seperation anxiety that are intense when he isn’t feeling good. Is he accustomed to a crate?

[launicaliz]

Dogs are carnivores. Feed them raw protein, like meat and eggs. Period. End of discussion.
P.S. No doggie diabetes

[paige-s]

Canine Caviar is an excellent food for diabetic dogs, its formulated for diabetics with no potatoe, no carrots, nothing high glycemic. Pearl millet is the LOWEST glycemic grain. the special needs formula is fantastic for low protein and low fat (18% and 8%). i would highly recommend this food.

[mo]

am new here, just wondering james if you are a veterinarian or you have a diabetic dog..? I dont think so by the wrong advice you are giving out.

anyone with questions about their diabetic dog should consult with a vet and also join an internet diabetic dog forum.

[soho]

Hi anakinthedog

I’m sorry to hear the your dog is not doing well.

I have some questions:
How often do you test your dog’s blood sugar?
Did anything change when his blood sugar rose to 600? (food, exercise, cold/flu etc)

In order to make any changes to your dog’s care regimen you have to be able to monitor his blood sugar every 2-4 hours to make sure everything is going well. Low blood sugar is much more dangerous then high blood sugar. Low blood sugar can kill you on the spot while high blood sugar takes months to kill you. Sorry for being graphic. If you did not change ANYTHING right before his bg (blood glucose) began to rise then you might lower his food intake by 10% and raise his insulin dose by 10% wait 24 hours while monitoring bg closely and then if his bg is still above 300 you could lower the food and raise the insulin each by 10% again.

I am not a fan of using only one type of insulin for controlling diabetes. You can achieve much greater control if you use a rapid acting insulin right before or after meals to control the bg rise from the meal and an ultra long acting insulin to control the body’s production of glucose that has nothing to do with meals.

Wet food, whether it is homemade or canned is a much better choice for a diabetic dog than kibble. All kibbles contain a significant amount of carbohydrates.

Remember with diabetes carbohydrates are the ENEMY. Limit them as much as you can. The lower his diet is in carbohydrates the better off you and him will be. I would try to stay below 15% in total carbs for your dog’s diet.

Managing diabetes is not an easy task but it can be done. As a guide for anyone who wants to learn about diabetes and obtain the skills necessary to control this disease I recommend the book:

You will learn a great deal about diabetes if you read this book and it really doesn’t matter that this book was written for human diabetes.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by soho.

[anakinthedog]

Good information here; it gives me a lot to think about.
I’m currently feeding 2 cups a day of dry Royal Canin Diabetic kibble and no more than one cup a day of Merrick’s Grain Free 96% Real Chicken canned- he refuses the dry without the canned on top. Urination is becoming more frequent as well as the accidents in the house the last two days. Ketones are normal; blood sugar is close to 600. He’s 34 lbs and consuming as much water as he did before diagnosis of diabetes a month ago. I’m taking him back to the vet this week as his sugar was controlled up until these past two days.
In the interim, has anyone tried feeding their diabetic dog Simply Nourish’s canned grain and gluten free stews? Anakin loved it before he was diagnosed and it seems to be a pretty good food. Low in carbs, high in protein.
Side Note: Im trying to keep his caloric intake around 780/ day. he gets 8 units of Humilin N twice a day after breakfast and dinner. I am not giving insulin with lunch.
Thanks for any feedback you may be able to give and for the OP as well.

[ella]

Have you considered putting her on a natural diet? I hate going to the vets. I’d rather spend $2 on a nutritious diet than spend $1 on a vet.

I switched my dog to Primal Raw Frozen. It’s mostly meat with very few carbs. Grains are used in feed lots to make animals fat, and they have other side effects that make animals sick.

Dogs weren’t designed to eat grains and carbs. Sounds to me like you have a typical vet. So interested in selling you expensive drugs and crap, that he doesn’t have time to address the problem. Allegra for a dog??? Please.

Even if your dog didn’t used to have allergies to the food doesn’t mean that he tolerates it well. Sometimes it takes a while for dietary choices to catch up. Just like kids that get 90% of their calories from sugar and starch and carbs, they may not exhibit severe symptoms as teenagers. Watch them when they’re older, though, and you’ll notice much more in the way of illness, obesity and diabetes than humans who eat the natural diet of humans.

