Have you recently noticed that your dog or cat is drinking A LOT of water and urinating ALL THE TIME? Has your pet also lost a lot of weight in the last month or two? If the answer to these questions is “Yes,” then your pet might have Diabetes. Today let’s discuss this disease, what usually causes it, the symptoms to watch for, and what can be done to help your dog or cat.
Diabetes is a disease that originates in the Pancreas. Your pancreas is a digestive organ that lives in the top right corner of your abdomen, near the outflow tract of the stomach, and at the top of the small intestine.
Its job is to not only produce our digestive enzymes, but also to make Insulin. When we eat food, our body recognizes the spike of sugar, or glucose, in the body. In response to this, the pancreas secretes insulin, so that this glucose can be used in our cells for various functions.
As you may know, in humans there are a couple types of Diabetes. Type I is a hereditary or congenital form that affects young people. Type II is a secondary form that is usually due to obesity. While both types are also present in pets, Type I is very rare. In our dogs and cats, Diabetes is almost completely preventable, and is usually due to us overfeeding our pets.
When an obese pet develops Diabetes, the pancreas is either producing no insulin, or very minimal insulin. This makes glucose unusable by the body, so the glucose in the bloodstream spikes.
Pets with Diabetes lose weight rapidly, drink A LOT of water, and therefore urinate a lot as well. The kidneys are unable to concentrate the urine, so this urine excreted from the pet is very dilute and very sticky due to excess glucose spilling over from the bloodstream to the urinary tract. This extra glucose in the urine is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. So, dogs or cats with uncontrolled Diabetes often also have a urinary tract infection. Due to the kidney’s inability to work properly with Diabetes, these pets also become dehydrated very quickly. It is very hard for most pet owners to understand why their pet is dehydrated with the excess water they are drinking. The kidneys are unable to send this water to the tissues that need it, rather it sends all the water right to the bladder and out of the body.
If your Veterinarian suspects your pet may have Diabetes after getting a full history from you and doing a thorough examination of your pet, the first tests we usually recommend doing are a blood panel and a urinalysis. The blood panel will tell us if the glucose is high, how the kidneys are functioning, and if any other organ is affected, and the urinalysis will confirm whether or not glucose is spilling over into the bladder and if your pet also has a urinary tract infection. Glucose levels in pets will increase due to stress, but over a certain level, we know that our diagnosis is Diabetes.
Once your Veterinarian has diagnosed your pet with Diabetes, what can be done? The most important part of treatment is Insulin injections.
This scares most pet owners, but I try to ease their fears by assuring them that they will be pros at this injection in no time. Insulin is injected right under the skin, usually around the shoulder area TWICE daily. The needles are tiny and usually the amount of insulin being given is quite small. There are a few different types of insulin…..NPH, PZI, Vetsulin, Glargine….which one do you use? My favorite for dogs is NPH. It’s the cheapest and it works very well for most dogs. In cats, Glargine is the gold standard. The other insulins simply do not work as well. Glargine, however, can be expensive, but don’t let that deter you from treating your cat. Speak with your Veterinarian about less expensive ways to get Glargine.
Prescription Diet dog and cat food is also very important for Diabetic pets. These foods may have lower levels of carbohydrates to slow absorption of glucose and higher fiber content.
As an important side note, Diabetic dogs will stay Diabetic, Diabetic cats may go into remission and no longer be Diabetic. Sometimes cats can be maintained on a Diabetic food to keep the Diabetes in remission! Another important note about food…..always feed your pet prior to administering Insulin! If your pet does not eat prior to the Insulin injection, and refuses to eat after the injection, the blood sugar can become dangerously low.
For all of my newly diagnosed Diabetic pets, I set up a second appointment. At this appointment we do an Insulin Demo.
The purpose of this visit is to make sure that pet owners are comfortable giving their pet an injection prior to starting the Insulin. Once the pet owner has picked up their Insulin from the pharmacy, we schedule this appointment. No Insulin is given at this appointment; I have them leave the medication at home in the REFRIGERATOR. At this visit we are only injecting sterile saline under the pet’s skin. I calculate the dosage of Insulin needed based on the weight of the pet, and draw up that amount of saline in two separate insulin syringes. We then talk through what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. I give the first injection of saline, then the owner gives the second injection of saline. Pets typically do fantastic for these injections and it shows owners just how easy it is to do at home. This gives them confidence to give that first insulin injection after dinner that evening.
