Senior dog has diabetes

[Jdarg]

LadyB- Mo is not starving. He is a dog, and one that has trained his onwner very well! He does not "need" this extra food or treats- but he has learned to want it because you give it to him, and that is fun for dogs. Ignore him- which is much better than adding more weight to his already compromised joints. I've seen his picture and he is certainly not starving, and in fact might get around a little better with some weight loss.Getting Mo to a good healthy place is going to take alot of work and will power on your part- and not time spent in the kitchen cooking special meals and giving him treats, because loving your dog does not mean overfeeding him. He will eat whatever you give him when he is hungry, but if you keep offering him anything he wants, he will never eat what is good for him. Two meals a day. That's it. A couple diet biscuits. It's better to use a few kibbles of his dry dog food for treats. Boiled chicken and rice- just add a few bits to his food, mix it all together, maybe add a bit of warm water. No broth, no salt, no fat. His hips will thank you for it, but it will take some time to "undo" the begging- that is what he is doing, not telling you that he is "not gettng enough food".

This situation always makes a good "Far Side" scenario- the human slaving over the hot stove, thinking "my poor dog won't eat, so I cook all these nice foods for him"...and the dog thinking "Sucker- I have her trained!!" You need to take back the control, LadyB!

 

[Lady D]

Well, I guess my husband and I both have been kind of guilty all these years of giving in to their constant barking for more food and the begging. I made up my mind this morning I was going to feed him just the two times a day and ignore his barking and hope he will cool it! Have taken him on a short walk the past two days for exercise. Really too hot though even around 7:00 a.m.! I have told my husband we are not giving him anything extra anymore. Hate having to feed him so early but don't have a choice with having to leave early for work and having to give the shot also before work.

 

[jessifunn]

woof.

 

[Lady D]

woof.

 

[Mango]

Lady, Jdarg is right about the dog having you trained. My cat did the same thing for many years and he weighed 24 lbs at one point. He also had an undiagnosed thyroid condition, but the weight caused other medical problems, like a mega colon (don't laugh! I know it's funny) but I have to give him daily meds for that so he can poop. He eats twice a day now, half a can now mixed with some crunchies to cover the taste of the meds. During the day he bothers me for food meowing and carrying on, and I used to give in to him. My vet suggested I put him out when he whined, and I did that for while, although difficult, and he stopped after a while. he does get a mid day snack if I am around, but other than that, he does not get more food. He is still fat.

 

[ktmeadows]

Lady, Jdarg is right about the dog having you trained. My cat did the same thing for many years and he weighed 24 lbs at one point. He also had an undiagnosed thyroid condition, but the weight caused other medical problems, like a mega colon (don't laugh! I know it's funny) but I have to give him daily meds for that so he can poop. He eats twice a day now, half a can now mixed with some crunchies to cover the taste of the meds. During the day he bothers me for food meowing and carrying on, and I used to give in to him. My vet suggested I put him out when he whined, and I did that for while, although difficult, and he stopped after a while. he does get a mid day snack if I am around, but other than that, he does not get more food. He is still fat.

Funny how pets have the ability to "train" us. ;-) We have a sweet little 5 lb. black and white bunny (Dutch rabbit) who begs for treats during the day if I'm home. She'll either do a little dance around my feet, or come and jump in my lap if I'm sitting down and excitedly sniff at my hands as if searching for a treat. I've tended to give in to her in the past because her begging antics are so darned cute; I'd either give her a peanut, a raisin or an extra yogurt treat. However, it's gotten her into trouble in the past. Rabbits have very delicate gastro-intestinal tracts and too many treats causes bacteria to quickly multiply in their tummies. This results in a total shut-down of their digestive systems (gastro stasis) which is fatal if not treated. It's happened to her a couple of times; she completely stops eating and pooping, becomes lethargic and very sick. I had to rush her to the vet, because if a bunny remains in gastro-stasis for any length of time their other organs shut down as well and they eventually die. The vet examined her, did an x-ray to verify that she was in gastro-stasis, gave her IV fluids, meds, etc. and I had to give her meds and force feed the poor little thing through a syringe for 5 days until things starting moving again and she began eating on her own. It was so sad seeing her so sick and near death. Many bunnies don't survive this ordeal.

After this last time I learned my lesson. She gets her regular diet of hay, food pellets, salads and baby carrots daily, along with one or two tiny yogurt treats daily. Maybe once a week or so she'll get a peanut or a raisin, but that's it. It's so hard to ignore her "begging" but I've learned that in the long run, giving in to her does much more harm than good!

