It’s the DDO-U’s 5th Birthday!
The Diabetic Dog Owners University (DDO-U) just turned five years old! When Alicia and I created the course in Google Classrooms and then in Thinkific we never imagined that it would grow to what it is today. We have almost 4,000 students, it’s a five-star course, vets and their staff share the course with their clients, we’ve gone to a trade show and were even featured on the news. The DDO-U is free with no expiration date thanks to PetTest sponsoring us and Thinkific added an app a couple years ago which makes it easy to pop into the course when needed.
We had the dream of creating something that would help others with managing canine diabetes in an easy format; our goal was to educate people so that their diabetic dogs could live a normal and healthy life.
Alicia and I live 3,000 miles from each other…how did we meet? Here’s our stories quickly!
My girl Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and acute pancreatitis August 2015. I knew little about diabetes and even less about canine diabetes but I was determined for Lucy to live a full and healthy life so I started researching everything I could about canine diabetes, human diabetes, nutrition and supplements. After about a year I was confident enough to start helping others who had diabetic dogs and landed in Diabetic Dog Owners (DDO), our group on Facebook. I became and admin of the group in January 2017 and have been there ever since. In 2019 I met Alicia, she joined the group after her beloved Stewie had been diagnosed with diabetes and then diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Alicia jumped into action and started testing blood glucose levels, changed his diet to homemade food and started running blood glucose curves at home. When she joined the DDO she immersed herself with every tool we have to offer. Stewie thrived; he gained back all of the lost weight and he was healthy and happy. I was so impressed with how quickly Alicia learned and her level of dedication that we asked her to help moderate the group, which she graciously accepted.
In January 2020 we were chatting and I mentioned the dream of having a course for canine diabetes…well Alicia is a high school math teacher and she said, “WE CAN DO IT! I build courses online for my students!” And that was it, we spent 60+ hours building the first DDO-U in Google Classrooms. It was an instant hit and we realized that we were going to have to find another platform since Google Classrooms was limited to 250 students. While we were looking for another platform PetTest contacted us about the course, they believe that diabetes education is very important and wanted to help reach as many diabetic dog parents as possible. We spoke about the limits of Google Classrooms and Alicia mentioned other learning platforms and specifically suggested Thinkific. It was a perfect platform for what we wanted so we got to work on our new learning platform. PetTest asked if they could sponsor our new course and we were over the moon excited! By PetTest sponsoring the course it would remain free for anyone with no expiration date.
Five years later, we are happy to announce that they have added another feature: digital downloads that include eBooks, guides and reference information. These digital downloads have dedicated links to them and our first two digital downloads are:
- Essential Charts for Managing Canine Diabetes – this is available in module 1, Introduction to Canine Diabetes, 1d. Printables for Diabetic Dog Owners.
- Homemade Treats for Diabetic Dogs -available in module 6, Food, Water & Treats, 6g. Safe Treats.
We are also working hard updating the course this year and will announce updates as they happen, so stay tuned!
A HUGE thank you to Steven Thuss, Bart Krause and all PetTest for having the same vision as us. Without your support and sponsorship Diabetic Dog Owners University would not be what it is today, we specifically have this platform because of you!
If you haven’t signed up for the DDO-U, please do! You learn at your own pace, can go back into the course as often as needed and there’s a community for those that don’t use Facebook. Don’t know how much to feed? We have you covered. Don’t know what to do when you oversleep? We have you covered. Don’t know how to test blood glucose levels? We have you covered!
A little bonus for everyone, here is the link to the Homemade Treats for Diabetic Dogs, just click here!
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
Want to learn all you can in a simple and easy to follow format? Please join DDO-U: Diabetic Dog Owners University, graciously sponsored by PetTest.
Be sure to join the PetTest family on Facebook and Instagram. PetTest has fun, interactive posts AND they have fabulous giveaways every week!
Do you need a blood glucose meter kit for your diabetes arsenal? There are two meters you can choose from, the PetTest Classic and the PetLink+ meter that has wireless technology and works seamlessly with the Digital Companion App.
USA links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://shoppettest.com/petlink-plus-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://shoppettest.com/
Canada links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-meter-kit/
PetLink+ Meter Kit: https://pettest.ca/pettest-petlink-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://pettest.ca/
UK links:
PetTest Classic Meter Kit: https://pettest.uk/pettest-meter-kit-includes-25-test-strips/
PetTest link: https://pettest.uk
If you live in Australia, Wantsa Medical offers PetTest products.
New Zealand now has PetTest products through VetPost.
Don’t forget to check your email for the latest PetTest promo codes and if you aren’t subscribed to receive PetTest emails sign up now. You can also go to PetTest on Facebook or Instagram for current promo code info.