After monitoring Molly fasting glucose levels the past few months, it showed some different possible scenarios that could be happening such as rebound, stacking, etc. Basically 18 units of Novolin N is not enough and her glucose stays well over 400 fasting, sometimes nearing 500 before dipping again. However, giving her 20 units twice a day results in a low glucose level after several doses. This has happened multiple times so we know it’s related to one of the various phenomenons that are difficult to track down. I feel that administering 19 units is difficult because it’s such a tiny amount and measurement is not easy.
After a couple months of tracking the trends we have finally arrived at the dose level of 20 units in the AM and 18 units in the PM. After approximately two weeks of this dose level she has only reached a lower glucose level three times but never low enough to be concerning. Her lowest glucose level has been 133 with a couple other readings at 169 and 191.
The Checkup
As you may recall, our original veterinarian retired and we had some difficulty with a couple vet offices that provided bad advice. We finally located a vet that we feel comfortable with and Molly had her first checkup last week. Our primary concern is with her hips because she is very slow to get up and doesn’t move around much. Once she finds her a spot to lay in, she will st and roll around but she doesn’t get up and move like she used to. We noticed a few weeks ago that one of her hind legs was giving her problems and it appeared to be popping out of socket, a luxation of the hip and femur.
I had tried to research as much as I could and all indications were that it was a serious issue. The prognosis was better than we had hoped as it is a sub-luxation–only slightly coming out of place. She was given gabapentin and carprofen for arthritis and pain. After only two days, Molly was again standing with ease. It amazed us that that slight change resulted in that big of an improvement.
The Best News
Our other concern was the condition of Molly’s overall health. We went through incredibly difficult and stressful time after the diagnosis a few months ago. Honestly, we thought it was the beginning of the end and we were preparing for the worst. After pouring every ounce of love we had to offer into our girl, she eventually started to feel better and began to eat again. Over the next several weeks she slowly built up her strength and started to recover. Her system and adrenal glands faced a huge shock from stopping meds cold turkey after 9 years. She lost at least 75% of her hair and continued to battle skin irritations that were eventually managed with diet and some different medications that did not affect her diabetes.
This visit was the first time we had a good clean blood panel from Molly because all previous blood work was performed when she was sick or was on prior medications. The results this time were simply amazing. Every test was perfectly down the middle and the vet said, “This dog is EXTREMELY healthy internally.”