How to tell if you have a Diabetic Dog
Diabetes in dogs usually presents itself as an increased need by the dog to urinate and drink much more frequently than usual. In fact often a symptom is a housebroken dog suddenly having multiple accidents and not getting outside quickly enough. What is happening is the high amount of sugar or glucose in the bloodstream is being leaked into the urine through the kidneys. This leakage takes water with it and the vicious cycle of excessive drinking and urinating is started.
Another symptom of a diabetic dog is weight loss even though the dog is eating the same amount as always or even more than usual. This happens because the action of insulin is impaired or more likely the amount of insulin produced by the animal is not enough to complete the process of moving the glucose from the blood and into the cells and tissues that need it for fuel. Since the cells are never satiated in their need for glucose the animal’s brain keeps telling it to eat.
Dogs that are obese are more at risk for diabetes than normal weight dogs. If you rub your dog’s side and you can’t feel the ribs, your dog needs to lose weight. Age is also a factor in developing diabetes and dogs that are older, usually 7 to 9 years old seem to develop diabetes more often than younger dogs. Larger breeds seem to be more at risk than smaller breeds, but again if your dog is obese the breed size is not going to matter.
Change in diet can be important to help the dog lose weight, but unlike cats once a dog develops diabetes it doesn’t seem to reverse itself with improved diet and exercise. Diabetic dogs need to be treated with insulin to return them to good health and testing by your veterinarian will determine which type of insulin to use and how much of it to administer. Once you start injecting your dog with insulin regular testing is necessary to make sure the insulin dosage is correct and if the blood sugar levels are regulated properly. Human glucometers work well for this daily testing and are available from many different places.
There are different types of insulin used from fast-acting to medium-acting to long-lasting and the regular testing will help tell which type works best for your dog. Human type insulin is usually U 100 strength insulin and should be used with U 100 insulin syringes to make dosing easier. U 40 insulin syringes are also available for use with U 40 strength insulin and unless you like doing conversions and are comfortable with your math, make sure you use the insulin syringes that are matched to the same type of insulin you are using to treat your dog.
Diabetic dogs can still enjoy a long life and a return to good health, but it will take a motivated owner and insulin injections to get there.
