# Diabetic Dog



## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I know I have never posted here before since I feed raw but I have a friend who's dog was just diagnosed with diabetes and really needs some help. Because she's not my dog there's not much I can do to help her, especially since I recently got married and moved and live 1200 miles away, but their 14 year old daughter messaged me on facebook to tell me what had happened. They know I loved that dog to death.

Anyhow, she is around 9 or 10 years old (my guess since I was fairly young when they got her), is currently 53 lbs, and is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Bailey has been on crap food her entire life and, while I know they have made significant changes in her life like getting her the medication she needs and making her an indoor dog, I think that diet would help her improve even more. 

Does anyone here have a suggestion as to what kind of kibble she would do well on? I would love for her to be switched to raw but she is not my dog and I don't think they would be willing to do it. You guys here know just about everything there is to know about kibbles of all kinds and we all know that her vet will throw her onto some kind of Science Diet or something. I'll see what other information I can get but tell me what you guys would need to know and I'll see what I can do. This girl has been through a lot and could use the expertise of the kibble section to improve her life right now.


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## Jordan S. (Feb 2, 2010)

I'd say go with EVO Senior, Orijen Senior, or Wellness CORE reduced fat. Those are the best possible things(aside from raw) you could feed a dog with that kind of condition since they all have high protein, low carbs, and reduced fat levels. Email her the links to the product sites so she can use the store locator. They might be pricey but I bet whatever prescription food the vet will put him on will be similarly priced.

http://www.evopet.com/products/1621

http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/senior.aspx

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=dog&pid=70


Make sure you stress to them the fact that due to fact that these are such concentrated foods he should probably be getting *half* of the amount of EVO, Orijen they would the food they're feeding now. Many people make the mistake of feeding the same amount they would any other food, and blame it soley on the food when their dog gets an upset when they weren't feeding it correctly. Wellness is a little less dense and you can feed a bit more of that than you would the other two.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

This is a cat website, but its highly relevant to dogs as well, its long but good read. If you can get a dog on a meat based, low carb diet it would be best healthwise, especially increasing moisture content.

Feline Diabetes by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: cat diabetes, cat sugar diabetes

A good low glycemic dry food is Nutrisca, but I would also mix in some grain free canned in it.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Thanks, guys. We had a scare a few days ago because her owner nearly decided she was going to put Bailey down. They were afraid of the quality of life she would have since she got so sick so fast (she was not the healthiest dog to begin with). The vet has concluded that she has a lot of potential to live a normal lifespan and she is only around 9.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Well, I have no advice. But I am so sorry about Bailey. I hope you convince them to give her the foods suggested rather than Science Diet or some other bad food.

good luck, and good thoughts to Bailey.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I don't know how many people were even interested in this thread but Bailey was put down today. I guess it was just too much for her body to handle.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I am so sorry to hear that. It is so hard to know a sweet dog dies because of preventable disease. Hopefully they change some things before getting another dog. At least you know you tried and offered help.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

So I haven't been on much lately and just read this. It's so sad this really does seem like something that could have been helped just with diet. Well I think we all know she should have been put on the PMR diet. I wonder if they had switched her over immediately if she would still be alive.

I'm goin with YES.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

Herzo said:


> So I haven't been on much lately and just read this. It's so sad this really does seem like something that could have been helped just with diet. Well I think we all know she should have been put on the PMR diet. I wonder if they had switched her over immediately if she would still be alive.
> 
> I'm goin with YES.


I'm going with maybe. The honest truth is that some people and dogs just are never the same after developing diabetes and don't physically do well. My Fayt was like this and I did switch her to PMR about 2 months after a diagnosis of diabetes and had to put her down a month later. I'm sorry for the loss of Bailey and I know how painful it is to put in the effort to treat and maintain a diabetic dog and just watch them fail to thrive.

Kbug


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Totally agree - she may or may not have done well. I was thinking that if she had been on better food in her youth this would maybe never have been an issue, kind of like people if you take care and eat properly you hopefully don't develop diabetes. But I am sorry to hear she lost her battle.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Thanks guys. She really was like a third dog to me. I have asked if they think they will get another one but no answer yet. I'm thinking no. They loved her but I think they know they won't have time for a puppy. 

It was definitely preventable. She was overweight and got no exercise unless she had escaped her yard. She used to go on daily runs with the mom but then she had her third child. She was definitely loved but perhaps not enough. She was mostly just left on her own in the backyard.


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