[mandi1234]

hi , we have a 5yr old male doberman. never had any problems with him before. we had him at the vets yesterday because he has been drinking lots of water, always seems to be hungry and has lost weight. we were told via a urine test that he has diabetes. he is in the vets today, all day for 1 hourly blood tests to find out how much insulin he will need.
does anyone else have a diabetic dobie who could please advise me on what to feed him. we were thinking......... brown rice, chicken and veggies. but i have no idea what sort of vitamins, minerals etc he will need on top of that. the vets will obviously try to get us to buy their recommended food ( that will cost an arm and a leg). but as we understand anyway, commercial dog food isnt good for any dog.............any help would be greatly appreciated thankyou mandi:thanx:

 

[sam&macksmom]

My min-pin was diagnosed with diabetes on March 23rd. He eats a raw diet which was approved by our specialist (board certified internist). Diet is going to be very important in controlling blood glucose levels. I would talk to your vet about home cooked meals. Also, make sure you find low fat treats.

Here's our journey so far: http://www.dobermantalk.com/non-doberman-animal-talk/63886-s-been-difficult-week.html

This forum was very helpful to help me understand canine diabetes: Diabetes in Dogs: The k9diabetes.com Forum - Powered by vBulletin

 

[mandi1234]

My min-pin was diagnosed with diabetes on March 23rd. He eats a raw diet which was approved by our specialist (board certified internist). Diet is going to be very important in controlling blood glucose levels. I would talk to your vet about home cooked meals. Also, make sure you find low fat treats.

Here's our journey so far: http://www.dobermantalk.com/non-doberman-animal-talk/63886-s-been-difficult-week.html

This forum was very helpful to help me understand canine diabetes: Diabetes in Dogs: The k9diabetes.com Forum - Powered by vBulletin

hi sam&macksmom, thankyou for that hun. i will go look on the k9 forum. ahhhhhh bless him, poor little man. i wish you all the best with him hun, you seem to know what you are doing. we will find out later today how much insulin our filo will need. he is at the vets all day for monitoring his bloods. from what i have read so far, we will defo be going raw. thanks again mandi

 

[Adara]

I haven't been down that particular path but if if were me, I'd feed raw with vet approval. I have a Vizsla with water diabetes (NOT related to insulin but drinking too much water which can stress her kidneys) and my vet is fully supportive of contininuing her on raw. It's the easiest on the dog's system.

 

[stryker2]

If you can get the May 2012 issue of The Whole Dog Journal. They have a great article on Canine Diabetes. It covers Cataracts, Complications, Treatment and Monitoring, The Right Diet, Understanding Carbs, The Fiber Factor, Exercise, Recommended Supplements, Treats. Lots of other Resources.
In the next issue in June they will cover Diabetic Diets in action, menu planning.

 

[sam&macksmom]

Here's the Whole Dog Journal article: Canine Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Diet - Whole Dog Journal Article

 

[DreamDoby]

I dealt for years with diabetes on my boy. He ate regular food.(I didn't have time like I used to with the RAW) My main advice though is to get a glucose reader so you can test him and make sure the insulin is adequate. Also read up on the signs of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. There are warning signs before something drastic occurs. I also made sure I had karo syrup on hand just incase. Remember that even though diet is a huge factor in controlling his levels, physical activity are as well.

 

[mandi1234]

hi guys. he has been on raw, also brown rice, chicken and bones also dried biscuits with oats. problem is he is starving all the time. he is loosing weight and we cant seem to put weight back on him, no matter what we are feeding him

 

[mmctaq]

hi guys. he has been on raw, also brown rice, chicken and bones also dried biscuits with oats. problem is he is starving all the time. he is loosing weight and we cant seem to put weight back on him, no matter what we are feeding him

What exactly is his current diet?

 

[mandi1234]

What exactly is his current diet?

he has steak, brown rice, raw veg, and burns oats dry dog food, chicken and chicken wing bones. he has boiled eggs and we also crush up the egg shells for calcium and sprinkle on his food. i make diabetic biscuits for him with oats brown flour, egg, sunflower seeds and a few other bits.he was having brown pasta but it seems to go straight through him. for snacks he has carrots, celery, apple, cheese...............but he is now that hungry he is making himself sick, because hes eating that fast

 

[mmctaq]

Were this my dog, I would be upping the protein and fat in his diet, and reducing the carbs. The ultra-high carb and fiber diets are still recommended for overweight diabetic dogs in order to help them reduce... but, your dog does not need to lose weight and so does not need a reducing diet (which is pretty much what it sounds like you're feeding him). Some soluble fiber may be helpful for preventing glucose spikes, but your dog will not benefit from the amount of carbs you are feeding (and, he isn't... he's losing weight and hungry!). More meat, more fat, less starch.