This is a post I started a few weeks ago. I was just about to hit the “publish” button when I looked over and noticed Beignet’s right eye was incredibly swollen for the first time. Needless to say, this has been sitting in the DRAFT section ever since… The information’s important for those with diabetic dogs, so wanted to go ahead and share:
Where would you rather spend your Sunday? At home or the ER vet? You can see my answer in the title to this week’s blog.
Yesterday morning I gave Beignet her insulin shot and about 20 minutes later she started vomiting. Thankfully because I home test my vet said I could give her Cerenia and watch her at home (but of course to bring her in if things didn’t improve). If I didn’t check her sugar at home we would have had to go and I’d probably be out several hundred dollars today.
Home testing seems like a daunting task, but in actuality, it’s INCREDIBLY easy. There are multiple locations to test from- see 1 of my first blog posts for more details on how to home test and even a video of how I check Bennie’s blood sugar!
The best way to help a diabetic pet is to Home Test. NEVER would a human diabetic inject insulin without knowing a blood sugar. Also, its been proven that home testing where a dog is in its regular home environment is the MOST ACCURATE way to determine your dog’s response to their insulin dose. Think of it this way, your dog goes to the vet for a blood sugar check. The sugar comes back “good” but what you don’t realize is that your dog’s sugar was very high or low and it either dropped or jumped up because your dog was extremely stressed at the time they checked (i.e., scared of the vet, scared of another animal at the vet, etc).
I know I’m always happy to help anyone wanting to learn to home test. Also the Canine Diabetes Support & Information (CDSI) page is actually where I learned to check Bennie. I check Bennie’s inner upper lip. It sure sounded gruesome to me when it was first suggested by another CDSI member, but once I got started I can’t imagine checking any other way. There are multiple other locations to check. If I can’t help you learn, the crew at CDSI definitely can! Never give up – your dog’s life depends on it.
Happy Home Testing!
-Devoted Doxie Mom
Diary of a Diabetic Dachshund 