Doggie Diabetes

So .. it is Memorial Day...and I feel like I am losing my "lease on life!" Guess that means I feel like I am losing control.
I am so confused about the best food to feed my canine with diabetes that I seem to be going in circles. From the very beginning of owning a dog I have been schooled in the learning of Science Diet being the absolutely worst dog food on the market, almost. The info I have always been given is that veterinarians really do not get the best nutrition instruction on food selection and the company owning SD takes advantage of that by giving them some kind of kick-backs on the sale of SD food, thus vets push the sale of that food to customers. ???? Fact, I don't know. Nevertheless, I have always heard it is terrible food -- don't use it! So, what has my Piper (who now has Type I diabetes) placed on during her sickness and stay at the vet hospital??? Why canned SD, of course. Piper was sick and would not eat but finally they got her interested by warming the SD canned food and offering it to her. I feel I need to feed her a more nutritious food but can't find information about prepared food for doggies with the big D. I know she should be getting limited carbs and those she does get need to be slow digesting, that her food needs to be high protein, low fat, high fiber, low carb but ?????

This has been such a frustrating diagnosis! First, the initial and continuing costs are unbelievable. My Piper was sick when I took her to the vet and showing the typical signs a human shows with diabetes. Thus, I was not surprised at the diagnosis. But Piper was in crisis and had to go to the veterinary specialty hospital for a few days to be hydrated and to get the insulin regulated. We started out on a Wednesday afternoon --at her regular vet. We paid a bill there of $235 and I was sent with her to the VSH where I was given a proposed bill of $4000.00 to keep her until Saturday and I needed to pay up front!
Each day I was updated on the amount of the money that had been consumed. Friday arrives and I am told they need to keep her through the weekend and we have used up $3600.00 of the money.

At this point my Irish temper kicks in and I said, "Oh, no, you told me I could bring her home on Saturday and I expect to check her out by Saturday evening." The story they were giving me was that she had no energy, was lethargic, and needed more time there. However, I visited with her daily and the night before I played with her and knew better. Before I could bring her home on Saturday I had to go to the drugstore and pick up a bottle of insulin and a box of needles -- 100. This was another $100.
When I checked her out of the hospital the total charge was $4672.00. Do the math ---at this point I have spent five thousand dollars. Still her insulin is not at the correct level. So, in ten days I needed to take her in for an "insulin curve." A study to determine how much her insulin needed to be increased. This was another $300.00. Her insulin was increased one unit -- up to four. After ten days I received a call from the vet that it was time to bring her back in for another curve. So...last week she went in for another insulin curve -- meaning they check her glucose levels every two hours. After checking the patterns the vet determines how much to increase or decrease the insulin. This time I was directed to increase the insulin one unit again -- now we are at five units. I am to return on this Wednesday for another curve. Last week's charge was $197.00. I bought a glucometer of my own hoping to be able to do the glucose check myself but haven't succeeded to any extent. I have a hard time getting enough blood to activate the strip, as least as of this writing. And...the glucometer was $117.00. Now I think I understand why folks online are complaining about the increased costs of having a diabetic dog. It is not just about the insulin and syringes. My vet keeps telling me it will not be this way once we get the insulin regulated. Go figure, who am I to believe?