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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 28, 2006 4:26:23 GMT -4
You likely recall that one of my dwarf guys died recently, Gareth, leaving three males in a Habitrail (see Habitat forum). The amount of water being drunk since he died has been a LOT less, much more so than the 25% less due to one dwarf's demise. Likely half as much is being imbibed now. Such is a problem with groups - hard to identify such an illness, until one is gone. How do you test for diabetes in a dwarf?! Especially when you don't even suspect anything?  |
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Post by megs on Apr 28, 2006 9:12:06 GMT -4
Awww. Poor Gareth. Diabetic little guy. Kidney problems most likely. RIP little one.
I think there are tests available through the vet to test for diabetes, but if you don't susupect anything it would be hard to know if there was a problem at all.
I know you are also very careful with what you feed your Dwarfs, DF, so even with a closely monitored diet, sometimes this disease cannot be overcome.
Diabetes (Type II especially) is very prominent on my mom's side.... so I need to be careful, for myself as well. My Great uncle recently passed away after kidney failure from diabetes, my grandmother (his sister) must monitor her blood glucose multiple times a day (although she is not insulin dependent), and their younger brother died as a child (in the 1930's) from Type I. Scary!!
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 28, 2006 18:15:13 GMT -4
You be sure to supplement your diet with chromium, vanadium, and lipoic acid. I have always tried to cut back on the fruits and any sweets dwarfs get - why I wish someone made a dwarfs-only mix. Yea, Gareth must have drunk like a fish.  That based on the current rates. |
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Post by megs on Apr 28, 2006 18:30:27 GMT -4
Yes, I should probably go see the health food people about some appropriate supplements based on my family history of diabetes. I checked my multivitamin bottle, but I don't think it has Chromium or Vanadium in it. I have alot of catching up to do with my own health, now that school is over. I tend to neglect my diet and exercise during the school year There's a good article in my hamster magazine that focuses on Diabetes in Dwarf hamsters. Sometime soon I'll scan it (when I get up to the school again), and I'll post it. Or I suppose it wouldn't take me long to just type it out either, and just cite the source. lol. Probably ALOT faster than busing up to the university, scanning, it and busing back! |
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Post by pinky on Apr 28, 2006 20:20:02 GMT -4
Don't get me started about my (lack of) exercise during the school year! Looping around the organic and analytical chem labs for three or four hours and running up the stairs have been my poor excuses for exertion. My diet has not been so bad, but I will enjoy cooking more once the crazyness dies down. |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 28, 2006 20:46:34 GMT -4
>> I checked my multivitamin bottle, but I don't think it has Chromium or Vanadium in it. << Even if it does it may not have enough, and alpha lipoic acid is also impotant. See this article on dwarf diabetes: www.geocities.com/calhamassoc/FeatureMax.html |
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