My diabetic dog's insulin isn't working; still sick and losing weight.

It sounds like his diabetes is not controlled well. I would start with a glucose check and a urine test. This will confirm if the sugar is still high and if he has ketones in his urine. Ketones can make them sicker and feel bad. They usually require IV fluids and a different, strong but shorter acting insulin to help get it under control they can also do blood work to check for cushings or a low thyroid or a secondary infection somewhere as these are common with diabetes and makes it harder to control diabetes until these are treated also. Once the blood sugar stop fluctating and staying high, his appetite will come back and the drinking slow down.

Since Cairo has just started being stabilized with insulin and diet, it may take a little while for her body to adjust. In general, it is safer for a diabetic dog to be slightly above the desired range than to be too low, so if we are going to err on one side or the other, we generally prefer a little high. Depending on the frequency of your checks, Cairo may be falling slightly below the desired range at some point of the day which may account for for lethargy or she may just not yet be well adjusted. And every animal is different, so that may be the range that she feels the best. I would discuss your concerns with your veterinarian and see what range they would recommend maintaining her. It will likely be fine to maintain her a little high right now. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answers your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. If she is still drinking and peeing and having glucose in her pee then the diabetes isn't under control. Chat with your vet about checking for infections (urinalysis is recommended) as well as Cushing's disease. If these are present the diabetes won't become controlled. Hair loss is associated woth Cushings as well. Good luck with her!

I am afraid Roxy is showing typical signs of diabetes: She’s started drinking more, losing weight despite eating normally and having some incontinence in the last week. Diabetes can also make a dog more prone to bacterial urinary tract infections, which is why your vet prescribed clavamox. Stress can cause higher blood glucose levels, but the elevation would be relatively small compared with a diabetic glucose elevation . A blood glucose level over 220mg/dL would definitely be higher than one caused by stress and this would be diagnostic for diabetes. However, should your dog have diabetes, it does help to keep stress levels as low as possible and to also have her teeth checked and if they are in need of a dental cleaning to have this done, as dental problems also cause stress and can compromise the success of diabetes treatment. I hope Roxy only has a UTI, but even if she has diabetes, this is relatively easily dealt with. .

I am very sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues with Matilda. These clinical signs, inappetance and increased water consumption are unfortunately very common for diabetic dogs. Because Matilda's body cannot handle the Sivan she eats in her food in a normal way, an excess amount is passed through her urine. The sugar drags water with it, meaning that Matilda will urinate more of her water intake and reserves then a normal dog will. Keeping her insulin medication and feed intake carefull monitored will help slow this diuretic effect and keep her more hydrated. The same issues with handling sugar inside her body can affect her appetite. If you are noticing that these problems are becoming worse, I suggest a recheck with your vet to make sure that the medications are at an appropriate dosage, and that there aren't any complicating factors present, such as a yeinary tract infection, which are common in diabetic dogs. I hope this answer was helpful, and more Importantly that Matilda feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

Please try to bring her appointment forward to get her rechecked and her blood sugar levels controlled more effectively if possible. It may be necessary to change her insulin type but she should also be checked for infections/inflammation etc which may be altering her ability to regulate her condition

The fact that you are reaching out for help does show that you love your dogs, and it's the right thing to do. While you are correct that Pixie's symptoms could be due to diabetes, they could also be due to a UTI. A UTI would make her feel ill, and consequently cause her to want to sleep more. Should she have a UTI, then a course of antibiotics will cure it. The only way to know for sure what is going on with her, however, is to take her into the vet. A vet can do routine blood tests, and a urinalysis to see if she does have diabetes or a UTI, and can treat her accordingly. I would take her into the vet to diagnose what is causing her symptom because both can be treated. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com