Diabetic Dogs in a Winter Wonderland

English: Two Siberian Huskies (Max & Moritz)
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hope your holidays are going well so far.  I just received an email from WebMd's Healthy Dogs newsletter and was appalled to find that the article links don't seem to be working.  Since others may be having the same problem (and since the search program on WebMd seems to have trouble finding pet articles, too), I thought it would be worth posting how to get to them.

The first article is on frostbite in dogs, and I found this a real eye-opener, as I never thought about it before.  I mean, the dogs I've spent the most time with throughout my life have all been breeds (Pomeranians, Great Pyrenees, Siberian huskies, etc) that originated in cold climates, and you just don't imagine them having too many problems in the winter.  In fact, I've always had more of a problem getting the dogs to come back indoors in the winter.  It turns out that cold weather is especially hazardous for diabetic dogs, because "Prolonged cold exposure burns up stored energy and results in a low blood sugar."  Their instructions on emergency care for dogs suffering from hypothermia include giving honey or sugar water as part of the treatment.  Good to know!

The article on winter safety in general is also a good read, if only to refresh your memory, but it brings up a few things, for example, the hazards of doggie sweaters (!), that may not have occurred to you.

Finally, one of the things I found on my own turned out to be another good source:  the vet blogs at WebMd-- I didn't know they had these, but I should have guessed that they would.  There's a post from a vet in New York about winter paw care, and much more.

That's all for now.  Best wishes for a happy -- and healthy-- new year!
 

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A Terrific Source Re: Pets and Hurricane Sandy

Flickr: doxella

I've been sorting through my email today, and I came across one from DogChannel.com listing their article "How You Can Help Pets Affected By Sandy."  Now, I've gotten a bunch of similar messages since the storm, but this one is really helpful if you want to know who's doing what.  For example, the American Kennel Club's new Sandy Fund is providing grant money to clubs in the areas hit by the storm.  DogChannel.com has links for all of the 15 organizations leading the charge to provide relief to those who need it.

I should also mention that theanimalrescuesite.com is involved in relief efforts as well.  If you've never been to the site, you should try it.  You can help FOR FREE by clicking on the page!  No, it's not a scam.  The site donates the ad money generated by your click to shelters, and throughout November, all donations are going to Sandy relief.

And, while I'm at it (and considering that Thanksgiving is less than a week away), once you've clicked on theanimalrescuesite, click on each of the tabs on the top of the page to give similar help to relieve human hunger, help homeless vets, and other worthy causes via the Greater Good Network. 

Thanks.

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Dogs: Don't Eat This!

A double whammy for dogs:  Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I thought I had a good handle on people foods that are toxic for dogs, but WebMD alerted me to a few that I had never heard of in this context, including avocados and animal fat.  Best of all, they tell you precisely why these foods are "Dangerous for Dogs." Avocados (persea Americana) contain persin, which is toxic for dogs, and animal fat -- cooked or raw-- can cause pancreatitis.  So, it's worth a look.  Strangely enough, the theobromine in chocolate that is toxic for dogs is also toxic for humans, but we would have to eat quite a bit at one time (the figure I've read on this is 25 lbs!) to be poisoned.

I think I've mentioned before that I was horrified to learn (some years ago) that the macadamia nuts I occasionally shared with Tony, my Pomeranian, before he gained weight, which led to his diabetes, were extremely toxic for dogs.  He never had many, but he was really crazy about them.  Which suggests that if you have any, keep them where the dog can't get at them.

What am I saying?!!  You've probably already got them in a secret hiding place to keep them from your greedy loved ones.

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Hurricane Sandy: Time to Check your Emergency Readiness

Hurricane Sandy Redecoration (Photo credit: dakine kane)

My inbox is full of messages in connection with Hurricane Sandy, including a request for a donation from the ASPCA.  As usual, I'm broke, so I can't oblige them right now.  I hope you can.  They're doing a lot of work that is Sandy-related, and it's all laid out on their blog.  It's a real relief to me to read about people doing good things for pets, as opposed to all the animal abuse stories I keep hearing.

The fact that the hurricane hit Manhattan (I've always wondered why this hasn't happened before) brings home a reminder that disasters can happen anywhere, anytime.  I lived in central Florida for most of the 1980s, and we were warned every May/June about preparing for hurricane season by all the different media that were available then -- even paper grocery bags had tracking maps and lists of emergency supplies listed on them.  I now live in the midwest, and while we don't have hurricanes, we do have floods and tornados, but these don't seem to get the kind of advance attention as hurricanes, probably because they don't have a season per se.

So, my advice for today is to think of what you would need if disaster struck for your family, including your pets, whether you were to stay in your home (with or without electricity) or evacuate.  If you have an emergency kit, go over it to see if anything else is needed.  If you don't have one, get on the stick!  One thing that I bought after Tony was diagnosed with diabetes was a little cooler pack for his insulin, just for such an emergency.  I think you can see why you'd need this, so I won't belabor the obvious.  These run around $20, and there are different kinds of cooling involved, but I haven't seen any that are good for more than 45 hours (that would be the Frio Cooling Wallet, which gets soaked in water to activate a gel that keeps it cold, so you don't have to keep cold packs in your freezer if you don't want to).  Once you've bought one, REMEMBER WHERE YOU PUT IT.  In an emergency, there may not be time to do more than put the insulin in the pack.

