The Caring Professionals

Managing your pet’s Diabetes

Email: info@raseveterinarycentre.com

www.raseveterinarycentre.com

Grimsby455 Laceby Road,

Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN34 5NX

Tel: (01472) 751802

Market RasenGallamore Lane Industrial

Estate, Market RasenLincolnshire, LN8 3RXTel: (01673) 842448Fax: (01673) 844430

Louth17 Newmarket, Louth

Lincolnshire, LN11 9HHTel: (01507) 607718

2. Quickly prick a clean, hairless part of the ear with a sterile hypodermic needle.

3. A small drop of blood will appear. Collect the drop onto the glucose test strip.

4. Gently but firmly press some cottonwool onto your pet's ear until it stops bleeding.

5. Use the test strip or insert the sample into the glucometer as instructed.

Blood glucose test strips

Blood glucose strips are used to measure blood glucose concentration. A drop of blood is placed on the pad at the end of the strip. After the specified amount of time the pad is wiped and the colour is checked against the chart on the container. Read the instructions provided before use.

Using a glucometer

A drop of blood is placed on the provided strips, the strip is then inserted into the glucometer, and the blood glucose concentration is shown. Read the instructions provided before use.

Excessive drinking or excessive/inappropriate urination in the house for more than 3 days.

Please call if your pet appears to be displaying any of the following:a

aReduction in or loss of appetite.

aWeakness, seizures or severe depression.

aBehavioural change, muscle twitching or anxiety.

aConstipation, vomiting or diarrhoea.

aSigns of a bladder infection (passing frequent small amounts of urine, straining to urinate or blood in the urine)

aSwelling of the head or neck.

Your next appointment is on: __ __/__ __/20 __ __

At: __ __.__ __ PM/AM

At the Market Rasen Surgery/Grimsby Surgery/Louth Surgery

Your next appointment is on: __ __/__ __/20 __ __

At: __ __.__ __ PM/AM

At the Market Rasen Surgery/Grimsby Surgery/Louth Surgery

Your pet’s blood glucose should range between:

Living with a diabetic pet

Insulin treatment guide

Maintenance treatment with Insulin

Monitoring your Pet

Testing urine at homeFor a Dog

The goal in managing diabetes is to keep glucose concentrations regulated, avoiding spikes and drops, and to reduce or eliminate the signs of diabetes, such as excessive thirst and urination.

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Each diabetic pet's requirement is different. The initial insulin dose is calculated based on the body weight of your pet. For the first few days of treatment between us we will:

Monitor the effect of this dose – i.e you will need to observe how much your dog drinks and urinates.

Check your pet's blood glucose levels

Check your pet's urine for the presence of glucose and ketones.

This information will help us to adjust the insulin dose until the correct dose for your diabetic pet is found. Once we know more about how your pet responds to insulin injections we can decide if it will need once or twice daily injections to properly control their diabetes.

Initially it is important to establish a routine. We will provide you with a complete treatment programme for your diabetic dog to include insulin treatment, a recommended diet and exercise regime.

It is not unusual for your dog's insulin requirements to change even after a long period of stability. It is important to continue to monitor your diabetic pet’s progress by regularly checking the glucose (and ketone) concentrations in urine and/or blood. If there are sudden changes or if anything unusual happens please let us know. Methods of monitoring are outlined below.

What you need

Clean containers for collecting urine.

Urine dipsticks.

A place to record results.

Collecting urine

Collect urine samples from your dog a few times a week at different times of day. The best times to collect urine are in the morning and afternoon before feeding and at night just before bedtime.

Take your dog out for a walk on a lead.

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Have a clean container ready to catch urine when your dog urinates.

What you need

A clean plastic litter box

Clean syringes at least 5ml in size.

Polystyrene balls, aquarium sand or shredded plastic bags (the acidic nature of cat litter will effect the results).

Urine dipsticks.

A place to record results.

Collecting urine

In the clean litter box place some aquarium sand, polystyrene balls or shredded plastic bags.

Do not allow your cat access outside or to another litter box until it has urinated in the clean box.

Collect the urine with the clean syringe.

Follow the instructions for the dipsticks you are using, particularly for the time to read the results.

Place the dipstick in the container with the urine and soak the test pads.

Remove the dipstick and tap dry.

Read the result after the time specified on the stick bottle (usually 1 minute).

Hold the stick against the chart on the dipstick container to compare colours.

6. Record the results including time of collection and times of insulin injections given for that day.

This can be done in two ways and we will discuss the best option with you.

1. Blood test strips similar to those used for testing urine can be used, or

2. A handheld glucometer can be used. Although not essential, handheld glucometers are easy to use and well worth the investment. We would be happy to advise you on what model best suits you and your pet's needs.

Collecting and testing a blood sample

During home monitoring, blood is usually collected from the earflap (pinna) of your pet.

1. Make sure that your pet's ear is warm. If not, hold it between your hands for about a minute. Warming the earflap makes collecting a drop of blood easier.

For a Cat

Testing urine using urine dipsticks

Testing urine at home