Diabetic dog - feeling delicate atm :(

heartbreak_star

Hi all,

My lovely little pooch has been diagnosed with diabetes. I hate giving her the injections but she's getting used to them

Sadly, she's IMMENSELY food-motivated (rescue dog and we suspect neglect in early life ) so it's a bit hard getting her used to not having loads of treats.

So - riddle me this MSE'ers - are dog treats labelled as "diabetic friendly" ACTUALLY any cop? I ask as OH's dad bought some for after her daily walk, and she's showing a tiny bit of her original symptoms again...

We tend to bribe her with tiny cubes of beef jerky and they don't affect her as far as we've seen.

Please be nice as this has had me in tears several times, she's my little furry world.

TIA!

HBS x

threeeyedraven

I'm sorry but I dont have much advice advice for you but I just wanted to give you a virtual hug, I understand how you must be feeling having been through something similar this year (Cushing disease on my elderly terrier) and also having a "furry world" of my own. However, something to bear in mind is that all treats have to be food, instead of biscuits/treats etc maybe a favourite toy? or a brush of her coat if she likes that? I have a "special" toy which my dog adores but I keep in a cupboard and is brought out only when he has been a particuarly good boy.

Take good care of yourself and your furry friend.

xx

heartbreak_star

Ah thanks Raven! So sorry to hear about your little terrier too I do hope he's OK.

Finding a favourite toy might me a good idea - she's crackers for squeaky balls for some bizarre reason nothing else squeaky, just balls...

Thank you for the ideas and the hugs

HBS x

Person_one

I also have a very food oriented rescue dog, he's had two cruciate repairs in the last few years so needs to keep his weight down to reduce the pressure on the joints/metalwork but is also on steroids permanently for a skin condition so is even more food obsessed and constantly hungry than before!

I try to keep treats to a minimum for the other dog too, as I don't like to feed one and not the other. For training/walks etc. I take a little bit of cooked fresh chicken cut into tiny pieces and when leaving them in the house I put a tiny amount of a wet food in a kong for him and freeze it so that the taste lasts longer and they get the satisfaction of working on it for a good long time without so many calories! I have also switched to weight control foods which isn't as expensive as I was worried it might be, he absolutely loves the nature diet senior light trays.

I also have to keep him on the lead more than I used to as if there is a hedgerow or something to disappear into, he will do and will emerge with an old kebab or a dead bird snack, which is lovely. I also have to supervise meal times as he has will try to steal food from the other dog.

heartbreak_star

Thank you P1, some great advice there, Mum's looking for a Christmas present for my dog so I may suggest a Kong

HBS x

Person_one

Depending on your dog's chewing abilities, you might want to get the black ones. My foodie dog is fine with a normal red one but my toy poodle can destroy them in hours and needs the tougher black ones that are labelled 'extreme' and have a picture of a rottie on the packaging (yes, a toy poodle! :rotfl:)

teddysmum

'Special ' foods for diabetic humans are a just a sales pitch as they don't have a reduced effect on blood sugars and can cause diarrhoea . They are not recommended by Diabetes UK and I would imagine that similar products for animals would get a thumbs down from your vet.


There used to be 'special' dog gravy sold , at a very high price, to encourage poor eaters to feed, but these products were horrendously high in salt content, so not at all good for the dog.


Some vets even say that 'special' breed or age related foods are a con, too. In the case of those offering more additives for older dogs, the content is so small that you would better serve your pet by feeding normal food and buying a supplement, so you know how much they are getting.

flybynight

i wouldnt bother with diabetic / diet foods.
we use litle cubes of carrot as treats.

Katiehound

I am just wondering if you could use veg (and possibly some fruit) as treats. My dogs love things like these raw: ribs from cauliflower leaves , carrot sticks and apple slices.
I'm thinking that dried liver would be no/ low sugar. Slice or cube your liver and then bake in low oven until it is hard (but obviously don't feed too much as it can have tummy repercussions!!)

janeys

Sorry to hear about your wee dog, it can be quite daunting when you get the diagnosis. We are on our 2nd diabetic rescue dog, and have had a diabetic dog for 10 years. I have not found a suitable diabetic treat, our current dog is major food fixated to the point of eating other dogs poop if he is allowed. He is always on a lead as he can not be trusted. I feed him dry chappie and I put some of these dry biscuits in his bag to give him when we are out walking, (i usually have to give these to well meaning dog walkers to give him instead of the gravy bones that they try to feed him). At home we give him raw carrots, but we have learnt to restrict any food treats. It is not easy having a diabetic dog but I promise you it it does get easier and when you get into a routine it is very manageable, good luck xx

teddysmum

Have a look at the nutritional content of Fish4Dogs products. The ones I checked just have protein and fat; no sugar.


Our dogs loved them and they cleaned their teeth well (when they had teeth).