I’d bet that your dogs problems will go away if you feed your dog a natural diet.

[dianna521]

Hi Everyone! I am considering opening a pet supply store. I was hoping that I may be able to get some feedback here. My top priority in this venture would be to provide healthy choices and help educate my customers. What determines where you make your purchases? How loyal are you to a specific brand? Is there anything that you would like to buy from a local store that you are unable to find? Is price as important as informed sincere staff? I’m sorry if I come across as hounding for information. I would just like to get opinions from pet owners who are aware of the importance of nutrition for their pets. Years back, I almost lost a cat to diabetes because I was mislead and didn’t educate myself to understand his nutritional needs. Buster was on insulin for 2 months. I took him off Science Diet and started feeding canned food and he recovered so swiftly it was like it was all just a bad dream.
Thank you so much for any input!

[soho]

If I could suggest just one resource for anyone interested in learning the ABC’s and XYZ’s of Diabetes it would be this book by Dr Richard K Bernstein:

“Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars.”
It is available on Amazon in hardcover and Kindle e-book editions.

The title is a little misleading as there is no cure for Diabetes. But don’t worry you will learn more about Diabetes then you ever imagined by reading this book. Dr Bernstein was an Engineer who was dissatisfied with the state of Diabetes management when he became diabetic about 65 years ago. He developed what was at the time the revolutionary concept of LOW CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION. Dr B then became a doctor so he could better share his methods for managing diabetes with the rest of the world. Dr B has the blood sugar of a non-diabetic and you cannot tell he is a diabetic through blood tests!

This book applies to human diabetics but the major issues are the same for humans and canines. In both species diabetes is characterized by a breakdown (autoimmune or otherwise) of the body’s ability to produce insulin. And in both humans and canines insulin is the hormone responsible for assimilating sugars into the cells.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi cashmyhorse –

If home cooking for your dog is something you’re willing to do and can afford, I strongly feel that a balanced homemade diet utilizing fresh, low glycemic ingredients would be the best option for your dog.

Here is some information on diet and diabetes:

dogaware.com/articles/wdjdiabetesdiets.html

As far as balancing the diet, there is a company called “Balance IT” that has vitamin/mineral supplements designed to balance a homemade diet. There is a recipe generator on their website in which you can enter information about your dog, including any health issues such as diabetes, and a recipe will be created to suit your dog’s needs – check it out at balanceit.com. There are also some pre-mixes with low glycemic ingredients that would be suitable for a dog with diabetes – The Honest Kitchen’s Preference, Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance and Birkdale Petmix. With the “Balance IT” supplements and pre-mixes generally all you need to add is meat and water, all the vitamins the dog needs are in the mix. If you want to feed a completely made from scratch diet, invest in a good book with recipes that conform to AAFCO nutrient standards. My favorite book is “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. Another great book is “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr. Becker. Dog Aware has some great tips on homemade diets as well.

[InkedMarie]

Look at this same forum under “diet and health issues”, page two, for a thread about diabetes.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I would have blood work and a urinalysis done by your vet – this could be a sign of kidney failure or diabetes. May or may not be associated with the food.

[mydogisme]

Thank you,thank you!!!! she does really well for a whole day and then she gets sick for a couple of days and then she does well again. It is 1 day at a time but she is 75 percent better then she was in dec,jan. She gets a shot every 12 hours,diabetes. Shes ok now with it,doesnt even flench at all. I have got to get her picture on here, I wonder how many Mike will let me fill up the pages?:)As if I only have a few! Again, thanks Penny for your prayers

[amydunn19]

James,

I am not stalking you but here’s the deal: you have all the suggestions for people who have come here looking for help and answers they aren’t currently getting from their vets. Your suggestions might be great with a knowledgeable vet in a clinical setting where your suggestions could be very tightly controlled. The average person who looks at your suggestions can’t implement them on their own and shouldn’t because they are dangerous for a person who doesn’t possess a great deal of experience. I don’t think all of your ideas are crap – I know lots of lots of people with diabetic dogs who use Levemir or other types of insulin besides nph. You state that the meals when using other types of insulin don’t need to consistent in size and time frame are like nothing I have ever heard. Even my friends who use other insulin keep their dogs on very tight, consistent schedules. Your statements about nph being outdated are ridiculous. It is a widely accepted starting point for most newly diagnosed dogs because it has a track record of most closely resembling their natural insulin. It doesn’t mean every dog will do great on it, though because each dog has different issues and physical makeup.

