Did You Know Dogs Get Diabetes?

We didn’t, until a Tripawds member posted about her experience with this disease. Did you know: one in 200 cats and one in 500 dogs already has diabetes. Could your dog be at risk?

As with most medical conditions, early detection and treatment of diabetes is recommended and can help with treatment. The most common symptoms of canine and feline diabetes are:

• Increased Hunger or Appetite
• Excessive Thirst
• Increased Urination
• Weight Loss
• Weakness or Fatigue

What is Canine Diabetes?

According to our friends at VCA Animal Hospitals, “Diabetes mellitus, the clinical name for ‘sugar diabetes,’ is a condition that affects the concentration of glucose, or sugar, in a dog’s blood. Diabetes in dogs is most often the result of a dog’s body making too little insulin (Type I Diabetes). Much less commonly, dogs may develop Type II Diabetes in which their bodies don’t process insulin properly.

Insulin affects how your dog’s body uses food. When your dog eats, food is broken down into very small components its body can use. One component, carbohydrate, is converted into several types of simple sugars, including glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, where it travels to cells throughout the body. Inside cells, insulin helps turn glucose into fuel. If there’s too little insulin available, glucose can’t enter cells and can build up to a high concentration in the bloodstream. As a result, a diabetic dog may seem hungry constantly, but will lose weight because its cells can’t absorb glucose.

• Genetic Predisposition–certain breeds are more prone to diabetes
• Middle-aged to older female dogs
• Obesity
• Unspayed Females–unspayed females may develop Type II Diabetes and spaying will often result in resolution of the diabetes

If you think your dog may be at risk, make an appointment today to get your dog checked for diabetes. Meanwhile, here are some great resources if your dog is at risk of diabetes:

• VCA Animal Hospitals and Specialty Centers: Diabetes in Dogs, Testing and Monitoring
• VCA Animal Hospitals and Speciality Centers: More Articles About Diabetes in Dogs and Cats
• Mercola: Low Grain and Carbohydrate Diets Treat Hypoglecmia, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer and Nearly All Chronic Illness

Tripawd Discussion Forums: Osteosarcoma Diagnoses on Lab with Diabetes

Wysong Canine Diet Senior Dry Dog Food:
Ideal for older and diabetic dogs requiring a lower caloric density and higher food bulk to help reduce the glycemic index and lower the body’s weight set point.

Solid Gold Cinna-Bone Functional Foodz Dog Treats, a great treat for dogs with diabetes. Cinnamon helps reduce blood sugar levels and is often taken as an antioxidant.Contains Barley Flour, Spelt, Canola Oil, Rolled Oats, Cinnamon, Lamb Meal, Fish Meal, Flax Meal, Garlic, Sea Vegetation.

Liquid Health Sugar-free Liquid Glucosamine Supplement:
Ideal for Diabetic Dogs. Contains no sugar, starch, salt, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, milk or soy derivatives.