My dogs 8th vet visit tonight - wish him luck

maxdp

Marshallka

Not wishing to teach my granny to suck eggs as the saying goes but have you looked into his diet. I used to feed my dog on commercial food and he was quite hyper so now make all his food myself from rice minced meat eggs etc and it has made a huge difference. Although I am aware that at the time he was a pup (well still is really do labs ever grow up he is 15 months) and still needed to learn his manners. I have a friend who has a collie and used to feed his dog on "working dog food" just because he was a Collie. Poor dog never worked a day in her life and was not being given enough excercise anyway and she became quite neurotic and would play with a beach ball in the garden for hours totally focused on this ball. He changed to ordinary food and she is a lot better now.

marshallka

maxdp wrote: »

Marshallka

Not wishing to teach my granny to suck eggs as the saying goes but have you looked into his diet. I used to feed my dog on commercial food and he was quite hyper so now make all his food myself from rice minced meat eggs etc and it has made a huge difference. Although I am aware that at the time he was a pup (well still is really do labs ever grow up he is 15 months) and still needed to learn his manners. I have a friend who has a collie and used to feed his dog on "working dog food" just because he was a Collie. Poor dog never worked a day in her life and was not being given enough excercise anyway and she became quite neurotic and would play with a beach ball in the garden for hours totally focused on this ball. He changed to ordinary food and she is a lot better now.

I have just said to my hubby this morning about his food. We changed to Wellbleloved/ Wainwrights when he had his eye probs cause we thought that his hyperactivity may be due to this and they would not medicate. ALso we then started buying the pets at home large bags of coloured treats:o. (we never bought them before only treats were raw hides occasionally and bones with meat in). He and my other dog expect them everytime they have done something/anything we have asked. I started treats on walks and giving them to him and since we got back off hols they have not had any only carrots and we have not had a puddle anywhere and also his water dish is normal. I now wonder if we could do this with just diet alone. I would like them to retest again and am going to take a urine sample (going to buy some dipsticks also just to be sure) so they both match before giving the insulin. I am going to look at feeding my own food also. Is there any site that could ideas on how much and what recipes I could do? Thanks for that maxdp. We were thinking along these lines ourselves.

Waterfalls

another thing that may be worth a try is DAP, to help reduce the stress he has within the vets. the collar would be a good choice as it will be easy to travel with him. the ceva website has a offer on at the momement. if u print of the voucher u can get a spray free when u buy a diffuser

most vets are usuallly ok with performing glucose curves at home as it would give a more acuurate reading.
They may also dispence some EMLA cream to make ur life easier. it a topical anaesthetic cream that u can place on the ear an hour before u need to take a sample.

best of luck with it all!

marshallka

Waterfalls wrote: »

another thing that may be worth a try is DAP, to help reduce the stress he has within the vets. the collar would be a good choice as it will be easy to travel with him. the ceva website has a offer on at the momement. if u print of the voucher u can get a spray free when u buy a diffuser

most vets are usuallly ok with performing glucose curves at home as it would give a more acuurate reading.
They may also dispence some EMLA cream to make ur life easier. it a topical anaesthetic cream that u can place on the ear an hour before u need to take a sample.

best of luck with it all!

Thanks waterfall. I was looking at the diffuser for DAP last year. We tried everything with his vet visits. I believe that any dog can turn if they are ill. I know of Emla and have some in (i used it on my daughter for her jabs at school) but I really am not affaid of the jabs hurting him (he is hyper) but just the thought of him moving about really. He does not stay still long enough lol. I want to do the glucose curves at home cause the vets visits will be too stressful for him and they know that too.

Thanks again.:)

buddys_mum

Sounds like you are begining to get your head around this now. To give Buddy the insulin shot takes only a minute to do, try practicing by asking him to sit and then take up a scruff at the neck and holding for upto a minute if you can. If he fidgets, ask someone to stand infront of him and hold a toy or treat (carrot) and try again, start by holding for a few seconds then its just a case of just building up time as you go. Then hopefully when you get to give him real injections it will be alot smoother for you all.