By the way, I didn’t know that starting a thread here allowed you to say who can or can’t post to it. Do you own the rights to this thread? I have said it before and I will say it again- this isn’t a simple argument about which food is best. You are messing with people whose dogs have just been diagnosed and they are scared and don’t know what to do. You are giving advice to them that can’t be followed without a knowledgeable and willing vet and honestly your ideas have more to do with human diabetes and dogs are not the same. Not only that, you say you are not a vet, but you counsel people whose dogs have diabetes – do you work with a vet or in research? How do you meet these people you counsel? I have read so much research on diabetes and have never seen any protocols published like the ones you are suggesting. So, I guess I will not invade your thread again since you own it but I feel sorry for the people who come here looking for answers. There are some great canine diabetes forums out there administrated by people who know what they are talking about and who actually have diabetic dogs. No crazy advice there.

[soho]

Hi Amy,

It looks like you are becoming my own personal stalker!!!

I get it, you don’t like my recommendations. You use an insulin regimen with your dog that was used in humans 25-30 years ago. Yes, NPH was the recommended insulin for treating Diabetes when I became diabetic almost 28 years ago. The current recommended insulin regimens for humans with diabetes has advanced dramatically and the insulin regimen I recommend reflects those advancements.

You on the other hand are using an outdated insulin regimen that is 25 years behind current knowledge about the treatment of diabetes and results in a shorter life expectancy due to complications from Diabetes. You are free to use whatever insulin regimen you like for your dog. Please start your own topic on the treatment of Diabetes. By posting outdated 25 year old insulin regimens on this topic you are potentially hurting the dogs whose guardians might follow your advice.

I have worked with over 50 dogs with diabetes. I have also worked with hundreds of humans with diabetes. One of the things that those dogs and humans have in common is the fact that an insulin regimen like the one I have outlined extended their lives and decreased the amount of complications suffered due to Diabetes.

[amydunn19]

Fasting a diabetic dog for 24 hours is one of the most dangerous things I have ever heard. There are many different diets out there for diabetic dogs. The trick is finding the one that works with the insulin to keep your dog well maintained. My dog has been diabetic for five years. What works for my dog may not work for the next person. I personally feed Nutrisca with a topper of either Merrick canned or Grandma Lucy’s Pure Performance. I stay away from potatoes and tapioca for my dog. You might google diabetic diets for dogs and find a great article from the Whole Dog Journal. It is quite informative and gives examples of different diets that owners have successfully used to maintain their dogs. If you don’t home test, I would start ASAP.

[msbabbit]

/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-carbohydrate-content/
Missing from Every Dog Food Label
Carbohydrate content has actually been deliberately omitted from the dog food’s nutrition label.
If feeding your dog a low carbohydrate diet happens to be your goal… and you’re looking for that information on a dog food package… you’re simply out of luck.
But there’s good news.
In less than a minute… you can quickly uncover the hidden percentage of carbohydrates… in virtually any dog food.
Here’s how…
How to Quickly Calculate the
Carbohydrate Content of Any Dog Food
Basically, the bulk of all dog foods consist of four major nutrients…
Proteins
Fats
Carbohydrates
Moisture (water)
In addition, all these products include something called ash. Ash is the non-combustible mineral residue that’s left over after burning away all the protein, fats and carbohydrates.
Ash content usually measures about five to eight percent of each finished product1 . So, I routinely allow about 8 percent as a benchmark for this important variable.
Together, the protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate and water content must account for roughly 100 percent of the total pre-cooking weight of any dog food.
OK. Now, some simple math…

[msbabbit]

Safarisam- You must remove the crap food- I do not care what anyone says about “Dogs evolving” to omnivores. Their bodies can not digest grain and its the dog food we have fed our babies that gave them this human disease. As small as your baby is you can feed a raw or cook a rare-ish diet pretty cheap. Remove all kibble and all commercial dog food period. I have almost killed my dog experimenting with dog food.. Bottom line is ALL dog food is crap if it has fillers of any kind and ash.. There should not be things like “crude analyses” in food of any kind.

