Veterinary Medicine - May 2008 - (Page c20) 10 xxxx Medical Director VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital Los Angeles, Calif. common concerns of diabetic dogs Reassure concerned clients that canine diabetes is manageable. “My dog has diabetes? What do I do?” For the last 24 years, I’ve heard dog owners ask these questions, often with great anxiety. As veterinarians, we’re well trained in diagnosing and treating disease but not so in handling anxious—and at times overly concerned—clients. In the case of a chronic disease such as canine diabetes, we have to do an excellent job of handling clients’ concerns, or it may be the owners’ misperceptions about canine diabetes rather than the diabetes itself that results in the loss of a patient. Anything we can do to decrease owners’ anxieties about the diagnosis of diabetes will likely contribute more to the long-term management of their dogs’ disease than any discussion of the disease itself. I’ve developed a trouble-shooting top 10 list to help us assure owners of newly diagnosed dogs that it’s going to be OK. from owners David Bruyette, DVM, DACVIM Top 10 client concerns 10. “But according to Uncle Billy Bob’s Diabetic Pet website….” The Internet should be like cable TV, but instead of parental controls, you should turn on veterinary controls. Not all websites are the best sources of information. Assemble a list of websites that you and your sta approve of and provide that to clients. A good website explains diabetes, discusses its clinical signs, explains how it’s diagnosed and monitored, and reviews injection techniques. Many good websites originate from owners of diabetic dogs. See Helpful websites (page 21) for my recommendations. 9. “I can’t give my dog an injection! Isn’t a pill easier?” In general, no, it’s not easier. While some owners are great at giving oral medications, most aren’t and struggle with compliance. Many owners, after attempting to give pills at home, ask to switch to injections. There’s also no question that insulin is the preferred treatment for diabetes in conjunction with dietary management. Oral medications used to treat diabetes are not as e ective at controlling diabetic clinical signs as insulin injections are.You can teach clients how to give injections with minimal stress for both themselves and their dogs. 8. “The food costs how much?” We should recommend the best diets available that have data to support their use for diabetic management. Evidence shows that in dogs high20
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