Canine Diabetes

Like humans, dogs can acquire diabetes too. Dogs with diabetes need utmost care and support because it is a life-threatening disease that every pet owner should be very concerned about.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the beta cells of the endocrine pancreas either stop producing insulin or can no longer produce it in enough quantity for the body's needs. The body's energy "fuel" is glucose; without insulin, cells are not able to use the glucose for its intended purpose, so glucose begins building up in the blood where it can be seen as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose levels. This most common form of diabetes (There is another form not covered here, Diabetes insipidus.) strikes 1 in 500 dogs. The condition is treatable, and need not shorten the animal's life span or interfere with quality of life. If left untreated, the condition can lead to cataracts, increasing weakness in the legs (neuropathy), malnutrition, ketoacidosis and/or dehydration, and death. Diabetes mainly affects middle-aged and older dogs, but there have also been juvenile cases. The typical canine diabetes patient is middle-aged, female and overweight at diagnosis.

There are two types of diabetes, and dogs may acquire either of these types if they’re not cared for properly. The two types are diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is an endocrine disease that is brought about by the malfunction of the endocrine glands.

Diabetes insipidus is characterized by the lack of vasopressin. Vasopressin is an anti-diuretic hormone whose job is to control the kidney’s absorption of water.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin deficiency. It is a condition where the dog’s body can’t metabolize sugar well. This is the more common and more dangerous type of diabetes that dogs can possibly acquire.

Generally there's a gradual onset of the disease over a few weeks, and it may escape notice for a while. The main symptoms are:

* excessive water consumption-- Polydipsia
* frequent and/or excessive urination-- Polyuria --possible house "accidents"
* greater than average appetite-- Polyphagia --with either weight loss or maintenance of current weight
* cloudy eyes-- Cataracts

Early diagnosis and interventive treatment can mean reduced incidence of complications such as cataracts and neuropathy. Since dogs are insulin-dependent, oral drugs are not effective for them,[9][15][16] and must instead be placed on insulin replacement therapy. Approved oral diabetes drugs can be helpful to sufferers of Type 2 diabetes because they work in one of three ways-by inducing the pancreas to produce more insulin, to allow the bodies to more effectively utilize the insulin it produces, or by slowing the glucose absorption rate from the GI tract. Unapproved and so-called "natural" remedies make similar claims for their products. All of this is based on the premise of having an endocrine pancreas which has beta cells capable of producing insulin. Those with type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes, have beta cells which are permanently damaged, thus unable to produce insulin. This is the form diabetes takes in dogs-insulin-dependency-and the reason why nothing except using insulin by injections, insulin pump, or islet transplants can be considered real and effective treatment.

The most common form of this treatment is an intermediate-acting basal insulin (NPH/isophane, Caninsulin/Vetsulin), with a regimen of food and insulin every 12 hours, insulin following the meal. With Lantus (insulin glargine) being unreliable in dogs, it is rarely used to treat canine diabetes. Most dogs don't require basal/bolus insulin injections.

The management of dog diabetes starts with a proper diet. There are foods that your dog should eat in order to help this condition. On the other hand, there are certain foods that can possibly make your dog's diabetes become worse. When your dog is suffering from diabetes, regular visits to the vet are essential. You may also be required to start using prepared meals instead of giving your dog its regular food.