doggie with diabetics

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Anyone ever dealt with a dog with diabeties.  Levels all over the place even with home injections twice a day.   Also on medication for thyroid and seizures (potassium bromide).  Currently on special diet;  Hills diet for diabetic dogs also wondering if any other food options out there (maybe raw)?  This is for my sisters English setter.   Thank you in advance. 

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

My parents 8 year old lab went through the same thing (though she has diabetes, I'm not sure about thyroid and seizures) I remember they had a hard time getting her levels in the proper range, it took a few weeks/months of trying different dosages, but eventually they got it right!  She is eating BB healthy weight, and she gets many small meals throughout the day, I believe every 2 hrs..and her injections are every 12 hrs. Also, you can tell your sister, to call around to different pharmacies for the insulin.  My parents found it the most affordable at Sams Club.

As far as diet goes, I remember the vet sent home a  packet with my parents, I can try to find it for you, it had recommendations on what to avoid, and what is OK to give.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear this. 

Your best bet is to find an online support group for owners of diabetic dogs. Yahoo Groups probably has some. I've found these types of groups invaluable for sharing and getting info on meds, diet, general care, etc for dogs with all types of diseases.

The diet is going to be tailored to the nutrient values and mineral proportions that have been found to be most effective for diabetic dogs. That has nothing to do with the food being raw, cooked, etc. I know the raw feeding websites would have you believe that raw food cures or helps treat diseases, but that's hogwash. There's nothing medicinal or therapeutic about uncooked food, and in some cases, the bacteria it contains can be harmful. It's also usually very high in fat.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here are a couple of groups I found doing a google search. Looks like they have a lot of good info: 

http://www.petdiabetes.com/

http://caninesupportgroup.com/diabetes_in_dogs.htm

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here;s some info on diets for diabetic dogs: http://www.caninediabetes.org/pdorg/diet.htm

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thank you everyone for the great information, I've forwarded it to my sister and she's very appreciative. I told her this is an awesome group of dog loving doodle moms.