Canine Diabetes Symptoms

09 Jul

Posted by admin as diabetes

Dogs with particular health problems can be a challenge when it comes to how you take care of a dog. How to take care of a dog with Diabetes can be one of the more challenging tasks, because of the nature of canine Diabetes, which of course can be life threatening if left untreated, or if the treatment regime is not followed carefully.

Insulin is the key

Animals eat food that the body changes to energy for growth, maintenance, and daily activity. Digestive enzymes convert food nutrients to chemicals that can be used by the organs to carry on body functions and leave some energy for running, playing, working, and looking for tomorrow’s dinner. The bloodstream then carries these chemicals to the cells for fuel. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the body’s main fuel and is thus a critical product of the metabolic process, but the mere presence of glucose isn’t enough – it must be moved from the blood to the cells for use.

Symptoms: Symptoms include but are not limited to: Drinking more, urinating more, weight loss, increased appetite, dehydration, and sudden cataract formation. If diabetes remains uncontrolled the animal may become ketotic - cells begin to use fat as fuel for energy production, ketone bodies then begin to accumulate in the blood. If your dog is ketotic it may have these additional symptoms: depression, weakness, vomiting, rapid breathing, and the breath may have an odor of acetone to it. If your dog has any of these symptoms see your veterinarian immediately.

Diabetes in Dogs: Diagnosis

Diagnosing your dog’s diabetes is usually a simple process for a medical professional. The veterinarian may suspect diabetes because you noticed that your dog was urinating, drinking and possibly eating excessively, and that your pet was losing weight.

To firm up the diagnosis, the veterinarian will look at three factors:

Does the dog have symptoms of diabetes mellitus (excessive thirst, hunger and urination, plus weight loss)

Is the blood glucose too high?

Treatment of canine diabetes

You need to be strict about what you feed your dog. Foods high in fiber and protein, with restricted fats and carbohydrates are best. Feed your dog at the same times every day as what they eat, and when they eat it, will effect its sugar/insulin levels. One-third of the total daily amount of food should be given 1/2 hour prior to the injection. The remaining amount of food should be given 8-10 hours later. If your dog likes a snack before bedtime take it out of the 2/3rds amount.

Over and above the insulin treatment, one or two other helpful things can be done. If the patient is a bitch who has not been spayed, then your vet may well recommend that she be neutered. Unspayed bitches are subject to violent variations in their insulin needs, especially around the time of their season, and this makes treatment very difficult.