Again I can not express enough that unless the dog food is pre-packaged raw, there is NO SAFE DOG FOOD on the market for diabetic dogs – its not safe for non- diabetic dogs but thats another thread.

Feel free to contact me if you want.. I have years experience with this issue and I understand what you are feeling right now. Its so confusing and scary..

[Hound Dog Mom]

Click the “Forums” tab on the red bar at the top of the screen. This will bring you to the forums homepage. Diet and Health issues is the third forum down, click that. Diet and Diabetes is the sixth topic down. I’d just post a direct link to the topic, but everytime I post a link my comment goes to the spam folder for some reason.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi clea11 –

(sorry if this post shows up twice, my first disappeared)

I wouldn’t feed Solid Gold Holistique Blends to a diabetic dog (or any dog for that matter) it’s WAY too high in carbohydrates and very low in protein. You want a high protein/low glycemic food. If you check out the thread titled “Diet and Diabetes” in the Diet and Health issues topic area James Bailey has posted a lot of great suggestions of appropriate foods for diabetic dogs.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi clea11 –

I wouldn’t feed Solid Gold Holistique Blends to a diabetic dog (or any dog for that matter) – it’s WAY to high in carbohydrates and very low in protein. If you check out the “Diet and Diabetes” topic James Bailey has a lot of great food suggestions for diabetic dogs: /forums/topic/diet-and-diabetes/ – you want something low in carbohydrates and low glycemic.

[soho]

Hi lovelibby,

Hyperlipidemia can be caused by badly controlled Diabetes. It can also be caused by other things.
The first thing I would do if I were you is try to tightly control my dog’s diabetes.

I would fast him or her for 24 hours while I figured out what dose of long acting insulin such as Lantus, Ultralente or Levemir controlled his basal levels of glucose. The basal level of glucose is what the liver constantly produces throughout the day and has nothing to do with meals. You might have to do the fast more than once (with plenty of days in between) until you calculate the correct dosage of long acting insulin. Then you can calculate the mealtime dose of rapid acting insulin such as Novolog, Humalog or Apidra. You would start with a very low dose and slowly increase the dosage until you find the dose of rapid acting insulin that adequately controls the glucose from your dog’s meals.

The beauty of a two insulin regimen is your dogs meals are not tied to any particular time of day and can vary in size. You can give the dose of rapid acting insulin immediately after a meal this way you give the correct dose of insulin for the amount of food your dog actually eats with no worries if he doesn’t finish his whole meal.

You must test your dog’s blood glucose levels a lot in the beginning while you figure everything out!!! I would test upon arising, right before meals, 2 hours after each meal and at bedtime.

The regimen I outlined is not a simple one but it can be done with the help of the right healthcare professional and I believe it pays off in the long run with a happier and healthier dog.

I would never feed my dog Hills W/D. Here are the ingredients:

Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Caramel (color), Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C) , Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Iodized Salt, Mixed Tocopherols added to retain freshness, Citric Acid added to retain freshness, L-Threonine, Beta-Carotene, Phosphoric Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Dog’s with diabetes are still dogs. They still need a lot of protein. Fat should vary with the individual dog’s health, issues, diseases, etc. The hills W/D diet in my opinion is not fit for any dog to eat. While hills tries to focus on the dog’s diabetes , they completely fail to meet the nutritional needs of ANY canine. Hills addresses the dogs diabetes with high fiber (29.5%), high carbohydrates (51%) , low fat (8.7%) and low protein (18.7%).

As far as diet goes I discuss this in earlier posts in this topic.

