When you hear the term "canine diabetes," no doubt you think of the human version of diabetes. In fact, canine diabetes is, indeed, very similar to human diabetes. Here are some of the symptoms to look for; if you suspect that your dog may have canine diabetes, get to a vet immediately.
Symptoms include:
- Your dog acting lethargic or more tired than usual
- Excessive weight gain or weight loss that is sudden
- Having to urinate frequently
- Drinking copious amounts of water
- Having an excessive appetite, or, conversely, wanting to eat little if at all
If you suspect your dog has canine diabetes, get to a vet immediately and ask him or her to take a blood test to check for the glucose levels in your dog's blood. Alternatively, your vet may catch elevated blood glucose levels during your dog's annual physical exam. (An annual physical exam is imperative to your dog's continued good health, even if he seems to be a perfect health. Diabetes and many other diseases begin silently, and an annual physical exam can help catch diabetes and other diseases early, before they have done damage or even have symptoms.)
A diagnosis of canine diabetes
If your dog's blood glucose levels do in fact come back elevated and your dog is diagnosed with canine diabetes, of course this is not happy news. However, it is something that can be managed.
What to do if your dog has canine diabetes
The first order of business once your dog is diagnosed with canine diabetes is to make sure that his blood glucose levels go back down to normal, or as normal as possible. The vet will advise you what you should do; in some cases, the diabetes can be controlled with diet and weight loss, and in other cases, insulin injections must be administered.
Controlling with diet
If your dog is significantly overweight, it may be that his diabetes can be controlled with diet, just as is true with humans. If that's true, your vet will give you a strict diet to keep your dog on and then will have you bring the dog in frequently for blood glucose testing, to see if the blood glucose levels drop back down to normal or nearly so.
If the blood glucose levels do not drop back down to normal quickly with diet changes, the vet will prescribe insulin injections be given either permanently or temporarily to get blood glucose levels back down to normal, then discontinued and maintained with diet if possible.
Some considerations if you have to give insulin injections
If you have to give insulin injections, work with your vet to time the doses exactly. In addition, you will be working closely with your vet throughout the rest of your dog's life, since his insulin needs may change as he ages.
Treating insulin reactions in your dog
On some occasions, you may notice that your dog appears lethargic or uncoordinated. If this is true, it's quite possible that he has a very low blood sugar level, which can be dangerous. In general, this is going to occur three to six hours after you have given insulin. Call your veterinarian immediately and follow directions; some vets advise that you give a quick acting sugar orally, like corn syrup (Karo is one brand) in an attempt to bring blood sugar levels back to normal quickly; then, make sure you get your dog to the vet as quickly as possible.
Exercise counts, too
As with humans, dogs with diabetes must get regular exercise. Of course, particularly vigorous exercise may change the amount of insulin your dog needs. Again, work closely with your vet to determine the proper diet, exercise, and insulin administration your dog needs.
Complications
Finally, dogs with diabetes are especially prone to infections, including urinary tract infections. Watch your dog carefully and make sure to get to the vet if he shows any symptoms or clearly has an infected cut, et cetera.
A long and healthy life
By watching carefully, your dog can live a long and healthy life as long as his diabetes is well controlled.
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