How to train a young dog to be a diabetic alert dog at home?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most likely not. This type of training requires an experienced and highly trained person to be done appropriately. You can check for a trained expert in your vicinity. Good luck!

I have provided a link here that hopefully will help you. There are a lot of good owner tutorials/videos for owners of diabetic pets. The best spots to obtain a bit of blood for a glucometer are the paw pad and ear tips but a lot of owners have trouble and the values may not always be accurate. You do not need to check blood sugars daily as this is not very accurate. Checking a spot check blood sugar is more important if you think the value would be low, which is more concerning than a high sugar. A blood glucose curve is a better way to monitor and this is done 7 to 10 days after diagnosis and after any dose change. Some owners monitor urine dipsticks as well. If you feel like you need more help with this disease process then you could ask for a referral to a veterinary internist who specializes in managing chronic diseases like diabetes. I hope this helps and thank you for using PetCoach! https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/diabetes_guidelines/resources.aspx

Hi Laura! Pet Coach has a couple of great articles about dogs and diabetes that should help you with your project, and I will link them below for you :-) https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-early-warning-signs-of-diabetes-in-dogs/0 https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-for-taking-great-care-of-your-diabetic-dog/0

Princess has probably been diabetic for a while (possibly many months). When the diabetes continues on untreated, the dogs can become ketotic. If she still has a good appetite, the she may be able to start insulin shots, anti-nausea medications, pain medications, etc. at home without needing specialized hospitalization. If she is very ill, her best chances are in the hospital. You always have the option of declining in-hospital treatment and trying to treat at home, but you may not always be successful. You should discuss all available options with your vet, even if the outcome is not ideal or leads to a poor prognosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a very serious problem in pets and causes life-threatening abnormalities. They need aggressive IV fluid therapy and a special type of insulin to slowly decrease their blood glucose and manage them through the many ups and downs. The monitoring and hands-on-vet care required means high bills. Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas - the organ that regulates insulin) is very common in diabetic dogs, and can make things harder to treat since it causes intense pain and nausea. Your vet probably also warned you that having a diabetic dog is expensive since she will need regular vet visits, blood glucose monitoring, insulin and the syringes to administer it, a change in diet, etc.

Oh puppies can be so fun, and so much work too! Depending on your son’s level of disability I would start by having him hand feed her meals if possible. She will learn to associate him as her caretaker. Lots of petting and affection, and if you want Zoe to be bonded with him, then he should help care for her as much as he is able. Most significant training will start after 6 months, when her attention span is a bit longer, but Zoe can start now with sit and lay down. I strongly advise seeking professional help with training, so Zoe and your son can have the most positive relationship possible. Good luck!

This is an excellent source of information available on line. I would recommend to have a look at this link to understand better how to start with this training. https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/toys-and-play/how-to-get-started-with-dog-agility-training Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The best way to get dogs to pay attention is by offering the two things they love, treats and praise from their owner. I recommend that you offer treats and ask her to be calm. She is going to be looking at the treat and you closely. This is the time to let her know that that is the desired action and that she is doing well. I think this can work well for you Aleia. Good luck!