Section: Follow-up
Optimal treatment for your dog requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up can be crucial. Follow-up for insulinoma often includes the following:
Administer as directed any medications prescribed by your veterinarian and contact your veterinarian promptly if you have difficulty treating your pet.
Follow dietary recommendations made by your veterinarian. Pets with insulinoma often are placed on diets high in protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates fed frequently as small meals.
Blood sugar concentration should be monitored. Development of hypoglycemia often indicates a return of the tumor or spread to regional lymph nodes or liver.
The long-term prognosis for pets with insulinoma is poor, but short-term prognosis is good. An average survival time of one year was found in one study of 114 dogs with insulinoma treated by surgery followed by medical therapy when symptoms recurred. Occasionally, dogs with insulinoma will live as long as two years after diagnosis and treatment. The survival rate may in fact be even better, since 31 of the dogs were still alive at the conclusion of the study.
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