A Diabetic Road to Blindness
A little over 5 years ago I adopted my beautiful miniature black poodle, Gracie. She has become more than just a pet, she is a member of our family and is very loved.
I would do anything for her to make sure she is always safe and is never in pain.I am sharing my story because I myself missed so many signs that if I had known, would have helped her much sooner.
If my story helps just one little life out there , then I will be very pleased. Last summer, my little Gracie started losing a little weight and was not so active as she usually was. She lost her appetite and was not eating very much either.
I spoke to a few neighbors that assured me that their pets were doing the same and it was probably due to the unusually hot summer.
After about 2 months of this and seeing that it was just getting worse, I took her to the animal hospital. When I arrived there, I was told she was on the verge of going into a diabetic coma.
Gracie had to stay in the ICU for 3 days to stabilize her insulin levels so that she does not fall into a coma. I was completely devastated and didn’t understand how the vet had missed the signs as I was taking her in annually for a full work up and full blood test.
When I picked her up from the animal hospital after 3 days in ICU, the vet told me that all her past blood work had been normal and they were not sure either how it was missed.
I had to learn how to give her insulin injections, as I was to start giving her insulin twice a day. The vet also told me that because her diabetes was not detected until it was far too gone, that she would eventually go completely blind as she had already developed cataracts as a result.
Gracie went completely blind within 2 months. It was a very difficult time for all of us. She did not know what was happening to her and I was just learning about diabetes and how to care for a diabetic pet. We were all going through growing pains during this process.
The following are a list of signs that you should be aware of that could be the signs that your pet is diabetic.
1. Excessive water drinking.
2. Excessive urination or uncontrollable bladder leakage and accidents
2. Excessively dry skin
3. over weight
4. unnatural vomiting
5. diarrhea or constant loose stools
Gracie had all of these signs and symptoms from the first day I adopted her and they were diagnosed separately as different disorders. My advice is if your pet has any or all of these symptoms, insist that your vet do a glucose analysis to check for diabetes on a regular basis and have your pets eyes examined for signs of cataracts or glaucoma regularly as well.
Something to keep in mind is that a pet with normal and healthy eyes will always show up with red eye in a picture. If your pet’s picture shows up with eyes that are gray or white in anyway, take them to the vet and have your pet’s eyes checked.
Gracie is still completely blind but has adapted very well to her blindness. She has completely memorized our house and can get around perfectly without bumping into anything. She is a very happy little poodle and is very much loved.
This article is dedicated to my precious little Gracie and to all the pets out there that will benefit from our experience.
I will continue to write about our continuous struggle with diabetes. Please keep posted and see how cataracts has affected Gracie and you will also learn more about how to care for a pet with diabetes or cataracts.
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