My Diabetic Dog

Have you ever lived with a diabetic dog?

Neither had I until about six months ago, at which time my dog Combo was diagnosed with diabetes. She had been moping around a little, not keeping up on hikes, looking bad (according to neighbors) and just plain “off” a little. I also noticed the water bowls needed filling much more frequently than in the past, a diabetes symptom but something I had assumed was because of the hot weather.

After the neighbor's comment, and thinking about the water she drank, I took Combo to the vet. A test revealed sky-high glucose readings in her blood, and so I started living with and treating a diabetic dog.

Essentially that means giving her insulin shots every 12 h ours, jabbing her before breakfast to draw blood, testing it in a meter, and feeding her expensive prescription food.

Between the cost of syringes, insulin, test strips and food, the bill runs about $80 to $100 a month. That is after the original expense of some $600 for the veterinarian, including various blood and urine testing, weekly blood tests while we adjusted her insulin dose, exams and whatever. The glucose test meter was kindly given to me by a neighbor whose diabetic dog had died from the disease. Otherwise another $150 or so would have been needed.

Cost aside, Combo, approaching her eighth birthday, now is more or less her normal self – and that in itself justifies the cost.  She is a great friend, and would be sorely missed if she was not with me.  And, after all, when I bought her at the animal shelter in Arizona, I agreed to take care of her (for better, for worse, etc.)

Now, she squeaks only about once every two weeks when I inject insulin, and no longer hides behind the bed when I get the glucose meter from the drawer.

I have arranged my schedule to be home for her shots every twelve hours.  That is the hardest part of the program!

But Combo is good, and we are happy.