Diabetes: Establishing a Daily Schedule
Handling Insulin
- Insulin should be given immediately after the morning meal.
- Insulin should be kept in a refrigerator but not in the freezer.
- The bottle must be agitated but not shaken before use- its probably best to roll the bottle in the palm of your hand.
- The insulin should be injected subcutaneously (under the skin) using the special syringes.
The curve on the left shows a drop in blood glucose levels at 8.30am following the 8.30am insulin injection. However, by 12 hours, its effect has started to wear off and a second dose on Caninsulin is required in this case.
Feeding
- Feed your pet twice daily with the same diet every day.
- Never give extra food, biscuits or other 'goodies' between meals.
Warning:
The composition of the Caninsulin solution is such that an interval of approximately 8 hours must be observed between the injection and the second meal.
IF THE ANIMAL IS NOT EATING, DO NOT GIVE INSULIN
CONSULT YOUR VET WITHIN 24 HOURS
Caninsulin lasts for approx 12 hours in most dogs.
Monitoring at Home
- Measuring the volume of water a pet drinks in a 24 hour period is a good way of monitoring their response to insulin. This should be done about once each week.
- It is a good idea for pet owners to get some urine dip sticks from the chemist to measure their pet's urine glucose and ketone levels 2-3 times a week. Usually, we like to see a trace of glucose and no ketones in the urine. No glucose in the urine may mean we are over-dosing, while the presence of ketones means we are not controlling the diabetes.
- Have some glucose powder at hand in case symptoms of an unduly low blood sugar level become visible
See also...
Hypoglycaemia
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