| More dogs and cats are now being treated for diabetes mellitus and
the internet has a vast wealth of information on almost any subject that
you can think of.
Unfortunately everything you read on the internet is NOT true.
There are a lot of unprofessional shysters out there who want to
profit from the fact that people will do anything to save the life of their
pet and that means providing false hope or offering miracle cures and promoting
these alternatives to treatment .
These facts are by Edward Murray.
Ed is married to a veterinarian and they own a diabetic dog as well
as three diabetic cats.
Important facts:
Dogs: Dogs with diabetes like humans with Type 1 diabetes
have no ability to produce insulin on their own. Their pancreatic beta
cells have been destroyed so without external sources of insulin, they
will suffer and die. There are no exceptions to this.
Cats: the situation with cats and people with Type 2 diabetes
is different. Their beta cells have some degree of functionality such that
it is possible to actual restore normal blood sugar in some cases. As you
know, we have three diabetic cats. One, Amadeus has half-day honeymoons
about once every 10 days. Another, Tiggy, has full day honeymoons about
one every 21 days. Unfortunately, Precious has never honeymooned and at
the moment is one NPH 4 times a day.
The rest of this article will be about miracle cures for diabetic
dogs because dogs DO require insulin injections for the rest of their lives.
By Edward Murray
People who are promoting these alternatives to treatment should be
jailed for animal cruelty. Sadly, the laws don't support doing that.
The facts is that dogs with diabetes like humans with Type 1 diabetes
have no ability to produce insulin on their own. Their pancreatic beta
cells have been destroyed so without external sources of insulin, they
will suffer and die. There are no exceptions to this.
It is not as simple as "it cannot hurt and may just help."
There are various supplements that can help the body use insulin better
such as chromium and vanadium, but this assumes there is insulin to use
in the first place. Further, studies of these supplements have produced
very mixed findings. It isn't at all clear in what form and quantity they
should be given or whether they require other catalysts to be effective.
Virtually all the major pet food manufacturers are supporting research
in this area in an attempt to find a way to use these chemicals.
We know full well that some medicinal herbs work. In fact, most standard
medicines are derived from researching medicinal herbs to find the active
ingredients and isolate them. Because they work, they have effects. But
those effects are not always benign.
You know that onions and garlic can cause anemia in cats and dogs.
This is a good example of the problem.
First, they are herbs with medicinal properties.
Secondly, they can have strong effects, in this case negative effects.
This illustrates the biggest problem with "it cannot hurt and may just
help."
In fact, in dogs and cats these seemingly innocuous herbs can cause
life-threatening anemia.
Without specific testing, even things that are scientifically proven
to work in humans can have negative effects on cats and dogs.
This belies the conventional wisdom that 'it can't hurt, might help.'
Further, it shows why it is recklessly dangerous to have 'an open mind'
about alternative treatments. Garlic may well be very helpful for human
diabetics, but it can kill a cat or a dog. It is not a case of 'it might
help' In fact, it may well kill.
If there is research supporting the benefits of an alternative medicine,
it is extremely important to know whether that research has been carried
out in pets and even more importantly, diabetic pets.
For him/her to assert without any proof that "I even know of people
getting diabetic dogs completely off insulin by feeding them a product/herb,
specific diet" is both a lie and irresponsible.
If people are taking diabetic dogs off insulin, those dogs are dying
and he needs to note that.
And for him to be making this suggestion is totally irresponsible and
unprofessional.
Without in anyway meaning to insult anyone considering using such a
product, the notion that keeping an open mind to people like [name removed]
is dangerous.
Accepting that people like this have something valid to offer is having
a mind so open that the brains have fallen out. He is promoting his books.
He is not attempting to help diabetic dogs.
If there were simple solutions such as [name removed] is suggesting,
everyone would know about it. No one who is diabetic wants to suffer through
the misery of fluctuations in blood glucose, give themselves shots or take
medicines that have serious side effects and suffering all the secondary
damage that goes with being diabetic.