I started feeding Buddy the Royal Canin w/d and have recently (month ago) moved Buddy onto Burns high oats. I add blitzed (easier to digest) up carrot and runner beans to this. If he is still hungry and usually is, i give him porridge. I make up a batch in the afternoon which lasts for tea and breakfast. Chappie has also been suggested to me as this is low fat and fuss free food, so you dont get all the cr4p that other foods have.

maxdp

Hi marshallka

Here is one link http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-food-recipes.html
I feed mine as follows.

4 cups of rice
9 cups of water
3 glugs or corn oil
pinch of salt
One handful of oats
Bring up to simmer in large saucepan then add

8 oz minced meat (I use tesco basics lamb chicken or beef)
3 oz liver
1 cup milk
2 eggs
parsley
veg about 1 cup (I use peas or sweetcorn) I have tried other veg and it does not suit him so well. Carrot is OK as well but I use that as a treat occasionally to clean his teeth. Be careful of giving too much carrot everyday if you are giving liver as I believe too much Vitamin A is not helpful.

Bring up to a simmer stirring frequently then turn off heat and stir occasionally it carries on cooking itself. This usually does us about 3 - 3 1/2 days

I give him three large spoons (the big silver ) twice a day. I also add some low fat live probiotic yoghurt about a couple of spoonfuls per time for calcium and good bacteria.

I found the recipe somewhere on the internet some time ago and can not find the link. Obviously I am only saying what I give and am not advising you but every different guidance I have seen this recipe has passed all the recommendations. You could also check it over with your V et.

maxdp

http://hubpages.com/hub/Menu_Foods_Dog_Food_Recall

This is the link to the dog food problems a couple of years ago just for information.

getthemax

There's a very good Yahoo group for canine nutrition that may be useful for you. I feed my dog a home-prepared diet because he has severe impaired kidneys and he loves it. It does work out more expensive than the JWB that he used to be on but you can't put a price on your dog's helath can you?

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Nutrition/?yguid=259688615

marshallka

getthemax wrote: »

There's a very good Yahoo group for canine nutrition that may be useful for you. I feed my dog a home-prepared diet because he has severe impaired kidneys and he loves it. It does work out more expensive than the JWB that he used to be on but you can't put a price on your dog's helath can you?

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Nutrition/?yguid=259688615

You cannot put a price on anyones health that you love getthemax.:) We hit real hard times a couple of years ago and we cancelled the dogs insurance thinking that the roof over our heads was more important (cut backs that we all had to do). Last year he ended up needing treatment for his eyes and it was very costly to us (£800 vets fees and also all the other stuff so really and truely it was more like £1000.) We retook the insurance out well over a year ago and he was not showing any signs of this last year when they tested then. I will do what I can for him like I would for any of my family. I have to be sensible and budget it all out though or else we will be in trouble again lol. We changed his dog food to one twice the price last year but I have read that chappie is not so bad for diabetic dogs.. I know its not the nicest meal and my Lhasa would starve rather than eat it but my border would (used to lol) eat anything.

Cheers for that.

marshallka

Well time is getting closer to Thursday now and must admit I am crapping myself. I am having visions of him moving about when I insert the needle and breaking the needle? If anyone reads this then please can they reassure me on this.

He has only wet in the house once since last week. I am feeding him twice daily now (half and half) and no treats only his carrot. He has not wee'd once overnight and the only time was tonight when he had been excited with visitors. Last night we had 8 of us in the living room and he was quiet with his new rawhide chew stick which I have read is OK to give for a treat now and again. I just wish I could wave my magic wand and make him better. I wish I had my time over again with him. I wish he was not having to go through all this stress. I wish I was a better dog owner. Oh how I wish, I am crying now writing this and wishing I could go through this for him. I would give my right arm to go through this for him. He is not your ordinary dog believe me. I feel so scared.