[lovelibby]

What to do if your dog in addition to having diabetes also has Hyperlipidemia? Of course our Endocrinologist recommended Hill’s W/D… Actually told us that diet does not make that big of a deal in dogs, only in cats and humans!! I know they are not Dietitians but that just doesnt sit right with me! ??

[Jackie B]

Prince Poodle had 2 UTI’s a couple years ago. Since I switched him to all wet/moist food (4 or 5 star rated only) and some homemade food (recipes from Feed Your Best Friend Better by Rick Woodford) and bought him a circulating pet fountain, the UTI’s have not returned. Definitely try that out. I just had him blood tested again (they tested him for diabetes after the 2nd UTI) and his blood tests has improved quite a bit.

There is one type of rare bladder stone that does not appear on x-rays. When I took Prince in for his 1st UTI, my vet told me he had only removed 2 such stones in his whole career. And he has them in a baggy and showed them to me. 😛 I’m assuming your vet is aware of that and is investigating it.

Solid Gold brand also makes a product called Berry Balance, for urinary health. Don’t use it at the same time as prescription dog food (I’d avoid most RX dog food if you can help it).

[lewalk]

Okay, here’s my situation that I’m hoping to get some help with. There are no shelters or rescues in the parishes where I live and work so the animal problem is out of control. I have become the crazy dog lady around these parts. It’s to the point where people stop me on my mail route and offer me dogs. Ten years ago we bought our daughter a lab. I didn’t know better than to not shop, adopt. I do now. Actually I pick up starving and abandoned dogs rather than adopt. This has led to my having the lab who is ten and seven other dogs age three and under. I have realized recently that I need to change their food as they have an array of health problems. My lab is fairly healthy with the exception of dry skin and icky runny eyes. The three year old rat terrier has an itchy behind and has developed a darker pinkish tint bordering on a rash on his belly and inside his arms. The three year old pit mix is surprisingly healthy especially since she was starving when I picked her up. The one year old husky/German shepherd mix is healthy as well. I picked up four pit mix litter mates several months ago running down the highway in the rain. We have since learned they have an immune disorder which has led to them having red mange. The two black pups have dry skin and runny eyes like my lab. One brown pup has diabetes and one has recurring yeast infections on her belly. They are all on a mix of Red Flannel Adult and Purina Puppy Chow with Red Flannel Puppy recently mixed in. I feed them all the same food because it’s easier for me because they always want what the others are eating. I just realized their health problems could be from food allergies. Of course I feed the diabetic dog differently. She eats Science Diet w/d dry and canned food. I don’t have the money to spend a fortune on food as I have a lot of vet bills but I want them to be healthy and happy. Added to this is a puppy less than a year old who has IVDD. I had the sheriff go to the people’s house that had her and talk to them as she was barely able to walk and they weren’t caring for her. Cut to, me having another baby to care for. My saint of a mother is keeping her at her house while we give her the time she needs to rest and hopefully heal. I was also wondering if there was something I could feed her to boost her immune system as well. I was never really an animal person so I don’t know much. I’m trying to learn but am a bit overwhelmed. I will gladly accept all advice and be very thankful for it. I’m sure I haven’t included the correct info. I tend to ramble on and on when it comes to my fur babies.

[amydunn19]

My dog’ s attacks seem to start with vomiting so that is when I use Cerenia. I typically don’t use the metro unless she has diarrhea. Anything I treat her with is always cleared through my vet and was actually his idea. If it saves me an emergency vet visit, I am for it. As far as Tramadol, I use a small amount of a pill if she is acting painful which also usually accompanies her pancreatitis attacks.

I don’t use probiotics – it may have benefit but due to her diabetes, I just don’t give her anything extra that might affect her sugar.

[amydunn19]

Kristi – that is great news. Maybe the higher dose of insulin is making a difference. You might want to do a curve – starting with your morning food/ shot, check the bg every two hours. You will see how your dog is using insulin and the effects of food and activity. Hopefully, your foods will get there soon.

