Shelby is a 7 year old Bischon Frise. In late 2016 she was brought to the Animal Hospital very off form and with a high temperature.
We routinely see cases like this and usually an antibiotic and an anti inflammatory rectifies the problem.

This was not the case for Shelby however………..

Several weeks later all Shelby’s lymph nodes were swollen and she had lost a lot of weight. This is a very worrying sign and and rings a lot of alarm bells. Despite weeks of treatment and further tests here in the Animal Hospital Shelby continued to deteriorate.
Eventually we sent her to the Referral Hospital in UCD, After many investigations Shelby was diagnosed with a problem with her immune system.

She was put on immunosuppressive treament along with other meds. Gradually over the coming months she slowly returned to her old self.

At a check up several days ago she was in fab form. She continues to receive daily meds and will probably do so for life…….

Holly is a 2 and a half year old cavachon.

At around 6 months old Holly started scratching excessively. So much so that she regularly caused her skin to bleed and become infected.
A change of food for a few weeks made no difference so blood samples were taken for skin allergy testing.

Results confirmed that Holly is extemely sensitive as to what she eats – she is allergic to beef,chicken, lamb, turkey and amazingly not to pork. The indoor allergy tests confirmed her intolernce to house dust mites.
Treatment has vastly improved Hollys itchiness but has not cured it.
This is what we regularly find at The Animal Hosptal, Tallght – we can manage but not cure skin allergies.

The main treatment that Holly is getting – on an ongoing basis – is a special low allergy food. Her owner has also purchased a high powered Dyson Pet hoover to keep dust mites to a minimum.

TIP – if your dog is scratching excessively from a young age – initially try a food change to see if that helps.

In December 2016 Bobby started drinking and urinating a lot. He also started eating much more food. Blood tests were taken over several weeks and confirmed that Bobby is a diabetic.
Diabetes in dogs is very common, although definitely more common in the female !! The most common clinical signs are excess drinking and urnation. It is really easy to rule it out by a simple in-house blood test.
Bobby is now getting insulin injections morning and evening and in great form – as you can see from todays picture of him.

TIP – if you have a diabetic dog be aware they can get LOW blood sugar when receiving insulin. Weakness and lethargy is usually the main signs. A couple of spoons of honey by mouth will usually sort the problem

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

This month, with the help of Holly’s story, we would like to raise awareness about diabetes mellitus, a common endocrine disorder in our fury friends. Diabetes occurs when there is insufficient insulin production by the pancreas. This is type 1 diabetes and is most common in dogs. Insulin is required for the absorption of glucose. This insulin deficiency results in the inability to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells leading to a high blood glucose. It is treated by injecting the patient with insulin on a daily basis.

Pet diabetes occurs in both dogs and cats, however it is more common in dogs. Holly’s story will focus on canine diabetes though symptoms are very much the same in both species.

Diagnosis

Holly first presented to the clinic after her owners were concerned she was drinking and urinating more than often. Common symptoms of diabetes mellitus include:

• Increased drinking
• Increased urination
• Increased appetite and often weight loss despite this
• Lethargy
• Poor coat condition

Diabetes can occur at any stage but, most commonly it occurs from the age of 7 onward. Given Holly’s age and her excessive drinking and urination, these factors led our vet to believe she was a diabetic. A simple blood test during her visit revealed she had a blood glucose of 20mmol/L. The normal range for a dog is 3.0 to 5.0mmol/L. This value however can increase during either times of stress or after having a big meal so, to rule out these factors, Holly came for a second visit the next day. During this time her owner was able to obtain a urine sample. Our nurses ran a urinalysis test which revealed that Holly had an excessive amount of glucose in her urine. This, along with a second blood test with a reading of 28.1mmol/L confirmed that Holly was a diabetic.

Treatment

Unfortunately, diabetes cannot be cured but it can be treated so the patient can live a normal healthy life. The aim of treatment is to manage the clinical signs or symptoms. Treatment involves injecting the patient with insulin on a daily basis. A strict daily routine must be followed in regards to diet and exercise as these affect insulin requirements. The times at which insulin is injected must be at the same time each day also. For example, Holly needs to be injected twice daily with insulin. Her first injection of insulin is given just after her breakfast at approximately 7am. These set meal times are to avoid hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). She cannot be fed between these meal times as treats etc will cause her blood glucose to fluctuate. She is fed a special veterinary prescription diet specifically for diabetics. This diet is high in fibre and low in fat and ensures a slow release of glucose. Her daily exercise must be regular also as this too affects insulin requirements. Her second injection is given at 7pm just after her evening meal.  Although Holly’s daily routine is quite strict her owners adapted these times to suit their schedule too. It is important to find a plan that works for both you and your pet and our nurses were able to offer advise of a daily routine during nursing clinics. Understandably, the idea of having a diabetic pet cab be quite daunting at first. Once diagnosed, our nurses work together with the client and the patient to help them gain better understanding about the disease through diabetic nursing clinics.

A Regular Patient

These days Holly is a regular visitor to the hospital. She comes for her blood glucose curve, a series of blood tests carried out throughout the day to check if her insulin dose is correct for her. Both our vets and nurses love to make a fuss of her and enjoy seeing her wagging tail greet us as she comes to the door. Her brother Tyson also comes along for the day to keep her company. We look fordward to seeing them both very soon at Holly’s next visit!

Christmas Eve – Thursday 24th – 9am – 2pm

Christmas Day  - Friday 25th – Closed

St Stephen day – Sat 26th – Closed

Sunday 27th – Closed

Monday 28th – Closed

Tues 29th – Normal hours – 9am – 7.30pm

Wed 30th – Normal hours – 9am to 7.30pm

New Years Eve – Thurs 31st- 9am – 2pm

New Years Day – Friday 1st – Closed

Saturday 2nd Jan – 9.30am – 4pm

Sunday 3rd Jan – Closed

Monday 4th Jan – Resume normal hours

For emergencies outside of these hours please contact the Pet Emergency Hospital on 01-2609920

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our client at The Animal Hospital