Though many of you may not be aware of it dogs too can acquire diabetes as easily as humans and it can turn into a quite complicated condition when not diagnosed and treated early. Diabetes is a condition where there is a marked change in the blood sugar levels upsetting the metabolism of the body.
Canine diabetes is basically divided into two types, diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition where there is a deficiency of the anti-diuretic hormone vasopressin. This hormone is responsible for controlling the absorption of water by the kidneys.
Diabetes mellitus is further divided into Type I and Type II diabetes. The Type I is the most common condition that affects dogs of younger age. It is also termed as juvenile diabetes. Type II diabetes affects the elderly dogs and this is mainly due to lack of insulin.
The symptoms usually seen in dogs are increased tendency to drink water, frequent urination, weight loss though the dog eats its normal quantity of food, poor quality hair coat and skin, vomiting, feeling weak in the rear legs, dehydration and frequent secondary bacterial infections that take a long time to heal.
In severe cases when the condition is not diagnosed early and treated, the dogs may develop ketoacidosis, blindness, kidney failure and severe diabetic neuropathy. These conditions affect the dog drastically and treating at this stage is quite difficult too.
If you suspect your dog to have any of the above mentioned symptoms you should get him checked thoroughly with his veterinarian. The doctor usually suggests doing diagnostic tests like blood and urine tests which will give an idea of the blood sugar levels in the body. Kidney and liver function tests too can be done if severe symptoms are found.
Once the test confirms the diagnosis of canine diabetes and the type of diabetes, the veterinarian prescribes the necessary drugs that keep the blood sugar levels in control. Diet is a very important factor in dealing with diabetes. By following the proper restricted diet as advised by the dog’s veterinarian you can keep him healthy without having to worry about his fitness.
The diet usually has more of protein than carbohydrates to restrict the sugar build up in the body and also concentrates more on digesting the food easily and quickly. Each feed should be split up into two or more feeds.
For dogs that need insulin injections as a daily dosage the owner has to know about the storage, dosage and administration of insulin so that he can administer it to the dog without having to go to the veterinarian everyday for the treatment. The type of medication varies from dog to dog and on the severity and type of disease.
It has been found that obese and older dogs are more prone to get the disease. Keeping the dog active and having its health checked now and then will help you keep the dog fit and if diagnosed early it is easy to control the diabetes than when the disease has progressed to a severe stage. So be sure your dog gets his regular health checks done at the appropriate time.
