Muffin Pet Diabetes Support Group

"My name is Alfie Avello, I was diagnosed with diabetes and acute pancreatitis in August, 2000. I am nine and a half years old, and after some initial critical time in which my mummy Hilda learned how to treat this disease (diabetes), I have enjoyed good health, have lots of energy and sport a good looking coat so that I can be real proud of who and what I am.

I recently traveled with the family and my younger brother Domino -- a three-year-old black toy poodle -- to Santiago, Chile where we spent four months. We spent part of that time at the beautiful beach resort Algarrobo, where we would take morning walks by the water and chase big dogs off our property. This would scare my mummy, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

To share with you some of my diabetes history, I'd let you know that I have been on NPH insulin twice a day. I take 17 units in the morning and 15 in the evenings for now. There seems to be some insulin adjusting to do between country travels most likely due mainly to the difference in the food fat content and changes from chicken to beef to chicken and exercise routines. After being real high when I first arrived in Chile, I pulled some record-breaking lows which worried everybody. My mummy does home tests on me so we could stay on top of our situation all the time. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that my diet consists strictly on a low-fat home cooked diet based on lean chicken or beef, wholegrain brown rice and green veggies with some oat bran for bulk. I also take a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement daily to be on the safe side.

I'd like to also let you know that I have a little brother. He is a 3-1/2 year old black toy poodle whom I love very much and try to protect when we are outside. He went with us to Chile and back as we have never separated except for a hospital stay once. As a younger brother, he likes to bug me biting my ears and face when we go out and always wanting the bone I'm chewing....:(.
He has a fine sense of smell which takes him to find buried bones all the time which he brings home much to our mummy's dismay; he also has the retriever in him and likes to collect tree branch pieces (sticks) every time we go for our walks. I know he loves me and our mummy too very much and he makes our family feel whole.

Our e-mail address is: havello@comcast.net. You may write to us at any time with questions or just to say hi. We always love to get mail and hear from nice people like you."

Hilda writes:

Alfie is a silver miniature Schnauzer. He was diagnosed with diabetis and severe pancreatitis in August 2000. After
hospitalization and several trips back to the hospital, he is now enjoying good health and well-being, although he is not completely regulated yet. After a hiatus dealing with overwhelming health problems that appeared overnight, we are now enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle and have a sense of quality in our life.

I could pinpoint the turn-around in our situation since I started feeding my own home-cooked food and have dealt with ups and downs better with experience.

There is happiness and joy back in our life....much more so than before when we took things for granted. Now, each day that passes in good health, we count as a real blessing and are most grateful to our Lord that watches over our home.

Hilda, Alfie (dd) and Domino