My diabetic dog is sleeping. Should I wake him for food and insulin?

I would wait about 12 hours after his last dose of insulin. I would also make sure he eats something before giving the insulin at that time. If you are not going to be up at the 12 hour mark I would recommend holding off the insulin until tomorrow. If you give the insulin now you risk his glucose going to low even if he just ate. Just know he may develop diarrhea from the cat food. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, he should get some insulin now. The usual starting dose is about ¼ unit per pound of body weight. Thus, a 20 lb. dog would start at 5 units; 40 lb. at 10 units, and so on. So at 29 pounds, he should get about 7 units of insulin. Check his glucose again in a few hours and see where he is to make sure he's not getting too low. If he does get really low, you can help bring it back up by giving some honey or Karo syrup.

Hello. Depending on the insulin, yes, it is best to distribute the insulin twice a day to coincide with two meals a day. I just do not think it is appropriate to feed a diabetic dog only once a day. I believe you can get much better control if you divide his total daily calories into 2 meals spaced every 12 hours, & to give the total insulin, also divided into 2 even doses. Of course, I do not know all the particulars about your pet's condition, so please consult your veterinarian for any additional information. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, I think you should check his blood glucose, which I think it’s going to be high. If you can’t because your vet is closed and you don’t have an emergency clinic nearby, I would give him half dose of insulin. Please get in touch if there is anything else we can do for you. Hope this helps.

The best things for diabetic dogs to eat are food items low in carbohydrates. Aim for food with higher protein and fat. As far as insulting goes, anywhere under the skin is okay but I aim for a loose area of skin such as between the shoulders. Most importantly, if the dog doesn't eat, don't give the insulin . Hope that helps

Yes, I would just wait and resume normal insulin dosing at his next meal. It's risky to try and "top off" a partial dose (if he didn't get the whole thing for some reason), so better to just pick up with his next normal dose and go from there. A single skipped or lower-than-normal insulin dose should not cause any serious harm. If the increased urination continues, then I would talk to your veterinarian as he may need to have his glucose levels rechecked and his insulin dose adjusted.

Small breed dogs are particularly high risk for sudden low glucose levels when they skip meals, so I would suggest waking him and making sure you at least offer food. If he refuses the food, then just leave it out to make sure that if he gets hungry in the middle of the night that he has something to eat. Try not to make it a habit however because leaving food like can cause accidents to occur in his crate.