Doug N Libby
Very Active Member
I don't even know where to begin - Quick update - Hershey is almost 10 years old and was diagnosed Nov, 2011. Within a week of learning the diagnosis we moved him to canned only. His coat is super soft again, very little dander, not gained weight (maybe an ounce or two) but seems to be feeling pretty good. I've spent hours and hours and hours reading on the forum and have 'talked' to several of you who were kind enough to try to educate us. We did a 16-hour curve last Friday and called the vet today with lots of information and a resolve to home regulate.
Now - here I sit in tears! She kept saying things like this is crazy, this is not how it's done, medicine isn't black and white, I know from years of experience - over and over and over. I told her I was trying to learn about testing for ketones and asked when we should be concerned. She said, "I need to see him. I can't tell you that." She wouldn't even discuss it! She said, you got a lot of information from the internet and while some of it may be good, not all of it is. I told her we wanted to start him on .5 - 1 unit twice a day of a long acting insulin. She said she uses ProZinc and while she doesn't think this is a good idea, if she has no other choice then write the prescription, but we're on our own. (She said both it and the syringes have to be ordered through her and they get them until Thursday. $140 for the insulin and $35 for the syringes, is that good?) After she said we're on our own several times, I asked so, do you not want me to call with questions or updates, is that what you're saying - that we're completely on our own? She said, no - you're welcome to call me, but I can't help you much since I'm not the one doing the regulating. If you'd let me get him regulated then you can take him and test him, that's fine. And, back to the this isn't how it's done....I got so tired of trying to reason with her that I would just be quiet and let her 'rant' before steering the conversation back to - ok, so we get the insulin from you and...
I asked her if there was an after hours or emergency place she recommended and she said they're all good and expensive! Without me doing the curve, I can't tell you what to start him on. Are you going to do any damage at .5 unit twice a day? Probably not. Are you going to do any good? (That kind of condensending hmm sound) probably not. Are you going to do any damage at 1 unit twice a day? Probably not. Are you going to do any good? (Same noise) probably not. But, I don't want him to hang out with a BG up around 400.
This was an almost 30 minute call, but I kept myself together. Oh - oh - get this - I asked how long insulin is good if left out of the refrigerator. She said you need to get in the habit of refrigerating it. I said, I know that, but how long is it still good if it's left out. She said, only as long as it takes to give the shot. I said, so if I walk through the kitchen :30 later and see it on the counter, I need to toss it? She said, I wouldn't think so. But, if it's room temperature, I'd toss it. (So, WHY didn't she just say that to start with???)
I told her I knew the insulin should be given every 12 hours, but asked about a time range. She said every 12 hours. I asked again, she said every 12 hours. I said, so 11-1/2 would be bad or 12 hours and 15 min would be bad? She said, no certainly :30 one way or the other wouldn't hurt. (ARRGGHH!)
She wants us to feed him twice a day. I said we're feeding him 4 times a day, seems to work better. My mom is a diabetic and it seems to work better for her, too. She said, it's not a bad idea. She kept saying we should be feeding him a DM diet. She finally asked what kind of dry food we were using. I told her no dry, only Wellness. She said we should leave dry food for him overnight so he can munch if he needs it. At that point, I didn't even have it in me to argue. We just won't.
She wanted to know when we were planning to give the insulin. I told her 2am and 2pm. She was like - what?! 2am and 2pm - then you need to keep a close check on him. Okay, people - does it really matter WHEN we give it as long as we're consistent with it??? So, then she was like, well if you're giving it at 2am and 2 pm and feeding him at 6 or 6:30 in between, it may actually have its advantages. (Of course, that part was under her breath - ugh)
Thus far, I haven't heard from anyone who has a vet recommendation close to us. So, we'll stick this out a little longer and PRAY all goes well!!
Sorry for the long vent, but thanks for 'listening' and for any suggestions you'd like to share.
Libby (and Hershey, too!)
Now - here I sit in tears! She kept saying things like this is crazy, this is not how it's done, medicine isn't black and white, I know from years of experience - over and over and over. I told her I was trying to learn about testing for ketones and asked when we should be concerned. She said, "I need to see him. I can't tell you that." She wouldn't even discuss it! She said, you got a lot of information from the internet and while some of it may be good, not all of it is. I told her we wanted to start him on .5 - 1 unit twice a day of a long acting insulin. She said she uses ProZinc and while she doesn't think this is a good idea, if she has no other choice then write the prescription, but we're on our own. (She said both it and the syringes have to be ordered through her and they get them until Thursday. $140 for the insulin and $35 for the syringes, is that good?) After she said we're on our own several times, I asked so, do you not want me to call with questions or updates, is that what you're saying - that we're completely on our own? She said, no - you're welcome to call me, but I can't help you much since I'm not the one doing the regulating. If you'd let me get him regulated then you can take him and test him, that's fine. And, back to the this isn't how it's done....I got so tired of trying to reason with her that I would just be quiet and let her 'rant' before steering the conversation back to - ok, so we get the insulin from you and...
I asked her if there was an after hours or emergency place she recommended and she said they're all good and expensive! Without me doing the curve, I can't tell you what to start him on. Are you going to do any damage at .5 unit twice a day? Probably not. Are you going to do any good? (That kind of condensending hmm sound) probably not. Are you going to do any damage at 1 unit twice a day? Probably not. Are you going to do any good? (Same noise) probably not. But, I don't want him to hang out with a BG up around 400.
This was an almost 30 minute call, but I kept myself together. Oh - oh - get this - I asked how long insulin is good if left out of the refrigerator. She said you need to get in the habit of refrigerating it. I said, I know that, but how long is it still good if it's left out. She said, only as long as it takes to give the shot. I said, so if I walk through the kitchen :30 later and see it on the counter, I need to toss it? She said, I wouldn't think so. But, if it's room temperature, I'd toss it. (So, WHY didn't she just say that to start with???)
I told her I knew the insulin should be given every 12 hours, but asked about a time range. She said every 12 hours. I asked again, she said every 12 hours. I said, so 11-1/2 would be bad or 12 hours and 15 min would be bad? She said, no certainly :30 one way or the other wouldn't hurt. (ARRGGHH!)
She wants us to feed him twice a day. I said we're feeding him 4 times a day, seems to work better. My mom is a diabetic and it seems to work better for her, too. She said, it's not a bad idea. She kept saying we should be feeding him a DM diet. She finally asked what kind of dry food we were using. I told her no dry, only Wellness. She said we should leave dry food for him overnight so he can munch if he needs it. At that point, I didn't even have it in me to argue. We just won't.
She wanted to know when we were planning to give the insulin. I told her 2am and 2pm. She was like - what?! 2am and 2pm - then you need to keep a close check on him. Okay, people - does it really matter WHEN we give it as long as we're consistent with it??? So, then she was like, well if you're giving it at 2am and 2 pm and feeding him at 6 or 6:30 in between, it may actually have its advantages. (Of course, that part was under her breath - ugh)
Thus far, I haven't heard from anyone who has a vet recommendation close to us. So, we'll stick this out a little longer and PRAY all goes well!!
Sorry for the long vent, but thanks for 'listening' and for any suggestions you'd like to share.
Libby (and Hershey, too!)
I have a friend who's DH used to live in NC (though I'm not sure where) I'll see if it was your area and if he rec's his old vet. He had a dog though, but if it's a good vet then maybe at least it's a lead.
