What you need to know about Canine Diabetes

Unquenchable thirst and sudden increased urination are two important signs of Diabetes in your pet.

As your pet's blood sugar levels increase the body's natural defense is to dilute this damaging blood sugar level by causing increased thirst and water intake.  And with increased water intake comes increased urination which is an attempt of the body to eliminate the toxic level of sugar. 

The most effective treatment for Dogs and Cats with diabetes is insulin injections.

For dogs, we recommend Vetsulin injections. Typically they are given twice a day every 12 hours.  Your Veterinarian will prescribe the correct dosage and determine the proper dosage on a routine basis.

For cats, we recommend two different insulin, Prozinc which is usually given two times a day, every 12 hours or Glargine which typically can be given as a once a day injection.

Diet is very important part of treatment. For more information about the important of diet in controlling diabetes please see the section: The Scoop on food and Supplements

Deciding on the correct dosage of Insulin:

The process of deciding the dose usually involves giving an initial dose of insulin and then a few days later your veterinarian will retest the blood sugar level of your pet, this is called a glucose curve and schedule.  Depending on the blood sugar level, your pet's dose may have to be adjusted. It is important for you to know that during this initial phase of giving insulin, your pet may experience hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

The goal is to achieve a standard dose that can be given to maintain a healthy glucose level, which is:

In dogs: 100-150 mg/dL and 100-300mg/dL in Cats.   

 As I mentioned earlier, you may hear the term, Glucose Curve from your Veterinarian. Glucose Curves are used to decide the best dosage for your pet.

What is a Glucose Curve?

It is a graph that determines the ideal dose of insulin based on minimum and maximum levels of blood sugar.

We will discuss giving insulin injections in the section called: "Making peace with giving Insulin injections".  We will also discuss how to store and handle insulin.

 What to do if your pet experiences hypoglycemia or blood sugar levels lower than 70mg/dL:

The symptoms of hypoglycemia are:

• Low Energy

• Weakness

• Loss of coordination

• Disorientation

• Unusual behavior

• Vision impairment

• Lack of appetite or increased hunger. 

What to do:

It is important to treat these symptoms immediately by giving your pet a sugar source which will help their blood sugar level increase.

For example corn syrup on your finger.

If your pet fails to respond take your pet to an emergency center or your veterinarian