I lost one of my precious "boys" to diabetes last August, 1999. My dog, a long-haired dachshund, was named Dudley Junior (DJ). It is still extremely hard for me to cope with his loss. I have so much guilt, because he was overweight when the symptoms started. I had several warning signs which the vet and I discounted as serious much less being diabetes. He had loss of hair in batches occasionally as well as balding spots on his hind legs and tail a few months before diabetes struck with a vengeance. He also lost his hearing suddenly and had bouts of diarrhea a month before the disease was diagnosed. On Christmas Eve night, 1998, DJ had breathing problems and was rushed to the emergency vet. After discovering he had had congestive heart failure, the vet did tests and found out he had diabetes, too. His kidney and other organs were already damaged by this time. He lived eight more months, mostly in good spirits but lapses of diarrhea and loss of appetite. I keep reading that diabetes is not a death sentence and is treatable on this web site. I wish it would be more truthful by saying that it can be treatable if detected early enough. Today is my birthday, the first without my DJ. As a tribute to DJ, I ask every one to get blood tests annually and watch for warning signs. Even if a vet acts like nothing is wrong, depend on your "parental" intuition and get tests done. 

-- Contributed by Paul Moore