As you may have seen on Instagram at @mummyconstant, we discovered this year that our Cocker Spaniel Snoopy has diabetes. Over the past six months I’ve learned a lot and wanted to share what we’ve experienced—what the signs looked like and how we manage his care to keep him comfortable and healthy.
At first Snoopy seemed in pain and very unsettled. For nearly a day he couldn’t get comfortable, looked disoriented, trembled while lying down, and kept curling up outside on the patio. He was whining a lot, clearly trying to tell us something was wrong. The vet suggested painkillers at first, but they didn’t help. After further checks, it became clear he was having a hyperglycemic episode.
Tests showed low insulin activity in his blood, and an ultrasound revealed a large mass near his liver and pancreas. The vets prescribed insulin and advised injections twice a day. He was also assessed at an animal hospital, where they confirmed the diabetes and the mass. The team believe the mass is interfering with his body’s ability to use insulin.
Dogs with this condition need insulin injections because their bodies stop producing enough insulin. For Snoopy we give 0.6 ml of insulin every 12 hours with his meal. He can’t have snacks between meals and is on a balanced diet.
Since the diagnosis he has lost a lot of muscle and weight. When the body lacks insulin it starts breaking down fat and muscle for energy, so it’s been hard to watch him get so thin. Still, his tail keeps wagging and he’s bright and affectionate, which matters most to us.
Our routine has changed: strict feeding and medication times, no casual treats, and shorter walks because he tires easily. We do give him a small part of a vegan dental stick at night as his bedtime treat. He doesn’t walk far anymore, but we take him out when he has the energy and he seems content.
Snoopy hasn’t had the easiest life—ongoing ear infections led to ear canal surgery when he was nine, he began losing his sight a year later, and now this. It’s been tough, but he’s still a loving, happy dog and an inspiration to our family.
If you have any tips or experience with dog diabetes, I’d love to hear them on social media @mummyconstant. Here’s hoping Snoopy will be back to his old self soon.
