Wilson is a 100lb Rottweiler who thinks he's a lap dog!  He has the
sweetest, gentlest nature and is a real 'mummy's boy'.

I adopted him when he was six months old from a breeder who was going to
show him but changed her  mind.  He fitted in straight away, and despite
being a little destructive (he chewed 2 beds, a telephone, 2 pairs of boots,
the staircase, several letters and cheques, the skirting board etc.) he was
very well behaved from the start.

Almost as soon as he came to live with us he developed diarrhoea.  After
several months of tests, special diets, tablets and a refferal to a
specialist at Bristol University, we eventually found out that it was due to
inflammatory bowel disease caused by a food allergy.  After 2 months of
antibiotics he finally improved and started putting weight on again.

All was going well until June 2000.  He had started doing VERY long wees, I
hadn't noticed him drinking more becuase we had adopted another Rotty the
previous month and that seemed to account for the extra water they were
drinking.  I had thought that he was losing weight but wasn't sure if I was
just worrying too much (I'm a Vet Nurse and we always over react!) but when
my sister visited she commented on how thin he looked.

I took him into work and weighed him - he had lost 9lbs.  They took a
routine blood test which showed a high glucose level. Both the Vet and I
thought it must be a mistake at first, he couldn't be diabetic!  Not after
all he went through over the last few months.  Just to make sure we repeated
the blood test and also checked his urine for glucose.  They both confirmed
it, he was diabetic.

We couldn't believe it. I was due to go on holiday 2 days later (with the
dogs thankfully), so because I had a pretty good idea of what I was doing
they let me try to stabilise him myself rather than admitting him and him missing
out on the holiday.  Luckily the cottage we were going to in the Lake District 
was owned by a Vet so she was on hand just in case there were any problems.

Everything went smoothly but his glucose was still too high when we got back
2 weeks later.  A glucose curve showed that the urine tests weren't giving
an accurate picture of what was really going on so I invested in a home
blood testing kit.  Gradually he stabilised and started to put some weight on.

Then in October he became very ill again.  The diarrhoea had come back, he
had fluid in his tummy and he had dropped to 88lbs (from 110).  You could
see every bone in his body and he was miserable.  After more tests and
another referral - this time to Cambridge Uni - he was found to have
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and a flare up of his inflammatory boweldisease.

With the specialists help we stabilised his diabetes (he is on Insuvet
Lente), controlled his EPI (with Panzym - fantastic stuff) and thankfully
his IBD settled down without the need for aggressive drugs (usually steroids
or chemotherapy drugs). He has put some weight back on and is well on his
way back to the weight he was before diabetes.

He has gradually bounced back and is very lively now. We found out in April
2001 that he had developed cataracts (as well as having hereditry ones) but
thankfully they are not bad enough to need sugery yet.
 

Wilson still has a VERY happy life.  There are ups and downs, but he enjoys
his walkies, his food and all the extra cuddles he gets.  The only real
difference it has made to my life is that I have to get up at 8am each
morning to feed him - even on my days off!!!  But honestly, it all sounds
like a lot to cope with at first but it soon becomes second nature,
especially with the help and support of everyone at the email list. 
God bless them all.

Update - April 29, 2005

Wilson is doing really well (I hate saying that cause it usually  prompts him
to come up with something!) he is very happy and perhaps getting a bit fat -
oops!  I am rushed off my feet with 2 kids, 2 dogs, a husband who  works away a
lot and a part-time job which is why I can only lurk these days.

Annette & Wilson
Birmingham, UK

 

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 

Wilson and Chester