James – I suggest going first with what the vet recommends, which is nph usually. If that doesn’t work, then you go with another insulin, like Levemir or even Lantus but everyone should get this from the vet after monitoring and testing. You were the one who originally posted that a dog on nph was impossible to regulate and as I explained it is wrong to suggest that especially for people who are new to diabetes and looking for info. I have never said a dog should only be on nph. I know from experience that many diabetic dogs require different combinations of insulins and each one will react to the combination of insulin and food. All of the info for Lantus you posted is information for people using Lantus, correct? Dogs don’t process insulin in the same ways as people or even cats(i know you know this) Not only that, my dog’s actual curve doesn’t look exactly like the standard nph curve that the company posts so those graphs don’t mean anything about what is going on in reality.

[soho]

Hi amydunn

The problem with ALL the links you posted and all the quotes about the effectiveness of Lantus (glargine) you supplied is this:

They only used ONE type of insulin in those comparisons. If you were to use only ONE type of insulin I would agree that NPH is marginally better than Lantus. But I have never nor will I ever suggest that you use only ONE type of insulin for a diabetic dog. You will NEVER get the level of glucose control using only ONE type of insulin as you will get with the 2 types of insulin regimen I recommend.

http://www.lantus.com/images/hcp/charts/lrg_1.2.3_1.png

The above link tells you the onset of action and duration of 6 different types of insulin. For each type of insulin there is a graph. Axis y is insulin levels, axis x shows 4 points, Breakfast , lunch, supper and bedtime. The colored line in each graph shows the insulin level in the blood.

The first graph is the basal graph which uses Lantus, the line is flat and stays near the bottom of the graph at the top of the basal level of glucose but below the 3 peaks of breakfast , lunch and dinner. So if you took away the 3 peaks on that graph there would still be a low gray area that traveled from left to right on the graph. That is the basal level of glucose which is constantly being secreted by the liver. The dark blue line of the lantus rides nicely at the top of the basal level of glucose.

The next graph is the prandial graph which uses a rapid acting insulin such as Humalog or Novolog. There are 3 green lines that represent 3 different injections of rapid acting insulin. Each green line almost perfectly covers the 3 glucose peaks of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So the Lantus perfectly takes care of the basal level of glucose and the rapid acting insulin almost perfectly takes care of the rises in glucose from meals. This is the regimen I suggest. My regimen COMBINES the long acting insulin of the basal graph with the rapid acting insulin of the prandial graph. In this regimen you would only inject the rapid acting insulin once if your dog ate only one meal, twice if your dog ate two meals and not at all if your dog didn’t eat that day.

I used Lantus as an example of an ultra long duration insulin. There is also Ultralente or Levemir. I used Novolog and Humalog as examples of a rapid acting insulin. There is also Apidra.

You suggest using ONLY NPH insulin. The graph of the NPH insulin shows the light blue line of the NPH not covering the basal glucose or the mealtime glucose AT ALL. This regimen is nowhere near as effective at covering the glucose of a dog with diabetes as the 2 insulin regimen I recommend.

I have tried my best to convey to you the superior effectiveness of the 2 insulin regimen I recommend over the use of NPH alone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. I ask you to please respect my opinions and I will respect yours. I wish you and your dog the best.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Amy. I will also look at people that are dealing with cushings for their dogs because I was told the cushings is what caused the diabetes to appear in the first place. He actually has quite a bit of issues besides the cushings and diabetes but those are the things that we are trying to get under control first. I do appreciate everyone’s advice. I don’t believe there is anything that is perfect but I hope I will find something that will work for my dog. Today I actually changed his diet because of all the research I’ve done and everyone’s experience that they’ve shared with science diet. I have not received his new food or any of the diets I wanted him on yet so a little bit frustrated with that but I decided to cut half of his science diet food and change half of it to blue buffalo since it appears that is more highly recommended. I’m extremely excited because his glucose read 233 today at 3:00pm! It’s the best reading I’ve had in a while. I still have a ways to go and I will continue to look at other options but I really wanted to do something since it was over 400 yesterday.