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Diabetic Dogs and Affordable Care

English: Two Dogs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just found the time to read the July/August issue of the AARP Bulletin, and in their annual "99 Great Ways to Save" article, they have several pet items.  Number 80 asks if you are having trouble affording your pet and suggests searching under that at humanesociety.org.  I tried it, because I know firsthand how much it can cost to have a pet with any kind of chronic health issue, but it took some doing to get to the right page, which is at http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html

The page lists a lot of organizations all around the country that can help, also indexed by state.  None are specifically for diabetic dogs (several are only for canine cancer), but there are some that offer assistance with prescription drugs.  I don't know if any will help with insulin, but it couldn't hurt to check.  It turns out that the Humane Society of the United States also has a program called Pets For Life,  which is aimed at underserved communities, and they offer info on how to start one going in your area.

They also have a program for people with pets who are facing foreclosure.  Unlike some animal rights organizations that seem only to care about getting their names in the paper, by some pretty bizarre means at times, and soliciting donations (you probably know which one I'm thinking of here), the HSUS appears to be trying to deal with the practical needs of pets and their owners.  Having said that, however, I must note that they also have their detractors, as you can see from the title of one of the articles listed below, but you can get another viewpoint from the slate.com article. 

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The Dangers of Ask-a-Vet Websites

Veterinarian (Photo credit: Army Medicine)

As always, I am on the alert for issues concerning pet health, and I've come across one that I haven't seen before.  DogChannel.com has an interesting and thorough article about the pitfalls of ask-a-vet websites (which are becoming numerous, with many charging for their services).  Nikki Moustaki, a well-known writer on dogs, examined a bunch of these sites, interviewed a few REAL veterinarians (some of the sites in question don't actually have vets on hand, just "experts") about them, and found some fairly troubling issues.  The one that I think is a dead giveaway is that some of them carry the disclaimer that the website and its advice are "for entertainment purposes only."  Yeah, I'm sure sick dogs are entertaining . . . to some sick people.

The bottom line is that if you are worried enough to be willing to pay for veterinary advice over the web, you are certainly worried enough that you should take the dog to his or her regular vet, the one who has seen the dog year after year and has records of previous exams.  Don't take chances.

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Free Health Evaluations for your Pets

Toby, the Rock Health dog! (Photo credit: mariachily)

I've mentioned this before, but it's worth the reminder.  WebMD has a free Pet Health Evaluator available on their website.  You'll get a report and tips after you answer a set of questions.  If you are worried that your dog may be developing diabetes, it might be worth your while to do this periodically between vet checkups.

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Another Reason to Include "Diabetes" on your Dog's Tag

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Spock and Captain Kirk, Mastiffs,  (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The ASPCA just sent me another message that relates to my last post.  According to them, dogs are being stolen at an outrageous rate:  "The American Kennel Club, which has been tracking pet thefts since 2007, reported a 32% increase in dog thefts last year."  Their article, "Dognapping On the Rise—Protect Your Pet," gives some commonsense advice about how to prevent this, mainly having to do with not leaving your dog unattended in public places.  The list ends with an admonition to get your dog microchipped.  However, it occurs to me that thieves are not likely to want a dog that has diabetes, considering that, as far as they know, it could experience a crisis at any moment, possibly while they are trying to sell it.  In fact, since the theft itself could be traumatic for the dog, a blood sugar crash is almost likely to happen.

So, here's another reason to put the word "Diabetes" on the front of the tag (the thieves have no reason to look at the back, do they?).  Let them know that your friend has special needs.  I'm not saying that they'll bring it back, unfortunately, but the next person to encounter it might.

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What if your diabetic dog is lost?

Space Canine Patrol Agents (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here's an issue I've hardly touched on, and I have to thank the ASPCA for making me think about it.  On the Fourth of July, I received an email from them with the headline "What to do if your pet is lost."  I remembered when that actually happened to me, with the added complication that my dog was on insulin. 

Tony liked to go off on his own, so we were always careful about closing doors and making sure he hadn't been digging under the backyard fence, but sometimes he just managed to slip out (little dogs can get through very small spaces).  When he was first diagnosed with diabetes and put on insulin, I worried about this, so I ordered him a new I.D. tag.  The front had his name, but underneath that it said "I have diabetes."  My name and phone were on the back.  I should point out that one of my worries with him getting loose was that the people who found him might want to keep him, since people went crazy over him every time I took him anywhere, so I had already had him microchipped.

Well, one night his new tag was tested.  It was about 10PM in early September, and my brother in law Steve wasn't paying attention when he went out to get something from his car.  Tony was off to the races.  We all went out and searched the neighborhood, without any luck.

