My dog was just diagnosed with diabetes: Cooper's first two weeks

What I noticed: more water, more peeing

Cooper came home to us on 25 December 2018, at two months old. He has been through every up and down of my life with me, so I know his habits well.

The first change was water. He started drinking more, and he would bark at his bowl for a refill far more often than usual. It was winter, and at first I put it down to that.

Then he had two accidents indoors, near his bed. Cooper doesn't do that. Right after the second one, about four or five days after I first noticed the extra drinking, I took him to the vet.

If there's one thing I want you to take from our story, it's this: a dog drinking and peeing more is not something to wait on. It doesn't always mean diabetes, and why a dog suddenly drinks a lot and pees more covers the other causes your vet will think about. But it is always worth a vet visit. The other early signs of diabetes in dogs are worth knowing too, and if you're wondering whether what you're seeing means diabetes, start with does this mean my dog has diabetes?

25 October: the vet visit and the tests

I told the vet that apart from the drinking and peeing, nothing else seemed off. He asked whether Cooper had been panting. He said diabetes was the most likely answer, but that a heart condition could also be behind signs like these, so he wanted to rule that out properly.

So Cooper had a full blood panel and a chest X-ray. The tests used to diagnose diabetes in dogs explains what each one is for.

His sugar test in the clinic came back high. The vet didn't take that one reading as the final word, though. He said part of it could be stress. That's why one glucose number isn't enough on its own.

The next day Cooper had a fasting sugar test. That was high too, and it confirmed diabetes.

The hardest part: why did this happen to Cooper?

The hardest moment wasn't a shot or a test. It was being handed the diagnosis and not understanding why. We always took good care of him, so I kept asking: why Cooper?

What helped was learning that most causes of diabetes in dogs aren't things an owner could have seen coming or prevented, and that the exact cause for one dog often isn't known. I wrote more about that in why did my dog get diabetes? Did I cause it?, and it's a good question to ask your own vet.

If the first days feel like a lot, I feel overwhelmed. Does it get easier? and am I doing the right thing for my dog? are for you. And when you're ready to look ahead, what the outlook is for a diabetic dog is more hopeful than the first day feels. Starting out with a diabetic dog puts the first steps in order.

The first insulin shots

I give Cooper his insulin with syringes and finer needles. I chose them over a pen because I wasn't sure a pen would get through his skin properly. That's my own choice, and your vet can tell you what suits your dog and your insulin: see which syringes and needle size to buy, which syringe matches my insulin and are insulin pens an option for dogs?

The first shots were hard. I had to hold him down.

Then, after about two days, something changed. Cooper started coming to me with his tail wagging and sitting down to wait for his shot. Now it's just part of his day, a habit for both of us.

If your dog is still fighting it, how to make insulin time easier has what helped, and your vet's team can show you the technique in person: injection technique questions for your vet. It also helps to get the basics right from the start, like feeding before the insulin, keeping insulin at home and getting rid of used syringes safely.

What didn't change: his food

I expected everything to change on day one. His food didn't. Cooper eats the same food at the same meal times as before.

That isn't a rule for every dog. Some dogs do need a change, and that's a decision for your vet, not something to rush into on your own. But the steadiness itself matters: keeping a diabetic dog on the same food, the same amount and the same times makes his insulin easier to get right. Feeding a diabetic dog has the bigger picture, along with two meals a day, how far apart the meals should be and measuring his food. The daily routine shows how meals, insulin and walks fit together.

What I didn't expect: lows, and watching him breathe

Cooper's problem has always been high sugar, so I didn't think low sugar applied to us. It does. The insulin is what can push a dog too low, whatever his readings usually are. I wrote it all up in low blood sugar in dogs, along with what to keep ready for a low and lows at night.

Since the diagnosis, some days I walk past him while he's asleep and stop, just to watch his chest rise and fall. I don't think I'm the only owner who does that.

Writing things down helps with the worry. A daily log and what to record for your vet mean the next vet visit starts from facts, not from memory.

Two weeks in

We're still early. Getting a dog regulated takes time, and there will be check-ups with the vet along the way. Working with your vet and getting support covers how to make those visits count.

If your dog seems different in himself after the diagnosis, mention it to your vet. Behaviour changes in a diabetic dog has what to look out for.