My diabetic dog is going blind and panting. Is spaying an option?

Drinking more water is more likely to be a sign of high blood sugar. Panting is not really specific to either low or high blood sugar. If you’re unable to check Fidget’s blood sugar at home and you feel something might be wrong you may want to contact your vet to see what they recommend based on her history. It is dangerous to change the insulin dose without first consulting your vet so I would recommend continuing the current dose as long as she is eating, not vomiting, and not having trouble walking or acting lethargic.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If Milo has not had his glucose checked in a while, this could be due inadequate regulation of the diabetes. He may have developed ketones in his blood as a result of his glucose not being regulated, which may have caused a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis. I have seen the excessive panting with this condition. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. He may or may not need to be hospitalized based on his current state. There may also be something in his respiratory tract that is abnormal so chest xrays may also be warranted. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for your question! The increased panting could be due to a number of things. Based on your location, the outside temperature could be making things a bit more warm for Reese and as he is an older guy, he most likely does not tolerate the heat as well as he used to. Due to his age, I would certainly want a basic blood panel run on Reese to see if there are any systemic causes of the panting. I know this is not necessarily a low cost option but it would give you the most information to start with. If the cataracts are causing blindness and consequently causing anxiety due to this, there unfortunately is not much for a low cost option to help with the cataracts. I would see if putting a fan nearby reduces his panting. For anxiety, you can try an Adaptil collar and diffuser (all available online) to see if this helps with anxiety and the panting. If no improvement, I would definitely get in to see your regular veterinarian for a further, more detailed workup. Hope this helps and do feel free to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have.

25 ml is an incredibly large dose of insulin, and I’m assuming you mean 25 units. if she’s eating normally and she is prescribed to receive insulin now, you should give it at the prescribed dose. I’m not sure how the spinal problem was diagnosed but Tramadol May help with any pain associated with that, so again, if this is a prescription given by her doctor I would go ahead and give that medication. Panting can definitely be a sign of pain, so I would use pain medications that have been prescribed for her and see if she improves. You should also also ask your veterinarian about whether gabapentin might be a good pain medication for her, as it frequently helps with pain that is neurologic in origin. if she does not improve after receiving her medications I’d recommend seeking emergency care, as difficulty breathing may be the sign of a serious and new problem for her.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Quintino! I have had patients have successful cataract surgery after being diagnosed with diabetes. The owners have been very happy and feel that their dog's quality of life was improved. Success rates are about 90-95% per eye 6 months after surgery. Complications (the 5-10%) can be imperfect but improved vision, or inflammation that requires long-term medication, glaucoma and/or retinal detachment. Complications can lead to loss of the eye in about 1% of cases. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Star needs to see the veterinarian. It’s possible these symptoms are all connected by a disease like diabetes or renal disease. It’s also possible these are separate diseases processes. Your veterinarian will need to run some bloodwork and a urinalysis to look for underlying causes. Try to get her seen quickly as the prognosis is generally better with earlier treatment. I hope she starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry to hear about your dachsund! It looks like his hairloss is primarily around his ears/pinnae? and his trunk? It is possible your dachsund suffers from pattern baldness, which can cause this pattern of hair loss in this dog breed. There aren't proven treatments but anecdotal use of some medications such as pentoxifylline and melatonin are reported. I would discuss with your vet whether they feel these are appropriate to try with your dog given his medical history/current medications. As far as the cornea goes, are you certain they didn't say his retina instead of his cornea? The cornea is the surface of the eye, the retina is the back of the eye. In some dogs, if there are problems with the retina we can remove the cataract but the dog still won't be able to see because the retina is damaged already. If they are speaking about the surface of the eye, then it is hard to say without seeing his eye more clearly.