How to shift your diabetic dog’s feeding schedule

‍Why you need to go slowly

Your dog’s body gets used to eating, testing, and getting insulin at the same time every day. Sudden big changes can throw that rhythm off and risk high or low blood sugar. 

Adjusting by just one hour per day is gentle enough that your dog’s system can adapt without stress. It was recommended to us by all of Parker’s medical providers and we’ve seen this approach corroborated on many reputable forums and sites.

The one-hour rule

Here’s how it works:

1. Pick your target schedule – Know the exact time you want to get to for testing, feeding, and injecting.
   
2. Move everything together – Change all three steps (blood glucose test → meal → insulin injection) by exactly one hour earlier or later, depending on your goal.
   
3. Repeat daily – Continue shifting by one hour per day until you reach your target time.
   

A real life example

We were invited to a dinner party on a Saturday night starting at 7:00 pm, which is an hour and a half before Parker’s regular mealtime. Here’s how adjusted his schedule.

Wednesday 

• Breakfast: 8:30 am - test/feed/inject (usual time)
• Dinner: 8:30 pm test/feed/inject (usual time)

Thursday

• Breakfast: 8:30 am - test/feed/inject (usual time)
• Dinner: 7:30 pm test/feed/inject (new time)

Friday 

• Breakfast: 7:30 am - test/feed/inject (12 hours after dinner)
• Dinner: 6:30 pm test/feed/inject (new time)

Saturday

• Breakfast: 6:30 am - test/feed/inject (12 hours after dinner)
• Dinner: 6:30 pm test/feed/inject (12 hours after breakfast)

Over the next few days, we slowly returned his schedule to normal.

Moving the schedule later

In the example above, we moved Parker’s schedule earlier. We’ve moved his schedule later as well, but I don’t think it works as well for him or us. 

That’s because we may have to leave a function early to get home in time to test, feed and inject. If we’re delayed, there’s excessive traffic or we’re simply enjoying ourselves, we can arrive home late to a hungry, anxious doggie. 

Also, if there are any issues with his blood glucose levels, it may mean a very late night for us. For example, if we had moved his dinner schedule to 10pm and his blood sugar reading was low, or he didn’t eat a full meal, we may not be able to inject him until 11pm. We’d want to check his BG a few hours afterwards, which can mean a very late night for everyone. 

These experiences may not apply to every diabetic dog family, but we’ve found it much easier to move him earlier for evening events. 

‍The schedule change could be disruptive

During the shift, keep watching for signs of low or high blood sugar. Things like wobbliness, extreme thirst, or unusual lethargy are big clues. If your dog’s numbers start to look off, pause the schedule change and consider talking to your vet, emergency clinic, or ask for advice on a canine diabetes Facebook group.

It’s all about planning ahead

Adjusting your diabetic dog’s schedule doesn’t have to be stressful. Move everything by a maximum of an hour per day, keep a close eye on their blood sugar, and you’ll have them settled into their new routine.