Again, wish there were an easy way to lock up people like [name removed.]
They are doing real harm with their despicable lies.
by Judy Dick
If you are searching the internet for a miracle product or cure so
that you will not have to give insulin injections to your dog then please
think again.
If you are approached by someone that suggests an alternative treatment
instead of insulin shots.
Please ask the following questions:
Have you done controlled studies on canines and felines with your product???
At what research facility were these tests conducted?
How many dogs or cats was used in the controlled study?
How many animals have you successfully treated?
How many animals died in the control study?
How many canines have been treated with your program and no longer
require insulin???
How much insulin were they taking on initial start of your program?
How much after being on your program one week?
two weeks?
one month?
six months? etc
Do you have blood panels on these animals??
What side effects did your product cause after different lengths of
time?
Controlled Clinical trials are research studies in which people help
doctors find ways to improve health and diabetes care. Each study tries
to answer scientific questions and to find better ways to prevent, diagnose,
or treat diabetes and is the treatment safe and effective.
In a controlled clinical trial, one group of participants serves as
a control group. These participants do not receive the intervention being
studied.
Having a control group in a clinical trial enables investigators to
answer the question "Compared to what?" Do participants receiving the intervention
(the investigational group) fare better, worse, or the same as those who
get standard therapy or a placebo?
In an uncontrolled study, which has no comparison group, investigators
cannot be sure whether the outcomes they observe are caused by the intervention,
by chance, or by unknown factors.
These points should be dealt with in a controlled clincal study:
OBJECTIVE: To determine if diabetes mellitus in dogs is reversible
if fed this herb or supplement
DESIGN: Prospective study.
ANIMALS: 100 canines with diabetes mellitus
PROCEDURE: 50 of the dogs in the study used the product and 50 of the
dogs did not.
RESULTS: side effects, blood glucose levels
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Did the diabetic dog fed the product fare better,worse
or stay the same as the diabetic dog not fed the product.
Through the years many have joined our email group looking for some
miraculous herbal remedy so that they would not have to inject insulin.
Unfortunately all that has happened is the canine has died because insulin
treatment was withheld :((( That makes me very sad.
My dog Queenie was diabetic for eight years and received two shots of
insulin each and every day.
She retained her sight until the last six months of her life. I cannot
say that because I fed her homecooking, or gave her certain supplements
that she retained her eyesight. That would be absurd!
Diabetes in Dogs is NOT a Death Sentence.
If you are approached by an individual about a product that will supposedly
cure your diabetic dog please contact Edward
Murray so that he can investigate such claims.
There is no food remedy, vitamin
or supplement that can REVERSE diabetes in canines! Diabetic Canines require
injections of insulin to live.
Dr Greco has added a warning to their website
as well about supplements and minerals!
http://www.bddiabetes.com/
Q: Are there any vitamin or mineral
supplements that will reduce my dog's dependence on insulin?
R: No. Dogs generally have type 1
diabetes. Their pancreas produces no insulin at all, so they need insulin
injections in order to survive. Vitamins and
minerals cannot replace the action of insulin.If
you give your dog vitamin supplements, you still need to give it insulin
injections.
They also put up a second warning under Diet
and Exercise
NOTE: There is
no diet or vitamin supplement that can reduce your dog's dependence on
insulin injections. This is because vitamins
and minerals cannot do what insulin does in the dog's body. If you believe
that your dog needs a vitamin or mineral supplement, discuss it with your
veterinarian first to make sure that the supplement does not interfere
with the action of the dog's other medications. You will still need to
give your dog insulin injections twice a day.
http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/
Think carefully about what you have
read because
when a person is promoting a product by making
outrageous claims
and are unable to produce the specific Control
Studies
that were done on diabetic dogs with their
product
then do NOT buy their product!
They have nothing to lose but you do "Your
Dog's Life"
Studies on type 2 human diabetics
do not apply to canine type 1 diabetes?
Be VERY CAREFUL
or your diabetic dog WILL DIE
if you stop giving insulin!
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