Kilo's Foster Buddies:

• Andrea Wall
• Deborah Robinson
• Paul McCague

Kilo's glucose levels have been within the normal range on our last few visits. Following each visit we reduce his insulin dose and check him again in 2-3 weeks. Currently he's on .5 CC twice a day. The amount is so small, it's hard to measure. There seems to be potential to get him of the insulin. If we were so lucky, his glucose would need to be checked regularly. Our next appointment is on March 8. I hope we get another good level and can try to forgo the insulin but I may be getting ahead of myself. Once the insulin issue is settled, Kilo will have another x-ray to see if the SO diet has dissolved his bladder stones. If not, we'll book the surgery.

Kilo looses a few oz between each visit. He has lost his waddle and is getting around with greater ease. He no longer hesitates before jumping up on the furniture. He won't join the crowd on the couch trying to claim a corner. Kilo prefers the whole ottoman to himself or not at all. Granted, Kilo is still a large pug. I guess the boy needs his own space to spread out.

Kilo is a real gem. He has such a gentle disposition. His worst habit is barking for food. Since he was fed people food in the past, you really can't blame him for giving it a shot. Kilo continues to have a soft spot for my son. I'll often find him curled up in my son's bedroom waiting for him to return from school. He'll follow me downstairs but then resume his post. Kilo is pretty cautious at the pugalugs. He never ventured too far but prefers to stay near his foster clan. He's warming up to the off leash park mind you. He's also starting to show a little playfulness. He prefers to play with the humans more than the dogs.

Kilo warms hearts wherever he ventures. I can't find the words to express just how sweet this boy is. With any luck, Kilo's health issues will be behind him shortly.

Happy Day! Kilo just returned from his glucose check. It came back with a value of 4.9 and the goal is 5. We had reduced his insulin to 1.5 units over the last 3 weeks.

Although dogs typically have Type 1 diabetes, Kilo is responding more like he has Type 2. Although this would certainly be odd, it's good news nonetheless. We're going to maintain the 1.5 units twice daily and check him again, this time before dinner instead of mid day. He has been loosing a little weight with each visit. This is also good news for both the diabetes and his joints. Most dogs develop cataracts within 6-12 months of being diagnosed with diabetes. The hope is that if we continue to manage it carefully and he continues to do well on a small insulin dose, he may be less susceptible. He doesn't require drops of liquid tears as originally thought. If Kilo gets a good glucose reading on his next visit, we'll arrange for another x-ray. There's a chance the SO diet has dissolved his bladder stones. If not, we'll book the surgery to remove them.

On the home front, Kilo is a real gem. He fits in well with his foster siblings and is accustomed to our routines. He remains hopeful that barking for food will bring results. It's about the only time you hear from him. Surprisingly Kilo doesn't snore. I would have thought it likely because of his size. He's down to 23.5 lbs but he still looks large with his beautiful coat.

We're still working on managing Kilo's diabetes. There was a concern with the only approved insulin for dogs. As such, we've switched him over to a different kind of insulin. This puts us back at square one. We're testing his glucose levels every two weeks until we reach a point where the diabetes is under control. Lately his levels have been low instead of high. We've cut back on the dose and he goes for another check on Dec 22. This could be good news. His body may still be producing some insulin. The vet indicated he's responding to treatment in a way more typical of cats. We can't schedule the surgery for his bladder stones until the diabetes is under control unless of course he develops a blockage. Keep your fingers crossed this doesn't happen. He's on an SO diet to prevent the formation of more stones.

Kilo continues to get along extremely well with his foster siblings. He really is a sweet boy and an excellent house guest. There have been no accidents since the UTI cleared and he started on insulin. Occasionally he gives Cody a word but nothing Cody hasn't thoroughly earned. Much like his foster sibling Rocky, he doesn't understand when the other dogs play. He'll bark when they start tearing up the house. However, he's not a big barker. He'll let you know if someone is at the door or to let you know he'd like a plate at the table J. He likes his belly rubs from the guys. He's got a lovely thick burly coat. He could stand to loose a few pounds to help with the diabetes and stress on his joints.

Kilo’s settled in well with his foster clan. He’s finding his voice and is sure to tell us at dinner time that we really should set him a plate. No harm in trying. We have a vet visit scheduled for tomorrow. His fructose levels over time will be checked to get a better idea of whether we have the diabetes under control or not. If he gets another good level, we’ll look to schedule surgery to remove his bladder stones and broken tooth. Kilo’s a great house guest. Since starting his meds he’s had little or no accidents. He still prefers the man of the house when it comes to requesting belly rubs.

Kilo's glucose levels were low today so we'll have to adjust his insulin dose and check him again in a couple of weeks.

Kilo's an owner surrender. He's a sweet gentle giant. He weighs in at 26 lbs but he could stand to loose a few pounds. He's got a lovely thick plush coat. He's a little timid around new people and situations but he warms up fairly quickly. Kilo's settling in well with his foster siblings and only once or twice had to tell Rocky he was a little too intrusive with the sniff and smell routine. Kilo waddles because of the extra weight and he moves along at this own pace. I suspect my furniture may look much more attractive once he's shed a few pounds.

Kilo took to my son immediately. He has a warm place in his heart for the men of the household. Kilo will let it all hang out for a belly rub in the trusted arms of my husband. While Kilo prefers to stay on the floor most of the day, he laid claim to my son's bed on day one. He also prefers my son's company when he's home and will sit happily and watch him on the computer. He quickly secured my son's lap for the trip up north this weekend. We didn't hear a peep from him for the rest of the trip.

Kilo came to us with incontinence and blood in his urine. He likely has bladder stones. We'll have a better idea next week when some x-rays are taken. Not surprisingly, he has a urinary tract infection and started today on some antibiotics. The vet visit also discovered that Kilo has diabetes. He started on insulin injections this evening. He'll be checked again next week and we'll see if his blood work has improved. Kilo has been diagnosed in the past with dry eye and I've started him on artificial tears.

Now with all these health issues going on, I couldn't blame him if Kilo was on the grumpy side but it's been quite the opposite. He's been reasonably co-operative about wearing a diaper and he's warming to the idea of eye drops when there's a treat coming afterwards. He managed to stay dry from 9 PM last night to 7:30 PM tonight. He will sit patiently by the door to ask to go out. He won't bark. He took a hectic weekend of lots of people, confined spaces and long car rides in stride. He was also a good sport about his bath. Heck he even tolerated my learning to give the insulin shots without so much as a flinch.