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| It is is important to determe whether or not your
veterinarian has experience in dealing with the special needs of a diabetic
pet. Following is a list of questions compiled by members of the
Muffin Pet Diabetes group over the years which may help you when consulting
with your veterinarian. Do not be afraid to ask these questions -
if you have a veterinarian you will be able to work with to deal with this
disease, he/she should have no objections to answering your questions.
It is worth noting that you should carefully observe
your veterinarian to see if he/she is a real animal lover and if she has
compassion for her patenties. Its important to have one who who genuinely
cares and doesn't just see dollar signs. We should be just as selective
about a vet as we are about finding a doctor for ourselves.
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| 1 | How many other diabetic pets are you treating, how long have you been treating them and how are they faring? (If they say "only lived 6 months", you're in the wrong ffice.) |
| 2 | If the answer is "none", ask for a referral to a vet who has had experience with diabetes |
| 3 | Are you willing to help me to educate myself on this disease? |
| 4 | What other ways do you suggest I can educate myself about diabetes? |
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| 5 | Do you have an emergency number if my pet has a bad reaction or other emergency after hours or at night? |
| 6 | If you don't have after-hours emergency service, who do you refer to for emergencies? |
| 7 | What do you consider an emergency in a diabetic pet? |
| 8 | What signs (symptoms) should I be aware of as an emergency and what do I do if I see them? |
| 9 | What other situations should cause me to call the vet or seek emergency care? |
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| 10 | Will you monitor my pet's reaction to the insulin over several hours via blood glucose curves? How often? Will you explain the results to me, so I can understand the insulin's effect on my pet? |
| 11 | How often are you going to do a blood glucose curve? |
| 12 | Are there any complications that could happen if my animal is not stabilized after so many months? |
| 13 | What is the normal BG range we're attempting to reach (i.e. high and low) at which to maintain my pet - and at what times of the day? |
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| 14 | How do you want me to monitor my pet's diabetes: home blood glucose testing, urine and ketone testing, water intake, urine output? |
| 15 | How should I monitor my pet's condition at home? For example, watching for excessive thirst or urination or hunger, weight loss or gain, feeling active or lethargic, etc. |
| 16 | How do you feel about home testing and and will you help me learn to do home testing? |
| 17 | What kind of records should I keep to help you to evaluate my pet's condition? |
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| 18 | How many types of insulin are there suitable for pets? |
| 19 | How do you determine which insulin to use, and what dosage? |
| 20 | Why are you starting with this type of insulin (whichever they prescribe)? |
| 21 | What are the properties of this insulin compared to other types - for example, how does this insulin work, when does it onset/peak/fade what are typical peak times and duration? |
| 22 | What should I be on the lookout for as common problems with this type of insulin? |
| 23 | If this insulin doesn't work out, which type would I probably be trying next? |
| 24 | How do you me want to adjust his insulin? |
| 25 | Should I get your approval before making any insulin dosage changes? Are there exceptions to the general rule? |
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| 26 | Show me how to give an injection. |
| 27 | Explain the insulin dosage units, demonstrating on the syringe. Practice giving injections in the Veterinarian's office. |
| 28 | What if my pet moves and does not receive his full injection? |
| 29 | What insulin dosage should I give if my pet is sick or refuses to eat or vomits? |
| 30 | What if my pet vomits after the injection? |
| 31 | What do I do if I think I missed a shot? |
| 32 | What do I do if my pet refuses to eat after an injection? |
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| 33 | When should I feed my pet -- before, during, or after the injection, or free feed all the time? |
| 34 | Should I have water available at all times? |
| 35 | What diet should I feed my pet? Should I use a special formula for diabetics, such as Hill's W/D? What if he won't eat this? |
| 36 | What do I do if he eats extra food by mistake |
| 37 | What foods should I give during vomiting or diarrhea episodes? |
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| 38 | What is hypoglycaemia? (in simple terms, it's a dangerously low blood glucose level) |
| 39 | What signs and symptoms should I watch for, and how should I treat it? At what point should I call the veterinarian or go to an emergency animal clinic? |
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| 40 | What is hyperglycaemia? (in simple terms, it's a dangerously high blood glucose level) |
| 41 | What signs and symptoms should I watch for, and how should I treat it? At what point should I call the veterinarian or go to an emergency animal clinic? |
| 42 | Ask what complications arise from continued high blood glucose levels, and how quickly or slowly to increase insulin when levels continue high. |
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| 43 | What is ketoacidosis? (It is also potentially life-threatening) |
| 44 | What signs and symptoms should I watch for, and how should I treat it? At what point should I call the veterinarian or go to an emergency animal clinic? |
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| 45 | Ask for information on cataract development in diabetics (dogs especially) and any other possible eye complications (inflammation, glaucoma). |
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| 46 | Ask about thyroid in relation to diabetes and regulating glucose levels (has the animal been tested for thyroid levels?) |
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| 47 | Ask how other medications your dog/cat may be taking will affect diabetes and insulin levels. |