Sister's Eyes

Why do we love them so?  She's my heart, my best friend and she's only 8.  If you remember, this summer she became diabetic and after months of tweaking her insulin levels (I don't have to lie down on her on the bed to hold her down for the shots anymore) and the routine blood curve tests, she is finally doing well.  Except for her eyes.  Sister has now developed cataracts, something that seems to go along with the diabetes.

Diabetic dogs have the type I kind; when their insulin is gone it is gone.  I still have to prepare (cook) all her meals as she won't eat the diabetic dog food.  It is a real pain to do so and I've had to buy up all the flax seed and chia, hemp hearts, lean meats, etc., at Whole Foods.  It is all so expensive, (when did lean meat become so expensive), but I do it for Sister.   

After a trip to the vet this morning, I found out that they can do surgery on her.  One eye costs $2100.00 and 2 eyes will be $3500.00.  I will also have to take her to Tulsa and Oklahoma City 8-10 times for weekly checkups for 3 months after the surgery.  The trip takes about 2-3 hours one way.  

She is bumping into things and I know she is nearly blind now.  I just can't stand it.  When she was 4, she became paralyzed from a blown out disc in her back that cost $3500.00 for surgery.  I'm afraid my husband might divorce me when I tell him this news as he would certainly say let her be blind or put her to sleep which I would not do.

I want her to see again.  I know what I am going to do.

Need Your Help

If you've followed my blog for awhile, you know that my dogs are my life.  They are my best friends and yes, I even love them like family. 

Sister, my red weenie, is in trouble. I need your help.  She has become diabetic.  She has been on insulin for a month now, but I've yet to get her regulated.  She won't eat the dog diabetic food.  

The Hill's Science Diabetic food comes in hard and soft canned.  She refuses the hard and while she ate the canned at first, she now won't eat it.  Diabetic dog food requires fiber (both soluble and insoluble) and vegetables and meat in the right percentages.  Perfect, yet she won't eat it.  And, I'm not going to starve her to make her eat it as she has already lost half her weight and looks skeletal.  I already have to lay down on her on the bed to give her her shot because she jumps and pulls away when I try to give it to her. 

Do any of you have recipes I could make at home for diabetic dog food?  I looked up some on the internet, but am unsure about them being sound and the right proportions.  Please let me know if you have recipes or know of someone who does.  I'm worried sick about her.  She's been so sick, I need to get her on the road to recovery fast.  She's always been the ornery one, and now, more so.  She loves eating just boiled chicken, but I need to get her eating the other stuff too.

I've owned over 15 dogs in my lifetime and never had one with diabetes.  It is killing me.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.