The next important visit to schedule with your Veterinarian is for a Glucose Curve. This appointment is typically 1 month after starting the Insulin injections. The purpose of this visit is to see how well the current dose of Insulin is working for your pet.
This is an all day drop off appointment where your pet stays at the Animal Hospital and their blood glucose levels are monitored every 2 hours after the morning Insulin injection is given. We are monitoring where the pet starts in the morning, how low the blood glucose gets during the day, and checking the level prior to the next Insulin administration. If we find that your pet is well-regulated at the current dosage, the next curve is typically scheduled in six months. As I write this post, newer advances in glucose monitoring include the FreeStyle Libre, which is a continuous glucose monitor that is easily implanted on/under the pet’s skin. They wear this monitor full time and results through the day can be downloaded on the computer and shared with your Veterinarian.
Pets can be well-managed on insulin for many years. However, it is very important to note that many pets develop FULL CATARACTS in BOTH eyes within the first 6 months after diagnosis. That means that most pets with diabetes will become completely blind. Yes, that is really scary and sad to hear, but after an adjustment period, they really do quite well.
Hopefully you have read this post early in your pet’s life. Please do not overfeed them! Not only can it lead to Diabetes, but also heart disease, joint problems, and decreased lifespan to name a few. If you have found this post after your pet has been diagnosed with Diabetes, please realize that you can do this! Insulin injections are easy to give, will tremendously help your pet, and they can do quite well if their diabetes is closely managed by your Veterinarian.
Diabetes is a disease that originates in the Pancreas. Your pancreas is a digestive organ that lives in the top right corner of your abdomen, near the outflow tract of the stomach, and at the top of the small intestine.
As you may know, in humans there are a couple types of Diabetes. Type I is a hereditary or congenital form that affects young people. Type II is a secondary form that is usually due to obesity. While both types are also present in pets, Type I is very rare. In our dogs and cats, Diabetes is almost completely preventable, and is usually due to us overfeeding our pets.
When an obese pet develops Diabetes, the pancreas is either producing no insulin, or very minimal insulin. This makes glucose unusable by the body, so the glucose in the bloodstream spikes.
 |
| Courtesy: Long Beach Animal Hospital |
Once your Veterinarian has diagnosed your pet with Diabetes, what can be done? The most important part of treatment is Insulin injections.
 |
| Courtesy: Washington State University |
This scares most pet owners, but I try to ease their fears by assuring them that they will be pros at this injection in no time. Insulin is injected right under the skin, usually around the shoulder area TWICE daily. The needles are tiny and usually the amount of insulin being given is quite small. There are a few different types of insulin…..NPH, PZI, Vetsulin, Glargine….which one do you use? My favorite for dogs is NPH. It’s the cheapest and it works very well for most dogs. In cats, Glargine is the gold standard. The other insulins simply do not work as well. Glargine, however, can be expensive, but don’t let that deter you from treating your cat. Speak with your Veterinarian about less expensive ways to get Glargine.
Prescription Diet dog and cat food is also very important for Diabetic pets. These foods may have lower levels of carbohydrates to slow absorption of glucose and higher fiber content.
For all of my newly diagnosed Diabetic pets, I set up a second appointment. At this appointment we do an Insulin Demo.
The next important visit to schedule with your Veterinarian is for a Glucose Curve. This appointment is typically 1 month after starting the Insulin injections. The purpose of this visit is to see how well the current dose of Insulin is working for your pet.
Pets can be well-managed on insulin for many years. However, it is very important to note that many pets develop FULL CATARACTS in BOTH eyes within the first 6 months after diagnosis. That means that most pets with diabetes will become completely blind. Yes, that is really scary and sad to hear, but after an adjustment period, they really do quite well.
 |
| Courtesy: Royal Veterinary College |
Hopefully you have read this post early in your pet’s life. Please do not overfeed them! Not only can it lead to Diabetes, but also heart disease, joint problems, and decreased lifespan to name a few. If you have found this post after your pet has been diagnosed with Diabetes, please realize that you can do this! Insulin injections are easy to give, will tremendously help your pet, and they can do quite well if their diabetes is closely managed by your Veterinarian.
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