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Ask the Veterinarian/high blood sugar in 12 yo Amstaff

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Expert: - 1/30/2012


Question
Hello,
I have a dog Amstaff,12 years old,all the vaccines in time,up to date.
He could not stand up on his feet so we had to take him to the vet.The glycemic index was 430 instead of an normal 120 we were told.He got insuline twice,and some proteins.He drinks plenty of water and also is urinating often.
He stopped eating yesterday,however he keeps drinking water.
My dad was told that,if he does not give any sign of getting better,the vet propose him to ,,sleep'' the dog(euthanasy,which is legal here).
My questions are,after how many days usually he should get better if he gets insuline?And what else should we do to drop the GI?
Thanks so much

Answer
Hi Gigi,

The problem you are facing here is an old dog with sudden onset diabetes.
Most dogs this age are not going to respond well to insulin and are not going to have their blood sugar go down as a result.

He isn't eating because he is not feeling good at all. That high of a blood sugar will make you very sick.

The water consumption and frequent urination go hand in hand, but it is also a sign of the diabetes.

I am sorry but there is probably not much the vet can do at this point. He would have shown a response in 24-48 hours. If his BG is still high at that time he probably won't be insulin responsive and the kindest thing to do is put him down.

I will pray that he does well.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

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I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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