This is Cheyenne’s story.
She is out of my first and only litter from my first Brittany.
She was one of 14 puppies. 12 survived. We had decided
on keeping a boy,
Rebel. He was the only one with a spot on his head. We
were finding good
homes for all the puppies. Cheyenne decided she was staying with
us. She
picked us. So, as much as I didn’t want 3 dogs, we kept her.
She was the
biggest puppy. Always looked out for the smallest puppies.
She has always
been a couch potato. Her brother is always very active and her
mother is
obsessed with tennis balls. Even at 11 years old. Well,
every time we would
go to the vets, Cheyenne needed to lose weight. She was 62 pounds.
Which is extremely heavy for a Brittany. She hurt her leg or
something a
couple months ago and couldn’t climb steps. Which, since we live
on a second
floor, had me carrying her up and down the steps for about 2 weeks.
We put
her on Ecotrin and she could climb steps again. Then the vet
said I shouldn’t
keep her on Ecotrin as it was bad for her stomach so we started Ascriptin.
Well, about 3 days later she had bloody diarrhea and so she got
off
Ascriptin, onto Flagyl and recovered. About 1 month after that,
we started noticing it looked like she was losing weight. My
moving
coffee table was looking like a dog again. Every day we kept
saying,
boy she lost weight. I had switched to Purina Beneful Healthy
Weight
Management but the other two weren’t losing weight. So, I called
the vet
and asked for a complete blood workup. We discovered her glucose
was 472.
So the vet showed me how to give her a shot, gave her 11 units,
wrote a
prescription for the needles and insulin and sent us home. Shots
twice a day.
Even that night, she was better. Didn’t realize how bad she was.
She used
to lay there and moan/cry. Not a lot but… She was sleeping
all the time.
She just looked depressed. I knew something was wrong but her
exams
were always fine. Luckily I demanded the blood workup.
Anyways,
two weeks later we checked her glucose before she was due for her shot
and it was 549. So we raised her to 13 units of Humilin N.
Checked again
in two weeks. She was 465. Raised her to 15 units.
Tested again in two
weeks but this time 1 ½ hours after her shot, she was 488.
Her eyes have
gotten really blue since she was first diagnosed also. So I went
online and
found the canine diabetes website and found this group. You have
convinced
me that things should have been done that weren’t. I was thinking
that
especially with all my reading but she is so much better than she was.
Honestly it’s like she is 3 or 4 years younger than she was.
She is playful
again, cuddly, never cries, shows her teeth again…. Stuff you
just forget
about sometimes. Well, I went to a new vet and he is going to
do a curve
next week. Her first. He is concerned as he redid her blood
workup and
her ALT is over double what it was 6 weeks ago, 4 times what it should
be.
Also she is very low in protein. He is going to check for
Cushing’s.
She does have some symptoms. I am hoping for the best.
Keeping my fingers crossed, etc.
I definitely appreciate all advice and help I have received.
I always trusted
that vet as he saved Rebel from Parvo at 10 months of age but I have
found
that not all vets know about diabetes. Here and I thought Rebel
was going
to be my expensive dog. Thank you for all the support.
Christy
Update -April 15, 2005
Hi, on Monday it will be two years since Cheyenne was diagnosed diabetic
and I know
that she would not still be here if it wasn’t for the wonderful people
on this list.
We have had ups and downs, she went blind from cataracts, we had cataract
surgery performed
on her left eye that still had retina function. Her right eye
developed glaucoma and I had “the shot”
in her eye to control pressures. It has been a year since the
shot and it is still okay.
We had a difficult time regulating her although I have tested her blood
glucose levels myself since
June 2003. We finally discovered she was hypothyroid which we
control with medicine.
I am truly amazed how much better and how much younger Cheyenne is/acts
since before she was
diagnosed. She was acting so old and ancient before diagnosis
and from her first shot of insulin she
kept getting better and younger acting. I think she acts at least
3 years younger than she had.
I homecooked all of her food for a long time but now I give her some
homecooked
and Innova Evo Dog food. And of course cottage cheese.
I am happy with every day I still have with her and enjoy my babies
as much as I can.
She now weighs 68# and is on 16 units of NPH, twice a day.
And thank you to everyone who has been there for us and
I hope I have helped some that have come after us.
Christy
Hey Mom.....You really love me don't you......Cheyenne
Picture taken April 20, 2005
We love you too... Mom...you are the Best!
Update! Update! Update!
| April 18, 2006
I can't believe it is 3 years, but then again, it feels like forever.
Cheyenne is 10 years old now. Doing well. Numbers aren't always
where I like them but I have learned quite well how to adjust accordingly.
I do home blood glucose testing with her. At least, twice a day.
In fact, today she is at work with Mommy having a curve ran…
I know for a fact she would not still be on this side of the
Rainbow if it wasn't for the help I received on this list. I just
hope I am helpful to the new ones like everyone was helpful to me when
I was new.
She did have her blind eye removed in November of 2005.
It was shrinking and causing irritation because her eyelids were curling
in and rubbing the eye. I have attached a picture from today.
She looks a little silly since I shaved her on Sunday. She was just
hot and dirty and had knots in her hair so I just went crazy with the clippers.
She feels like velvet now and it is much easier giving her shots…
Bonus.
She weighs about 62# and gets 15 units of NPH twice a day.
She eats 1 cup of Innova Evo dry with 1/3 can of Merrick canned food mixed
in. She takes Glycoflex III chews and a multi vitamin. Flax
Oil when I remember. And eats a piece of hotdog with each shot.
She is on EDTA 1% and Timolol drops once a day.
Thanks for all the well wishes for my baby. |
I just love the person taking my picture so much!
Rainbow
Bridge May 16, 2007
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