I will be ten years old this coming June 19 and was diagnosed diabetic almost 3 years ago in August of 2000.  My younger brother, Domino, a toy poodle, is on this picture with me.  It was taken while we were on our trip to Chile this last Fall and Winter (it was Spring and Summer there).  We had a real good time there.

As far as my care is concerned, I take NPH insulin twice a day and eat a home-cooked recipe that keeps my blood sugar down while it also prevents pancreatitis from recurring. I have two main meals with my shots and I also take 3 snacks:  One at peak time at noon, another one by mid-afternoon because I get hungry and the last one at bedtime.

My mom takes us for several walks every day and most of the time she takes us to one of the parks that are close to home and we enjoy this so very much.  She is now planning to take us back to Chile to live permanently or at least for a long time.

Hilda, Alfie (dd) and Domino

She has fed me a home prepared meal of boiled chicken, whole grain brown rice, green leafy veggies, broccoli or zuchini, some carrots, oat bran and chicken broth from the start.  She fed this to me for both of my daily meals.  Here recently, my morning meal was changed to boiled chicken breast & Hill's RD (can and kibble), and I've been able to tolerate it well.  The reason for the change was to make it easier for me to have a food supply to last me through a Florida storm.  I have kept my weight steadily at 18.5 lbs mainly because I always eat the same amount and same type of food, and it's all very low in fat.

With the years, I developed hypothyroidism and take L-Thyrozine for that.  My liver also started to show high levels of ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) and I take a supplement for that.  What I now take is a med. we brought from Chile, S.A., and after I run out of that, my mom is planning on having me take Maryn, Milk Thistle or Sam-E.  I also take Vitamins C and E as antioxidants, a multivitamin (Pet-Tab) and 1/2 tablet of Pepcid A.C. with my evening meal to help with my digestion.  I use Lantus and Humulin R insulin to keep my blood glucose at a good level.  Sometimes I hear my mommy say it's too high, but this usually happens when she's giving me some rawhide to chew because I want to chew on them just like the other dogs in my house do, and I know my mommy doesn't want me to feel different.  I have developed cataracts over the years, but I can still see fairly well.  My mom takes me and my brother Domino for a walk in the morning and a mini walk at night.  The rest of the time, I just go out in the backyard. 

I have travelled internationally twice to Chile, S.A. where we lived first for a few months to try it out, and later for 3 years.  We lived at the coast there in a house my mother built to her specs with lots and lots of land around enclosed with a tight wire fence and an iron gate with remote control and intercom.  I liked it there just fine, but my mom wanted us to travel back home this time to Florida, and here we are.  We live in Port Saint Lucie in the Treasure Coast and I like here also.  I am happy as long as I am with my mommy.

She is sending you a picture she snapped with her cell one time that she woke me out of a nap and took it.  Her computer crashed last week, and she lost a few pictures she had stored there.  So she says this is all she has of me right now that is recent.  It's by far the least favorable picture I've had taken, but it'll have to do.  Maybe, I might send another one in the near future and have it replaced.

I want to tell all of you furkids out there that diabetes becomes second nature after the rough beginning.  You can trust me on that.  I mean it.