baifra

RIP little George You didn't fail him. You did the best you could and he knows that. He wouldn't want you to feel like you have failed him. Remember all the good times you had with him and remember his smiling happy face. He would want that. Grieve for as long as you need to. He was a big part of your family. My heart breaks for you. I have been where you are and it's a very hard place to be. Take care of yourselves.

She's a beauty alright!! My red cattle girl is approx 10ish (guesstimate) and she is such a wonderful dog. The photo's are gorgeous!!

I usually have some 'in stock' myself but we have just moved and I can't find a thing!!!

Are there any 'human' medications that we can give our dogs when they are in pain. Sometimes my girls go too hard at the beach and are a bit sore, limping at night. Not enough to take them to the vet but enough for me to want to help with their pain. Just curious. I know panadol is out of the question but what about anti inflammatories??

Goodnight old lady You did your family proud and they will keep a piece of you in their heart forever. Run free little girl. Rest easy. You will be dearly missed.

I'm so sorry that I missed this. How devastating. RIP beautiful Savannah. I really enjoyed looking at photo's of Savannah, especially the photo on the first post. Perfectly poised and dignified. So sorry for your loss. Losing an oldie is so hard.

My diabetic dog didn't have any problems with losing hair at all but she did take a long time to heal if she hurt herself. Cuts and scrapes tripled in healing time which is very common in diabetics. Maybe your dog does have an underlying problem aside from the diabetes. Good luck.

RIP Gorgeous Girl What a brave girl to wait until you got home before saying goodbye. So sorry for your devastating loss. Take care.

How absolutely devastating My heart completely breaks for you. What a darling girl she was So beautiful. Please take care of yourself at this terrible time. My thoughts are with you.

RIP handsome Elroy So very sorry for your loss. A very hard and selfless desicion that you had to make. Elroy will remain in your heart forever. Take care.

That is so sad Poor Daddy duck, looking for his family. Life is so cruel sometimes. RIP mate. You deserved better.

RIP Jenny old girl. From the photo's it looked like Jenny had a beautiful soul. Just gorgeous. I'm so sorry for your less. Always hurts to lose an oldie, but they will always be in your heart.

RIP Sammy What a handsome little guy he was. So sorry for your devastating loss.

RIP gorgeous Bella What a devastating time for you. Having to see your beautiful girl in distress like that would be shattering. My heart goes out to you. Bella knows you did everything you could to save her. She will always love you and have a place in your heart. Take care of yourself and Boss.

Hi cfswombat. I agree with Shmoo, I wouldn't be changing her insulin dose without consulting your vet so soon after your dog has been diagnosed with diabetes. If you are noticing changes in her behaviour during certain times of the day then it sounds like she needs 24hr blood sugar level monitoring to see what is going on. To make it easier for you and your vet... start a diary. Write down EXACTLY what she eats in the morning, when she has her insulin, how much she drinks, exercise she does and behavioural changes. It's really important not to miss anything out and write down exact times. This will help the vet out greatly. Exercise can plummet Blood sugar levels yet stress can elevate them. Is your dog exercising more than usua?l, are there any new changes in her life that could be causing her stress? Canine diabetes can be a bit tricky to juggle to begin with but it settles down very quickly. The single most important thing to successfully manage canine diabetes is routine. It gets a bit monotonous (sp?) but your dog will be happier and her Blood Sugar Levels will remain more stable. There are different insulins available however I think it's probably a bit early yet to be considering changes. Hope everything works out well for you and your girl.

That was a beautiful tribute to Sal. She sounded like a true 'once in a lifetime' friend. They don't come along often. It's so lovely that Sal and Ozzie are together once more. They are with you in your heart every minute of everyday.

Run free Handsome man I'm so sorry for the of Elliot. Just devastating. My heart goes out to you and your family at such a sad time. Take care

RIP gorgeous Sammy So sorry for you heartbreaking loss. Your right... no matter what age they leave us it is always too soon. Take care.

RIP handsome man So very sorry for the loss of Tyson. Take care.

Rest easy beautiful May You were surrounded by love, warmth and compassion. You fought hard and deserved so much more in life.

When we moved interstate our new vet was using Protophane on all his diabetic clients. At the time we were on Caninsulin but only once a day (which at that time was the way the insulin was given, I understand that these days it is twice daily). Protophane is an insulin used on human diabetics and at first I was a little skeptical but gave it a try anyway. It worked beautifully!! Sammy's BSL's were very stable and the savings i made were enormous as I only used a fraction of insulin compared to the caninsulin. May be worth talking to your vet about it. There were downsides. One day I accidently dropped the vial of insulin and smashed it to pieces. Of course this was on a saturday after my vet had shut and no other vets stocked that brand of insulin. I finally found an after hours vet that was willing to help me out and they gave me some caninsulin to last the weekend providing I kept a close eye on her BSL's. After that I made sure I had a back up vial handy!! I did monitor Sammy's BSL's on a glucometer. I also kept a diary. At first I wrote down what food she ate, when and the amount of exercise she had for the day. I also recorded her BSL's. If she was feeling "off" eg, off her food, overly tired or drinking too much water I would write down any differences in her diet or daily routine. This made it easier to see any patterns and also gave the vet a very clear picture of what was going on. As time went by, I didn't stress so much as she was very stable and I became much more confident in reading Sammy's behaviours.

Hi Missme, I had a diabetic dog for 3 years before she sadly passed away a year ago. This is a very stressful time for you I know and what you need is reassurance and a Vet that not only appreciates how scary it is for owners but also one that is willing to answer your questions and go through the whole process with you step by step. When my girl, Sammy was first diagnosed at 8 years old my vet was fantastic. She went to the vets for an overnight stay to monitor her Blood Sugar Levels (BSL). The vet asked that I bring in her food with a chart of what time and how much she got. She was not on any expensive food or 'fancy' diet. I understand that the Hill's food is very expensive on top of insulin, vet trips and all the rest that comes with the management of diabetes!!! I found that routine (strict) was what worked best for my girl, that meant eating at the same time, the same food (with the odd treat or carrot stick). Quality food definately is better but not everyone can afford it. You can change her diet but you will need to monitor her BSL's closely for a couple of days while she adjusts. Do you monitor your dogs BSL at home with a glucometer or urine testing? My girl was on caninsulin for a while before switching to a different brand and in both cases the used by date was one month after opening. ( I am a nurse and it is the same with human insulin) Luckily for us Sammy was a big girl and required more than one ampule per month so we didn't need to worry about that so much. I have heaps of information and tips to help you manage your girl's diabetes. Just PM me and I'd be more than happy to help you out. It all feels so overwhelming now but believe me, in a couple of months you will be fine!! Take care and congratulations on adopting such a lucky and special dog.

RIP Monty Sounds like he was a tough old bugger. Sorry for your loss.

RIP beautiful Cindy I'm so sorry for your loss. Take care, my thoughts are with you on this very sad day.

RIP stunning Bliss I'm so very sorry for your loss. How wonderful that Bliss had the chance to say goodbye to all she loved before she went to the bridge. She sounded like a really lovely girl. Take care and my thoughts are with you.