- Image by DeathByBokeh via Flickr
It’s only taken nearly 90 years, but payback for diabetic dogs has arrived. Treatment for diabetes got its start when scientists isolated insulin in dogs. It seems only fair then, that all the advances since that discovery are now being applied to our furry and no so furry friends (dogs, cats, cows, horses) in the form of continuous glucose monitoring. Over a period of days, this yields the kind of information owners need for optimal disease management. Gets rid of those nasty frequent blood tests, too!
Medtronics makes the device that sits between the shoulder blades just beneath the skin and records information every five minutes. Diseases that can stem from obesity often have their root in carbohydrate fillers. With this new device, vets can better see how diet is affecting the disease and get the insulin dose right.
The University of Missouri’s Charles Wiedmeyer conducted the published research and is hoping companies will design devices specifically for animals.
(Source: Science Daily )
You're going to have to forgive me here for going on a short rant, Mary, but as the owner of a diabetic dog this is a subject near and dear to my heart and I need to set the record straight about a few things.
First and foremost, contrary to popular opinion, canine diabetes does not stem from obesity. It is a hereditary, generally adult onset disease, and is more akin to type one (juvenile) diabetes in humans than it is to type 2 which is related to — and can sometimes by offset by — diet. (Feline diabetes, on the other hand, is more similar to type 2 in humans). Obesity exacerbates the problems with canine diabetes — and is not healthy for any dog — but it doesn't cause it.
A good diet is important — I feed Frankie a low fat, grain free diet (for the reasons you cite about carbs) — but the testing is purely to determine levels of insulin diabetic dogs need to take for the rest of their lives.
Which brings me to here's the next issue. Schering Plough has withdrawn Vetsulin, porcine based insulin, from the market because of problems with formulation. It took me a long time to get Frankie regulated and Vetsulin was the only thing that ultimately worked. I have about a 4 months supply and then… well, it's back to the vet for a lot of testing of products that didn't work in the past (or maybe trying to get hold of an emergency supply). So I guess it's a good thing that this device will be available because I'm going to need to do a heckuva lot of testing.
By the way, I've had no problems with the urine strip testing that I do twice a day. It's not precise but I never had a problem with adjusting insulin dosing based on it.
The reason I've used the strips rather than a meter is because Frankie is a small dog, and it's hard to draw blood from him. Which brings me to the last point. I couldn't tell from the original article what size the device is. For a dog that weighs 9 pounds, anything larger than a 1/2 ounce could be a problem….
Sorry… longer rant than even I thought. I've been very stressed lately because of my Vetsulin supplies running low.
No sorry needed, really, this is an excellent object lesson for all of us to take, given that food companies keep linking the two, obesity and diabetes, implying causation when it's really about using diet as a control factor.
As much as dogs have a great many of the same diseases as humans – something that makes them subject to lots of testing for medications and cures – it's not always exactly the same in dogs. So that message stuck in my head even though now I vaguely recall you had set someone else straight on this some months ago. So now I will go correct the record on that linked post…it's all about the wording and how it can so misrepresent the facts. Whew! Thanks for setting the record straight, Edie!
Edie J, since your dog is doing well on Vetsulin there are two things you can do. My dog also does well on Vetsulin so his vet and I are very against switching him to another insulin. The first thing is to order Caninsulin from an online pharmacy in Canada. A prescription is not required in Canada. The 2nd thing is to have your vet enroll your dog in the Vetsulin Critical Need program. This program is for dogs who cannot be regulated on any other insulin and it sounds like your dog meets this criteria. If you are approved then you will be able to get Vetsulin directly from the manufacturer.
Hi,
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Thank you!
Have to agree with Edie on this one. My cat developed diabetes from being obese – I was traveling and he had food issues due to prior living conditions and would sit at the feeder and just gorge.
Do you know if they are doing the same for cats Mary? Would love to know!
Edie has a dog with diabetes and also was hired to write up research for Tufts on this. She said she was surprised when she found that many vets were unaware and seemed to be conflating canine obesity as a cause of diabetes. We all continue to be taken in by misinformation because it is so pervasive in the culture. Not correct, just pervasive (a lot of that going around I guess).
Lorie Huston, DVM, is going to help us out with a guest post later this week on what other diseases present differently in dogs. I believe Edie will be writing on canine diabetes and what she found, too, maybe next week! She's got the lowdown on felines too, so save that question! Thanks for stopping by, Mel:)
Just wanted to write back and let everyone know that I ended up switching Zeke off of Vetsulin and Caninsulin in July of this year. I had run out of the Caninsulin and my usual source in Canada was unable to get me any more of it. It turned out to be a non-event. I used the urine sticks several times a day for about a month and gradually raised Zekes dose of NPH until we got him to a good dosage for him. He is doing well and I am glad it turned out so well.
Thanks for the follow up on Zeke! Glad to hear the switch went well!