Diving Into Diabetes: How Does It Affect My Dog?
Diabetes doesn’t care if you have two legs or four furry ones; it affects both humans and animals and is a serious problem for both. Although it cannot be cured, it can be managed with a veterinarian’s plan and a commitment from you, the pet owner, to do what is needed to help your pet navigate life as a diabetic. In dogs, diabetes can affect 1 in 500 with the common age of diagnosis being between 7 and 9 years of age.
Since November has become an awareness month for diabetes in humans and in pets, we’ve done some research to help our pet parents become more aware of the disease. We would like to say that we at Going Mutts Pet Services are notmedical experts and always advise to check with your veterinarian when it comes to medical emergencies or questions. The research provided in this document comes from our own research through the internet and reliable sources.
To start, let’s break down what diabetes is. The full medical name for it is diabetes mellitus, a condition that occurs when the body can not use glucose normally. Glucose, a type of sugar, is the main source of energy for the body’s cells and the levels of glucose in the blood are controlled by insulin, which is made by the pancreas.
There are two forms of diabetes in dogs: insulin deficiency and insulin-resistance. Insulin-deficiency diabetes is when the dog’s body isn’t producing enough insulin, which typically means the pancreas has been damaged or isn’t functioning properly. This is the most common type of diabetes in dogs. Insulin-resistance diabetes is when the pancreas is producing some insulin, but the dog’s body is not using the insulin as it should, which means cells aren’t responding properly and glucose isn’t being pulled out of the blood and into the cells.
So what can cause my dog to develop diabetes? A reduction of insulin production is the reason. The decrease in insulin production is usually caused by damage to the pancreas, which is responsible for producing the proper amount of insulin to control sugar levels. There are also a couple of factors that can lead to your dog developing diabetes:
What is your dog's age? Diabetes can occur at any age, however, diabetic dogs are usually between the ages of 4 and 14 years with most dogs diagnosed around 7 to 10 years of age.
Have they had pancreatitis before? Chronic or repeated pancreatitis can eventually cause extensive damage to that organ, resulting in diabetes.
What gender is your dog? Diabetes occurs in female dogs twice as often as male dogs, especially in unspayed female dogs.
Is your dog obese? Obesity contributes to insulin resistance and is a risk factor for pancreatitis, which can lead to diabetes.
Knowing if your dog has diabetes can be difficult to recognize when it comes to signs and symptoms; mainly because the signs pointing towards diabetes can also be similar to other disorders such as kidney disease. Remember to always let your veterinarian know about any concerns you have when it comes to observing something out of the normal with your dog - they may need to perform some tests to get a more accurate diagnosis. There are some definitive signs your dog can be showing that can lead to diabetes or a development of diabetes:
Excessive thirst: Dogs may drink more frequently than normal and empty the water bowl more often.
Increased urination: Asking to go outside more with “accidents” happening in the house is connected with the excessive thirst that can happen. Increased urination and thirst happens because the body is trying to get rid of excess sugar by sending it out through urine.
Weight loss: Since the body isn’t efficiently converting nutrients from its food, dogs will lose weight despite eating normal portions.
Increased appetite: Since the body’s cells aren’t getting all the glucose they need, dogs can be very hungry all the time despite eating their normal portions.
Although there is no cure for diabetes, it can be controlled through insulin, exercise and proper nutrition. Using a high-fiber diet along with daily exercise can help keep your pup happy and healthy while living with diabetes. Remember, a treatment that works for one dog might not work for every dog, so patience is a quality have while you and your pup navigate through new medications, new food and a slightly different path of life than expected. Establishing and maintaining schedules and routines will be a huge help for you and your dog as well.
Most diabetic dogs will also require an injection of insulin under the skin - something the owner will have to learn to do. The needles are small and you can make this a quick and easy daily routine once it has been done enough. Your veterinarian will work with you to create the best management plan for your dog, so any and all questions and/or concerns should always be addressed with your veterinarian. As the pet parents, you play the primary role in your dog’s health, so your commitment and to keeping up with daily shots and monitoring sugar levels is the best way to help your pup live a healthy life despite the path of life becoming a little more complicated than expected.
Need some help with exercise during the cold months? No problem! We’ve got your back when it comes to walking your fur baby so they can get the fresh air and exercise they need when you’re away from the house or just plain old hate going outside in the cold. Daily exercise is still an important part of your dog’s routine despite the change in weather, so contact Going Mutts Pet Services to see how we can help customize a pet care plan with one of our paw-some dog walkers!
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