Diabetes Mellitus

In March of 2001 my dog Locksley, then a 9 ½-year-old Samoyed, was diagnosed with diabetes. The following January, after almost a year of unregulated diabetes, Locksley developed severe arthritis for which his veterinarian recommended Rimadyl. Uncomfortable with the idea of a second drug interfering with his insulin, I researched on the Internet for alternative medicine veterinarians. Through the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, I found Dr. Boggie in Stockton. Dr. Boggie was open to a home-based, more nutritious diet, and gave acupuncture and Chinese herbs. After her leave to pursue other interests, Dr. Boggie recommended Dr. Beebe in Sacramento, who has just done wonders for Locksley.

There is not enough that can be said about the wonders of Dr. Beebe, Chinese veterinary medicine and IVC. With only insulin, Chinese herbs and his regular aquapuncture sessions (acupuncture with Adequan), Locksley is often mistaken for a puppy or, at most, a middle-aged canine. No one suspects that he will turn 13 this year. As Locksley's mother, and having seen first-hand everything that he has gone through, I recommend Chinese medicine to any patient, canine and non. I have made small talk in my neighborhood and I am amazed at how some people will just give their dogs a drug for the rest of their dog's lives, not even questioning the potential adverse side effects. Yet my Locksley, with his deteriorating body, can still play with the big dogs at the dog park (although I have been warned not to let him play too much!). Locksley might very well be dead or in a worse condition than he is now if he were only under Western medical care. I have started bringing my daughter, Two Socks, to Dr. Beebe as well, although she shows no major signs of deterioration. At six months older than Locksley, she has been blessed to not have as many medical issues, but she is starting to show some signs. Dr. Beebe is currently giving her a Chinese herbal tonic to help keep her body stable and well. ~ Anna Mosqueda

When I first brought Quinka, my 15-year-old tabby cat, to see Dr. Beebe in mid-July 2001, she was on death's doorstep. She had been diagnosed with diabetes a few months before and I had started giving her insulin shots at the end of May. At that time, Quinka had been taking prednisone daily for a year in order to control the inflammatory bowel disease that had plagued her since she was young (I had tried various homeopathic remedies under the guidance of a homeopathic vet for six months with no results before finally agreeing to give Quinka the prednisone). The prednisone had indeed controlled the IBD, but it might also have caused the diabetes, and it is an insulin antagonist. When I started giving Quinka insulin on top of the prednisone, as prescribed by my regular vet, she started vomiting and having diarrhea. Then she developed a urinary tract infection, and on top of that she had an insulin overdose reaction after three weeks of shots. When I called Dr. Beebe, Quinka hadn't eaten more than a teaspoon of baby food a day for a week. After the overdose episode, I had stopped giving her the insulin but was continuing with the prednisone. It seemed the best choice to keep her comfortable, even though it meant that she would suffer the effects of uncontrolled diabetes. Dr. Beebe used traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, including acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbs, to treat Quinka's complicated problems. Frankly, I didn't have much hope that Quinka would recover. Dr. Beebe asked me to quickly back off and discontinue the use of prednisone, to change Quinka's diet, and to start giving her some traditional Chinese herbs. Dr. Beebe also made two housecalls to administer acupuncture. I followed Dr. Beebe's instructions precisely, even though I was afraid at first that Quinka would choke if I gave her the prescribed herb pills and capsules. I soon found out that a cat's throat is quite capable of accepting multiple pills and capsules, and I gently but firmly pilled Quinka according to schedule even though she obviously didn't enjoy it. The efforts paid off. Quinka started eating again and gradually began to regain strength, but given the scariness of the insulin overdose episode, I was reluctant to start giving her insulin again. Dr. Beebe convinced me to start giving her a tiny dose along with supportive Chinese herbs. Dr. Beebe also prescribed Chinese herbs along with an antibiotic to control what had become a chronic bladder infection, and had me start giving Quinka subcutaneous fluid twice a week to support failing kidneys. Quinka gradually regained health and stability on this regimen. At the end of February 2002, I learned how to do home blood glucose testing thanks to a supportive friend with a diabetic cat. When I started testing Quinka twice a day, I found her blood sugar in the normal range without insulin shots. This remission lasted for almost a month before I noted her blood sugar levels again beginning to rise and started insulin shots again. In short, Dr. Beebe offered Quinka real help when Western veterinary medicine had reached a dead end. ~ Lorraine Anderson

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