# Diabetic dog



## vegdoglover (Feb 21, 2007)

Love the BARF Rescources thread. I wanted to also ask if anyone has a diabetic dog and what they feed him/her? I do not feed raw but understand it's the best thing you can do if you can do it. My dad's dog (my brother) has diabetes. Goober was on Beneful (I know, I know) for years b/c his old vet said there was ntohing wrong with it. Then he was diagnosed and the same vet sold him Science Diet. I had been working on my dad for like a year and finally he swtiched to something better after only a couple of weeks with the Science Diet. He started feeding Canidae and then changed to a holistic vet. She said Canidae was ok and got him to add some supplements and my dad is cooking turkey for Goober. 

Ok, so to why I am posting. Goober's diabetes is getting worse, which has my dad freaking out. He has an increased need for insulin and he is going blind. He is now more open to going raw or at least switching to a better dry food from Canidae. I don't know much about this so I was hoping for direction. My understanding is you want a low carb diet for a diabetic dog.

I have GSD's and do GSD rescue but Goober is a Collie/Hound/Lab who the **** knows mix. He is 6 years old. He gets walked an hour a day and has playtime with his brother a few times a day. 

My dad is calling me after midnight these days and I am at a loss as to how to help him help The Goob.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

Home-prepared Dog & Cat Diets By Donald R. Strombeck has a section on diabetic pets. I don't have the book to be able to fill you in on any details, but perhaps a look at your library would help.


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## Alto (Nov 18, 2008)

First tell your dad to stop freaking out - Goober's blindness is not something that is happening because your dad switched foods; yes, it is food related - re the diabetes - BUT diabetes related blindness is from slow, longterm damage that has occurred over the years.
(it has to do with imbalances in osmoregulation that occur with the erratic glucose blood levels - even insulin managed diabetics often have vision & other cellular damage)

If your dad can find a vet that has specialized in diabetes (even if it's just a clinic that he visits rarely) they will be able to give him support & resources.
I'm not that up on Yahoo groups but I believe there are groups for both Diabetic & Blind dogs so if your dad does the internet, he can find alot of specific help there.

Blind dogs can do extremely well, they just need their families to do some adjusting.

I would be concerned if Goober has eye damage that he also has significant kidney damage so I'd get comprehensive blood tests done as soon as possible. 
Goober's vison loss may be correctable through surgery.

Some considerations:
How is he responding to the insulin? how is his response to medication being monitored? has the vet offered alternate forms of insulin? does the vet feel that this is late-onset-diabetes or a pre-existing condition that was finally diagnosed? 

http://www.caninediabetes.org/ does have alot of homemade diets listed (along with the specific dog's story).

I'd personally choose a raw diet (with several small meals or snacks if possible) but the diet needs to be something that works for your dad's lifestyle too - consistency is probably more important than a particular diet (ie there is more than one way to manage diabetic pets). Not every pet does best on a raw diet so your dad shouldn't feel that if he doesn't "do raw', he's not doing the best he can for Goober - some of those prescription diets really are the food that a patient's condition is best managed on.

Yahoo group for diabetic pets:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetespet/

Tons of specific links at Pet Diabetes Easy Reference List
http://www.petdiabetes.com/

HTH


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