Canine Diabetes

Question
Hi, I have a 12yr. old 8lbs. spayed female yorkie("Cricket"). She has recently been dx. with Diabetes.  My Vet and I are working together to regulate her blood sugar. While doing research on her diabetes, I also found out just how bad the food I have been feeding her is. I have fed all my dogs Nutro Max - maximum weight control. I want to switch them to a Holistic Food (human grade only) that I can supplement with an occasional home cooked meal once or twice a week. I want to know what holistic food you suggest for Cricket and how much to feed her.  I need some good diabetic recipes that have portion sizes for a dog her size.  All the recipes I find do not give enough instruction on portion size for individual dogs.  I also have 3 other dogs "Kutter" Aussie-13yrs (40lbs.), "Slick" Yorkie-12yrs (8lbs.), "Higgins" Yorkie/Pom mix (5lbs.)
I have recently started all of them on Nuvet plus.  I have been thinking of EVO small bite??? What do you think of it?  Also I would like to know how you feel about a high protein diet for a senior dog? Is it true; new research shows older dogs need as much or more protein as younger ones? Should I monitor their Urine protein levels bi-yearly? (not sure what the name of the test is? but I know I should check the urine as well as the blood because it will show up there first.) Also I know a "Full Spectrum Cinnamon can help Cricket regulate her blood sugar as a supplement to her vetsulin inj. (she gets 3 1/2 unts 2xdaily) I cannot find anyone who can tell me how much of it to give her.  I have it in a 375mg capsule. I know I should know how much to feed but I have always fed free choice and it has always worked for me. They all eat what they want, when they want it, from the same bowl and no one is overweight or underweight. If you could give me some guidance in these matters I would be most grateful.

Answer
Good morning, Vicki.

That's too bad Cricket has diabetes.  The good news is that diet can help her significantly.

For kibble, I would suggest a grain free kibble, preferably something like Orijen or Evo.  The fewer carbs, the better.  How much you feed will depend upon which food you give her.  You can start with following the guidelines on the packaging and adjust according to her metabolism.

To determine the correct portion size with home prepared meals, you can utilize nutritiondata.com to calculate the calories of each ingredient you use.  The average active adult dog requires approximately 29.5 calories per day per pound of body weight.  This should be altered based upon each dog's metabolism and activity level.  

Yes, high protein for senior dogs is a good idea to help them maintain muscle.  Unless there is an underlying kidney issue, they should not have any problems with this.  For senior dogs, it would be wise to have blood work and urinalysis done on at least a yearly basis  to watch for any changes that may indicate a problem

For Cricket, you can give her 1/4 of the cinnamon capsule per day.

When feeding the grain free kibble, you will want to give set feedings as most of the grain free kibble are far more nutrient and calorie dense.  Make sure you change over slowly.

I do hope this has been helpful to you. Please do let me know if I can be of any further help.

Gail E. Vigneault