Chachi
"We're here to have him put to sleep," the woman told the vet. "My
sister asked me to have her dog euthanized once she passed away. She died this
morning. We're just doing what she asked us to do."
After examining Chachi, the vet asked if there wasn't an alternative to
euthanasia, since the dog appeared quite energetic and interested in
living. No, the woman explained; she had two other dogs and didn't have time
to take care of a blind, diabetic animal. Unwilling to carry out the
family's request, the vet asked LapDog Rescue to find him a home
immediately. We got the call and here he is, our newest addition to the pack.
Chachi is eleven years old. When he came to us
two-and-a-half weeks ago, his diet had been
commercial dog food consisting mainly of dead byproduct materials. He'd
needed twelve units of insulin twice daily for the previous year and a
half. That seemed extremely high to me; most small dogs receive
two-to-four
units, according to a couple of the vets with whom I spoke. I was extremely
concerned because it seemed this level would soon shut down his kidneys and
liver.
The first 3 days with Chachi were a challenge. He craved his junk dog food and wasn't really sure he was into the healthy foods we provide. But by day three he was hungry enough to give our barf diet--(biologically appropriate raw foods or bones and raw food)--a chance. Now he eats the same foods as his other four-legged friends: raw meat or fish with ground-up bones and high-protein grains like millet, amaranth, quinoa, raw, finely ground vegetables, yogurt with cultures, and a high-fiber blend called 4Fiber. Since he was getting real, live food without the high-sugar content of commercial dog food, I felt confident we would be able to lower his insulin dosage after a period of time.
Chachi was only here for five days when I thought something was very wrong; he was limp and lacked his usual energy. He had received seven units of insulin the night before, already five down from his usual dosage. But that was still too much. He slept most of the day, and when he ate his dinner that night, we gave him only five units of insulin. The following morning he was his usual perky self.
We don't know where the story will go from here, but he's now down to 4 units of insulin twice daily, and I believe after his next blood work is taken we might be able to lower it even further. He is already receiving a third of what he received just three weeks ago, all due to his diet.
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