Question
Can I change my diabetic dog's insulin plan at home?
Sunny, owner notes“I wish my dog lived as long as I do.”Updated
I'm an owner, not a vet. This is not veterinary advice, so check anything medical with your own vet.
Short answer
Please don't change the insulin yourself, even when a reading worries you. A high number, a late meal or a long walk is a reason to call your vet with your notes. Changing the plan at home can push his sugar dangerously low. Let your vet decide if anything should change, and write down what they tell you. If he is weak or wobbly, call now.
I never give insulin amounts here. Yours comes from your vet's written plan.
What I can't help with here
I won't tell you to give less, give more, give it later, or leave it out 'just for today' because of a chart. Only the clinic can tell you that, on the phone or in writing, for your dog.
Same with switching brands. Keep using the insulin they gave you until they tell you to change.
What to do instead
- Write the clock time, the food, the reading if you have one, and how he seems.
- Call the clinic and read them what you wrote.
- Give the next dose as your written plan says, unless they tell you something different.
- If they do change the plan, ask them to repeat it so you can write it down correctly.
What to take with you
Take a glucose curve if they asked for one, or the reading that worried you and the time you got it.
Sources
- What insulin amount should I give my diabetic dog?Why insulin amounts come from your vet
- When the day goes wrong: urgent helpWhen to call the vet and what to say
- Emergency or low blood sugar: call your vet nowWhat to do if he turns weak or wobbly
- What if the morning meal ran late?What to do when a meal runs late
- Notes and curves to show your vetNotes and curves to take to your vet
Every outside source I used is listed on the Sources page.
Related
Q&A
What insulin amount should I give my diabetic dog?
I can't tell you that, and nobody online should. The amount is on the plan your vet wrote for your dog.
Q&A
My meter shows a number. What should I do?
Write down the number, the time and how he seems. Your vet is the one to say if it's good or bad.
Q&A
What if the morning meal ran late?
If your plan doesn't already say what to do when you're late, call your vet.
Q&A
When does a diabetic dog need a vet the same day?
If he's weak, trembling, collapsing, vomiting or won't eat, call your vet now. Read the rest later.