You can imagine how happy we were when, right after we got back to the house, the phone rang (with good news).  It was a man who lived on the other side of the subdivision (I wish I could remember his name), and he had Tony.  Steve (who felt very guilty) volunteered to go get him.  It turned out that for some reason only a dog would understand, Tony had gone to the back door of that house and started barking.  The man opened the door to see what was going on, and Tony ran in, just as if he owned the place.  The man told Steve that he called as soon as he saw the tag that said Tony had diabetes.  So, not only did we get Tony back, but we didn't have to spend the whole night worrying, which had happened in the past.  And that was a real possibility, according to Steve, who said that when he got there, the children of the house were playing with Tony -- and they were not happy that he had to leave.  I can see someone waiting to call until morning, considering it was late.

My advice:  get the microchip, but be sure to put the diabetes on the dog's tag.  It's a little bit of insurance that might make a difference. 

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A High-Risk Breed



Hans on St. Vrain Trail, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just received the WebMD Healthy Dogs newsletter, and there is an item of particular interest.  They have a slideshow of the health issues associated with the 25 most popular breeds.  According to them, the Miniature Schnauzer is prone to diabetes (the problem they cite for Pomeranians is hair loss, which my Tony did not experience until his cancer was very advanced).  At any rate, if you have a Miniature Schnauzer, keep an eye out for symptoms like excessive drinking and urination, and make sure he or she eats right and gets plenty of exercise.  Of course, that's good advice for any breed!
I've got a couple of videos listed below with these very cute dogs performing tricks, and the first thing that struck me when I saw them was the rewards they received.  I hope the humans are keeping track of how many treats they're getting.

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Wait a Minute --Maybe Dogs aren't People

Right after publishing my last post, I realized that I hadn't put up any pictures, so I went looking for one.  Aargh!  You would not believe how many REALLY DISTURBING pictures and videos of extremely overweight animals are on the web.  And it's disturbing on more than one level, too.  Can you say "animal exploitation"?  I think it's entirely possible that some of the people who are uploading these (especially the videos) let their dogs get this way on purpose.  But maybe I'm just being overly cynical and suspicious.  Maybe not. 

However, the thing that I found most ironic was the title of my last posting -- hence the title of this one.  Unlike excess weight in people, a pet parent can usually prevent or treat this ailment without a lot of problems.  This isn't true for people, for a wide variety of reasons that I can't get into here, and I know this from personal experience as well as from keeping up with the research in this area.
 
Now, if your dog has his or her own line of credit at the grocery store, yeah, you're going to have trouble controlling intake, but otherwise, you are the human,  you are in charge of the food and exercise, and you need to make the effort.  Talk to your vet.  If you do make a sincere and serious effort and the weight does not come down in a reasonable amount of time, see your vet again.  Also see your vet if you aren't trying to slim your dog down and he or she suddenly does it anyway:  this is one of the classic symptoms of diabetes!

And no, I'm not going to post any of those disturbing images.  If you can stand it, just go to your favorite search engine and search "fat dogs" --and prepare to be appalled.

Hey, Dogs are People, too, WebMD!

I've talked about WebMD before, but they sent me an email about a new feature that got me very excited.  It's a free online Symptom Checker.  What's funny about this is that I got the email because I subscribe to their Healthy Dogs newsletter, and I (naturally) assumed it was for animals.  Now that I'm writing that, it does sound like I was kind of nuts for thinking that.  Anyway, I'm hoping that they will have this service for dogs sometime soon.
On another WebMD note, their latest newsletter is headlined "Is Your Dog Too Fat?" -- an issue of interest, or it should be-- for all doghumans.  There is clearly a connection between excess weight and diabetes (although if you read the research on this, you'll find that nobody is quite sure what that connection means or why it exists), and trust me, you want to eliminate as many risk factors as you can.  At any rate, there is a video from their Ask the Veterinarian series, and this is the third question.  My own take on the connection (and no, I'm not a veterinarian or a physician), after doing a lot of research on diabetes in both dogs and humans, is that exercise seems to be the real root.  If your dog (or you) is overweight AND doesn't get much exercise, you've got a lot more to worry about that those who are overweight and active.

Living with a Diabetic Me

For anyone who's been wondering why I haven't posted since last August, the answer is simple.  Around that time, I got whacked with the irony stick:  I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 
I have to say, Tony spoiled me when it comes to living with diabetes.  His blood sugar was pretty well controlled in a very short amount of time, whereas mine is still not steady after 8 months.  Of course, he was on insulin, and I am not.
What gets me about this situation, though, is that veterinary medicine seems to have a better handle on this disease than human medicine.  I don't have a problem with my doctor, but I am amazed at the anger so many diabetics have toward the American Diabetes Association and how their recommendations differ from what I am seeing from other authorities.
I didn't have too many problems with my dog Tony when it came to maintaining his diet and insulin regimen, now that I look back on it.  His vet did periodic blood sugar curve tests (over an entire day), and his insulin was adjusted based on those, but most of the so-called authorities don't seem to think it's necessary for humans to find out what their blood sugar is doing over the course of a day, ever.  To be fair, my mother's endocrinologist has her testing five times a day (good thing she has Medicare; you wouldn't believe the price of test strips). 
Anyway, I've got a big backlog of doggie material that I'll be sharing soon, and with a brand-new viewpoint into how it feels to be diabetic.