Animals are so amazing, and what's even more amazing is that they know how to tug at our heartstrings!

 

[Jdarg]

There are a few simple things we can do as dog owners to help them have a good quality life as they get to be "older dogs". Weight control is so important. My old cattle dog had joint issues from the time he was 5, and we made sure he was never too too fat- there were a couple times when he would gain just 5 pounds, and I would feel terrible because he had to struggle more to keep moving. But if we kept him at "fighting weight", which meant 3/4 cup of Science Diet B/D twice a day (and that was all- 50# dog!), gave him glucosamine, and the last 4 years of his life, gqve him anti-inflammatory meds every day, he had great quality of life.

Once they get heavy and are having a hard and painful time with their joints, don't make them exercise to lose weight. Sometimes all they can do is walk outside to go to the bathroom. The weight loss will be slow without the exercise walks, but honestly, if you could barely walk, would you want someone dragging you around outside? Dogs, like people, reach an age where puttering around the house might be just fine. Going outside to go to the bathroom takes extreme effort.

LadyB- something you may want to consider when Mo has to go outside- does he have to go out back and down steps? When it became apparent that our dog was having discomfort with the steps, I leashed walked him out the front door and in the front yard to do his business, and picked up after him. Much less stress.

No table food. Some dogs have the stomachs of cast iron, but even those will get a nasty intestinal upset occasionally when given food other than their regular dog food. They will live longer, be healthier, and cost owners less money in vet care! When they are begging you for food, it is because you let them, not because they are faint from hunger.

 

[Lady D]

Either way he has to go down steps. But when we are home we take him out our front door and all he has to maneuver are two steps down and back up. The only way for him in the house in the morning is up our stairs from the basement. My husband opens our gate across the driveway in the afternoon and brings him up that way so he doesn't have to go up the stairs other than 2 or 3 steps. But I have to put him downstairs when I go to work. Cannot leave him in the house and the vet is the one who told me to walk him for exercise to lose weight. I guess I will have to stop. They won't put him on rimadyl. I guess I can give him an aspirin a day with food. He takes glucosamine every day already. Has been for years. His mom was on them also. Sometimes I think vets don't know all they think they know.

 

[Jdarg]

Either way he has to go down steps. But when we are home we take him out our front door and all he has to maneuver are two steps down and back up. The only way for him in the house in the morning is up our stairs from the basement. My husband opens our gate across the driveway in the afternoon and brings him up that way so he doesn't have to go up the stairs other than 2 or 3 steps. But I have to put him downstairs when I go to work. Cannot leave him in the house and the vet is the one who told me to walk him for exercise to lose weight. I guess I will have to stop. They won't put him on rimadyl. I guess I can give him an aspirin a day with food. He takes glucosamine every day already. Has been for years. His mom was on them also. Sometimes I think vets don't know all they think they know.

Vets, like human doctors, can only do so much, and it is in their office. How the client/patient handles things at home is out of their control. There is a lot of this behind closed doors at animal AND human medical offices, because when someone walks out the door, well, who knows? So no, vets KNOW they don't have all the answers, because they know that there are owners who think they know more than their vet does- as in, go home and do exactly what they want or what is easier for them, despite "what the doctor ordered". We usually see those patients back and have to start treatment back at square one.

There are good reasons to not put your dog on Rimadyl. My boss will no longer use it- there have been serious side effects. I find it odd that if your vet truly knows Mo's situation- that he has to climb steps with great difficulty every day and has a hard time getting up- that he has recommended exercise to lose weight. Also, there are other anti-inflammatory med options. Have you asked for x-rays to pinpoint the exact problem? If not, your vet may be hesitant to treat without knowing what he is dealing with. I would ask for a few x-rays when you take him in for his next blood glucose test.

 

[Lady D]

Lady, Jdarg is right about the dog having you trained. My cat did the same thing for many years and he weighed 24 lbs at one point. He also had an undiagnosed thyroid condition, but the weight caused other medical problems, like a mega colon (don't laugh! I know it's funny) but I have to give him daily meds for that so he can poop. He eats twice a day now, half a can now mixed with some crunchies to cover the taste of the meds. During the day he bothers me for food meowing and carrying on, and I used to give in to him. My vet suggested I put him out when he whined, and I did that for while, although difficult, and he stopped after a while. he does get a mid day snack if I am around, but other than that, he does not get more food. He is still fat.

What a pretty kitty! Beautiful!