When did your journey with diabetes first begin?
First diagnosed Friday 3 June 2022 at our local vets.
What were the first signs that something was wrong?
Indie was drinking a lot and of course weeing a lot too. Initially I thought it was kidney issues as we have had two previous dogs with kidney failure.
How did you feel when you first received the diagnosis?
First thoughts were shock — I didn’t know dogs got diabetes. Also a bit of relief that it wasn’t kidney failure, so mixed emotions really.
What did you already know about diabetes at the time?
I knew nothing about diabetes especially in animals. I had a friend whose dad had it but that was it.
What kind of information and support was offered to you in making decisions around diabetes management?
The day after our initial visit to the vets Indie had a blood test to confirm the diagnosis and then on the Tuesday she spent the day at the vets to monitor her glucose. The local vets were very mixed with their knowledge of diabetes depending on who you saw.
Unfortunately, over the next number of weeks Indie gradually deteriorated — losing a lot of weight, her coat was falling out, she looked like an old lady and she was just so unwell. I was dropping her off at our local vets through the day and then she’d come home at night with her IV catheter still in. We had one weekend we had to transfer her to the emergency vets. While waiting to be seen by the vet she weed on my knee and as soon as the vet came out he could smell the ketones in her urine. We were told she was extremely poorly and it would be touch and go overnight for her — we were heartbroken.
Pleased to say she survived and, fast forward a few days, we were back at our local vets who suggested we take Indie to Massey Vets at Palmerston North since it was very challenging to get her diabetes under control. Massey told me again that she was extremely ill, still had ketones in her urine and also pancreatitis — touch and go yet again. She spent five nights there and came home wearing a Libre sensor, the first of many that we had in the first year.
They were extremely helpful about diabetes and I felt they were the only ones that really knew what they were talking about.
Over this period — around the time Indie was first diagnosed — we were in the middle of moving, so we now have a really good vet up here that we use.
How did you make the decision to pursue treating Indie’s diabetes versus euthanising?
There was never one second that I thought about euthanising Indie when we first knew about her diabetes. She is my absolute world and I would do anything for her to keep her alive as long as she has a good quality of life.
There were certainly many times over the first few weeks/months that she was gravely ill and I was worried sick in case we would have to make the decision to let her go. I cried many times over that period — it was such an emotional roller coaster.
What were your main concerns?
My main concerns were just how ill she had been and what her quality of life would be.
What has it been like settling into a routine?
We certainly have a good routine that works for us now. Hard at first, as I needed someone to hold Indie for her injections AM and PM for the first six months or so, as she hated them — as did I, giving them. No more lie-ins for me! I could alter her feeding time to later at night but she gets so hungry she cries, so we do early AM and PM, with ~11 hours in between.
Luckily I work from home so she’s not left much and we don’t often go out for dinners etc., as I am very mindful of when she has to be fed and given her insulin — my day does work around her. We even had someone dog-sit the afternoon/evening when our daughter got married last year so she could have her food and injection, but unfortunately Indie wouldn’t eat for them — she hates change!
How long did it take to get settled?
Took a while to get settled and months for us to get the insulin dosage right.
How does life with your dog now compare to pre-diagnosis?
We do most things we used to do pre-diagnosis. When we are out in the car we always take water and I have honey just in case it’s needed — never has. To look at Indie you’d never know she’s diabetic — she looks and acts just like any other dog.
How well did the reality of managing diabetes align with what you were expecting at the start?
I didn’t know what to expect at the start of this journey. It’s certainly been a huge learning curve — very emotional — and looking back we have come such a long way.
It’s very doable, but I wish I’d known how strict you had to be with food, especially as Indie has had a number of pancreatitis episodes — luckily none for a year or so. I am extremely strict with her food now; she’s not even allowed a crumb of cake or even a lick of butter — so different to pre-diagnosis.
What was easier than you expected?
I think once you have the insulin under control, then you just carry on with your normal everyday life.
What was more challenging than you expected?
The beginning of the diabetes journey was more challenging than I hoped for, as Indie was so sick. Even now I still hate giving her injections.
What have you learned that you would most like to share with other owners of newly diagnosed animals?
Any other tips, advice, or suggestions for diabetic dog owners?
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