If you have noticed that your dog seems to be eating a lot, but losing weight or urinating more frequently and drinking water obsessively then he might have diabetes. Diabetes mellitus, or sugar diabetes, is actually quite common in dogs. This type of diabetes results in sugar in the urine because the dog is not metabolizing sugar properly. When a dog has diabetes his pancreas does not produce the proper amount of insulin. Without the presence of adequate insulin, sugar or glucose in the bloodstream can not get into cells, where it is needed for energy. If glucose is not dispersed into the cells of the body it throws blood glucose levels out of whack. While the blood glucose levels are high, the cells are completely without and this causes the brain to receive the message that the body is starving so food intake increases.


Diabetes also taxes the kidneys with overwhelming levels of blood glucose to process. The kidneys are the body’s filtration system and will react to the excess glucose in the body by attempting to dilute it while producing more urine. This can lead to a normally potty trained dog having accidents in the house. The cycle continues as the production of excessive urine causes dehydration and pets begin to drink excessively to re-hydrate themselves. As diabetes progresses your dog will likely begin to form cataracts or lose his sight. If the disease is left untreated toxins called ketones can build up in the blood causing your dog to slip into a diabetic coma.


If your dog begins to show these signs or significantly changes his eating or drinking habits then take him to the Veterinarian to get checked out. While this disease can be fatal, it is also easy to manage with the proper medication. Your Vet can tell you if your dog has diabetes by performing a simple blood test and a urinalysis. If your dog is diagnosed your Vet will place you on a treatment program including a special diet, once or twice daily insulin injections and a check-up schedule.


Depending on your dog’s size and the progression of the disease he will need daily intramuscular insulin injections. These injections can be done at home and can be administered in any muscular area on your dog. Your Vet will show you how to do this, but make sure you are comfortable with completing the injections yourself before taking your dog home. Your Vet will probably recommend a special diet with very specific portions for you to administer at home. It is very important to give injections and food at a specific time each day. Your dog will need your diligence to make sure his blood levels remain steady and this means that he needs his shots and food regularly. Try picking a time you can stick with every day and make sure the times are at least 8 hours apart. Your Vet will likely want you to feed and inject twice daily to ensure maximum success, but if this is just not a possibility for you bring it to your Vet’s attention.


Fine tuning the proper amount of food and insulin can be tricky so you will likely need to go back to the Veterinarian several times in a 3 month period for blood sugar check-ups. Your Veterinarian may increase or decrease the amount of food or insulin until the levels get where they need to be. Going forward you will likely be fine with 6 month check-ups for your diabetic dog. Diabetic dogs are more susceptible to infections than their healthy canine peers; however, with daily injections and consistent weight management they can lead normal, happy and healthy lives for years with this condition.

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