Max is my non diabetic 9 year old Jack Russell and miniature Schnauzer mix.  He is healthy and feisty.

Pepper is my diabetic, soon to be 10 year old Westiepoo diagnosed 2/21/07.  I don’t know where I would be without the help of this awesome group of informed, knowledgeable and supportive individuals. 

Pepper weighs 17 lbs and her weight has been stable since diagnosis.  I now feed her Innova Evo dry kibble, 1/8 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening.  To the kibble I add, 1 oz of boiled chicken and 1 oz of chicken livers.  I have heard the warnings about feeding dogs too much liver, but after 9 years, Pepper will not eat kibble unless I add the chicken livers to it. 

Pepper is on Novolin N 6.5 units at 6 AM and 6 PM. 

Pepper has a problem with her breakfast since diagnosed.  Prior to this she was a free grazer and not a very good eater at best.   Even with the chicken liver delicacy, Pepper has a terrible time eating and enjoying her breakfast.  I have resorted to hand feeding many times.  I finally overcame this issue and then Pepper had some GI distress and didn’t eat for 48 hrs.  She is now back to her refusing breakfast.  She appears to have an aversion to food in the morning more so than just being finicky.  I determine this by her behavior and the expression on her face.

I have been unsuccessful in blood glucose testing.  I have tried the dew claw and ear which were both painful for Pepper.  I then moved to the tail and although she doesn’t mind this site to stick, I barely get a speck of blood.  So for now, I use the Keto-Diastix to check her levels.  Her ketones are most always Negative with a rare trace reading.  Before her most recent GI problem, it appeared I was just getting her in to the lower glucose range.  I was getting readings of 100 to 500.  Now we are starting over again and she is running in the 1000 number.