[amydunn19]

James – do you have any research articles/studies that support the use of Lantus in dogs? The link you provided from caninediabetes.org was merely the peaks of certain types of insulin but in the information that followed, it only mentioned the use of Lantus in cats. I am trying to understand where you are coming from with your aversion to using nph for diabetes in dogs and why you make statements about it being “impossible” to regulate a dog with nph – that is absolutely not true. Of course, there are dogs that don’t do well on nph but it is by far the most reliable and most prescribed and that is not just my opinion. I looked for some research on using Lantus and all the information I can find doesn’t give a great endorsement for Lantus use in dogs:

http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2012/04/treating-diabetic-dogs-with-insulin.html
http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/index.html?page=43507&pid=0-Comparison
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/petdiabetes/images/8/87/2006symposiumproceedings.pdf
(on page 40, Dr. Nelson states: “My experience with insulin glargine in diabetic dogs has been mixed and somewhat disappointing. I currently only use insulin glargine in poorly-controlled diabetic dogs where NPH and lente insulin are ineffective because of problems with short
duration of insulin effect.”)
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/diabetesindogs/images/3/3d/2009_V110Diabetes-Western-2010.pdf (on pg 4, Dr. Scott-Moncrieff states “Long acting insulins such as PZI and Glargine
are quite unpredictable in dogs and are not appropriate for the management of most diabetic dogs.”)

The only reason I am posting this is not to change your mind or to try to prove you wrong or even argue for the sake of arguing – I am deeply concerned about people who have newly diagnosed dogs who are desperate for information who might see what you posted and start having doubts about what their vet is doing. I know how scary, confusing, and overwhelming it is to get that diagnosis. Vets don’t usually do a great job of explaining the process to owners or diabetes for that matter and many don’t encourage their clients to test bgs at home.

[soho]

Hi, I am not a vet. All of my advise is based on my experience with both human and canine diabetes. It is exactly what I would do for my own dog with diabetes.

I would like to discuss an insulin regimen for the dog who is not consistent in his or her eating habits. Let’s say you never know how much they are going to eat at any given meal or if they are going to eat at all. This happens a lot to dogs whose health may be declining due to complications from diabetes or any number of other illnesses. It is also very helpful for the finicky eater.

You would still use a long duration insulin like lantus to cover the basal glucose levels which is glucose secreted by the liver and has nothing to do with meals. Lantus begins to work in 2 to 4 hours, has no peak and lasts for about 24 hrs.

For meals (prandial) glucose control you would use a fast acting insulin like Novolog or Humalog which have a duration of 4 to 5 hours. This would cover the glucose metabolism for any given meal without being tied to a certain time or meal size.

For the unpredictable eater you would inject Humalog or Novolog AFTER a meal. This way you could give the right dose for whatever size meal your unpredictable eater consumed or you could give no dose if they did not eat at all.

The most effective glucose control for dog or human is to cover basal glucose and prandial glucose SEPARATELY with 2 different types of insulin, a rapid onset short duration insulin for meals and a slow onset long duration insulin for liver glucose production which remains pretty constant throughout the day.

Here is a graph that shows the curves of different types of insulin:

http://www.lantus.com/images/hcp/charts/lrg_1.2.3_1.png

The basal graph shows the flat blue line which covers the glucose secreted by the liver. The prandial shows the green line which closely matches the glucose from meals. The graph of the NPH insulin doesn’t closely match anything.

[amydunn19]

The fact that you have worked with human diabetics and you are a diabetic and have counseled dog guardians(whatever that means) doesn’t really mean alot for this particular person who is facing Cushings and Diabetes with a vet who doesn’t even specialize in dogs. Do not tell me I am unwilling or unable to provide the care my diabetic dog needs – she was diagnosed over five years ago and she is doing great. What are the statistics of the dogs you have worked with? You are making vague statements of your accomplishments but no real hard data to back it up. How many of those dogs had Cushings, and pancreatitis? You recommended high protein and high fat food to these dogs and that worked? If you have this information, share it specifically. This is the danger in this kind of forum and not at all what I thought it was supposed to be. It is one thing to get on and talk food and ingredients but when you make suggestions for people whose dogs are in life-threatening situations and you suggest taking actions that go against everything that is out there from real experts in dog diabetes( not experts in reading labels and studying ingredients), I have to call BS.

Kristi – please find a canine cushings forum to help you with some of your questions. These people are living with your situation every day.