Moon's Graden

My friend's dog is suffering with diabetes.  She is giving insulin
injections at home, but has experienced some problems regulating the right
*** sugar level.  The only reliable way she has been given to monitor it
is by trips to the vet at $54 each.

Are there any home *** sugar testing devices for dogs similar to the ones
people use?  Can the ones made for humans be used?

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

I finally remembered to ask my mom what she uses for her dog, who is also
diabetic.  She uses Diastix Reagent strips for urinalysis -- glucose.  It's
made by Bayer.  In the US, you might try Costco, Walgreen, or Wal-Mart.
There was a question and comment number on the package, too. 1-800-348-8100.
They might be able to tell you where (or if) it is available in your area.
To do the test, just catch a little urine (mom uses a long handled spoon)
then do the test following the instructions.  I imagine any other urine
glucose test could be used as well.  The vet could probably tell your friend
what the optimal reading would be for her dog.  The *** tests are the most
accurate, but it sounds like it would get awful expensive awful fast.
Good luck.
--Diane
P.S. If you go to the American Diabetes Association website www.diabetes.org
then click on Basic Information you will see a link on the right hand side
for animals with diabetes.

My vet said I could use *my* glucose testing meter and strips (I'm a
type II) to test my dog as well.  She said to take a *** sample from
a fairly hairless part of the inside of her ear.  Unfortunately, I
have been unable to get enough *** to take a reading.  The meter
type I have is one that takes a very small sample from the top of your
forearm, therefore the lancet doesn't pierce the skin far enough to
get a good enough sized sample from the inside of her ear.  That
combined with the fact that Norma HATES having her ears messed with
has made it an unsuccessful endeavor.  We're going back to the vet
tomorrow to let them do the reading (only costs $12 bucks a pop for
me).  I plan on taking my meter and seeing if the vet has any
suggestions for making it work.

To answer your question though, yes, I think you can use commercially
available glucometers.  My meter cost about $75 (still waiting on my
rebate).  The costly items are going to be the test strips and
lancets.  I get mine fairly cheap with insurance.  Unless you've found
a way to submit your puppy's vet costs to your insurance provider
you'll be paying $30-$50 per box of strips.  Lancets are a little
cheaper, and even though not technically recommended, you can reuse
them.  If you are going to spring for the glucometer, check with your
pharmacist to see which brands can use the "generic" or store brand
strips and lancets.  You should be able to save some money that way.

Good luck.  I'm in the same boat as you, still haven't gotten Norma's
*** sugar regulated.  She seems to want to hover at 280 at her low
point.

Your friend can use an electronic over the counter
glucose monitor like those used for people.

The syringes used for giving injections, or those nearly
similar can also be
used for drawing ***.  It only takes a couple drops
for that type of glucose test.

The trick for the avg. pet owner is learning how to draw it,
and run the analyzer.

It's  not hard with practice to draw it from the front leg,
or a back leg even.  It just takes practice and a helper to
restrain and hold it off.

Maybe do an internet search for info on technique, or ask
the vet to show your friend how, if the vet will?  It can be done
by a pet owner, but seldom is.

Personally, I wouldn't do it to my own pet.  I'd rather my pet
associates the experience with someone else, and I can
comfort my pet after.

But if $ are a big issue...

Just some thoughts.

For my diabetic dog we would sometimes use a strip of some sort of
paper (looked like litmus paper) and put it under his pee stream.
It's not as accurate at *** tests, but it gives you a general idea.
I will try to find out what the paper is called.  We bought it at our
local pharmacy.

The papers are called 'pH strips'.  Various companies sell it, but I have
had the best luck with Alkalife.  I buy it at phpaper.net... it comes in
small scotch tape type dispensers- very handy.  It measures the pH in your
body- people can use the same method to see if their body is 'out of
whack'... when your *** sugar is off, your (or your dogs) PH level will
fluxuate.  There are really only two different types of pH tests... saliva
and urine, the former being the easiest to test.

Play with a week of test strips, find your 'normal range' then you can use
it.  Just remember it isn't a replacement for the *** tests and your vet.

Hope this helps,
Kim

***more detail, if you'd like to read on***
The pH of your saliva moves from high to low according to what you eat in
your diet over a period of time. Tear off a strip of pH test paper 1-2" long
and hold it below your mouth so that you can spite a small amount of saliva
onto an end of the strip. Shake the extra spittle off of the end of the
strip and compare the change in color of the moistened end to the color
chart. Note on a piece of paper that you can record on from day to day the
number of the pH value. Do this at the very beginning of each day before you
have put anything whatsoever in your mouth. This will be your "normal"
saliva pH before  being changed by things going into your mouth or the
events of the day. Keep this record in a secure and convenient location so
that you can record the values in successive days. This is the simplest,
most bare-bones pH test routine. You just look at the one reading at the
start of the day and compare it to the prior day's readings. If the change
is towered a slightly alkaline reading 7.0 - 7.4, as the days progress, then
you are on the right track. If there is no change or the readings are moving
away from the proper range, then you are not doing enough correct actions to
improve your health. These values, by the way, can be much affected by
emotional and mental states of the individual. Take note if this seems to
apply when you evaluate the pH values.
          What do the numbers mean?

          5.5-6.0  State of health is mildly poor or very poor. Anxiety or
chronic stress could also be dominating the physiology. If mental/emotional
factors are not the cause, improving diet, detoxification and exercise will
move the values up to the correct range.

          6.2-7.0  Usually indicates that emotions are not getting the best
of physiology. This range improves more easily with improvement in diet, a
detoxification program and some exercise where there was not enough before.
"Improving diet" for those with a pH below 7.0 means eating 70% or more
foods from the alkaline-ash* list of foods daily.

          7.2-8.0  Diet isn't a major problem unless stably above 7.4
Vegetarians commonly fall in this high pH range and can be headed toward
exhaustion. Worry and anxiety can be overriding the positive benefits they
get from their good diets. When worry and too much stress is not the case,
the physical handling is to include more rice cereals and other acid-ash in
their diets to tone down the pH. (See acid-ash and alkaline-ash foods list,
attached.) Also, mild detoxification and exercise may be of benefit to
improve conditions.

          Here, in a quick glance, is how you can test and evaluate your
body's pH. Monitoring your saliva pH can help you improve your diet and
other lifestyle characteristics so that your health can be under your
control.