Welcoming our little Nala: Our daughter, Madeline, brought Nala home in August 2011. Nala was just 10 weeks old at the time, one of nine puppies. She was chosen because she was exploring the farm on her own, apart from her siblings. She looked like Nala from The Lion King, so we named her accordingly.

Nala was born on May 13, 2011, on a farm. She is a cross between an American Steffie (mum) and a mini Fox Terrier (dad).

Nala has brought immense joy to our small family. She loves being both indoors and outdoors, often following me around the garden as I check plants, water them, and hunt for slugs and snails at night. Nala is an active doggie, barking at passersby and chasing cats and birds. This habit led to her undergoing two separate ACL surgeries in 2021 and 2023.

After her second ACL surgery, Nala was diagnosed with diabetes and underwent several tests, including an ACTH stimulation blood test in 2022 and an ultrasound to collect biopsies from her liver.

Her haematology (count of different cells in her blood, including red blood cells for oxygen transport, white blood cells for a healthy immune system, and platelets for clotting) is normal. Nala's kidney markers, electrolytes, protein levels, and thyroid appear normal, but her liver markers (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT) have increased significantly since August 2023.

Shortly after, Nala lost her sight due to cataracts in both eyes and underwent surgery in August 2023. Glaucoma quickly developed in her right eye soon after the cataract surgery. Regular check-ups also detected an ulcer in her right eye, requiring emergency treatment in early February 2024, followed by another surgery on her good left eye to unhook the iris and prevent eye fluid flow (Aqueous Humour) in March 2024. During this period, pre- and post-surgery, Nala occasionally had to be carried in and out of the house when she bumped into objects.

Thankfully, she still has good vision in her left eye, with 50-70% long-sighted vision! Every few months, Nala’s blood sugar has to be monitored using a Freestyle Libre sensor implanted on her back. We do half-hourly scans to log data and send the readings to the vet for analysis. Regular check-ups at the animal eye clinic have shown improved intraocular pressure, with the left eye down to 10 and the right eye at 32 (previously extremely high between 72~130).

On our vet's recommendation, Nala is fed precisely at 7:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. with Hill's W/D Prescription Diet, followed by a Caninsulin dosage of 34 IU. For several months, her diet was mixed with home-cooked chicken breast fillet and veggies. However, Nala began spitting out the W/D kibbles and started losing weight, dropping from 18kg to 12.5kg. After consulting with a medicinal specialist in early March 2024, we switched to Hill's I/D Prescription Diet 160g per meal, but Nala continued to spit out the kibbles, eating only the chicken and veggies.

Our vet then recommended Denamarin for her liver. Nala has been on Denamarin daily for two months since May 2024. Amazingly, she has been eating well and maintaining her weight at 14kg, with no signs of hindlimb weakness. Dr. Joseph also recommended VNG CompleteMe Canine supplement powder for the micro-nutrients she needs since she isn’t eating I/D kibbles.

In June 2024, we replaced Nala's food with home-cooked meals from two VNG recipes: chicken and white fish, with additional ingredients including 30g brown rice, 20g chicken liver, 10g goji berries, with at least 3 veggies, CompleteMe Canine supplement powder, and Petz Park Liver Support Supplement. Nala loves her snacks, usually given after her Caninsulin injection: half a stick of Dentastix and half a Schmackos, now replaced by homemade cookies prepared every two days from oat bran, rolled oats, blueberries, chia seeds, mashed pumpkin mixed with peanut butter, and hemp oil.

Nala is still given four different eye medications three times daily at 7 a.m., 3 p.m. (with 1 capsule of Denamarin stuffed in a small piece of chicken), and 11 p.m., followed by a treat of Greek yogurt and chia seeds.

I also did some research on Google to help improve Nala’s vision and manage her glaucoma. I discovered that Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) can help improve vision. I then started looking for food sources that are edible for dogs with diabetes, such as lean chicken breast, lean pork chop, tuna steak, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.

The vegetables included in Nala's meals, cooked and chopped in sealed food containers, are: broccoli, cabbage, carrot, pumpkin, cauliflower, cucumber, spinach, and zucchini. For fish, I get fresh fillets and pan-fry or steam them with hemp oil. Sometimes, I use canned tuna or salmon in spring water.