When you adopted your four-legged friend, did you envision wonderful, life-affirming experiences together such as frolicking in a meadow or playfully batting around a ball of yarn? Or did your mind’s eye see regular insulin injections personally administered to your best pal?
While the diagnosis of pet diabetes can be a shock, those perfect daydreams of time spent with your pet aren’t lost forever. With careful management and support, your pet can live out his or her days in relative health and comfort.
What is Pet Diabetes?
Pet diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the pancreas. Located near your pet’s stomach, the pancreas plays a critical role in the digestive system by producing essential enzymes and the hormone called insulin. With diabetes mellifluous, your pet’s glucose (sugar) levels increase, and his or her body cannot use it as energy. In other words, the pancreas fails to regulate blood sugar.
What Happens?
With pet diabetes, inadequate insulin levels cannot signal the organs and muscles to convert glucose to energy. The extra glucose frequently exits the body in urine and leads to an extremely tuckered out pet. Other common symptoms include:
- Increased thirst and water intake
- Weight loss (even when eating more)
- Kidney problems
- Eye issues
Diagnosis
If you notice any of the signs above – or changes in your pet’s behavior – please call us so we can examine your pet and assess his or her overall health and demeanor. If your companion exhibits symptoms consistent with pet diabetes, we will order standard tests completed by our in-house laboratory. Blood and urine tests that show high levels of glucose may also lead us to pursue concurrent diseases or complications related to pet diabetes via x-rays or ultrasounds.
Breaking it Down
There are two different types of pet diabetes:
- Type I Diabetes Mellitus – Also known as insulin-dependent pet diabetes, type I requires regular insulin injections to stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Type II Diabetes Mellitus – This is diagnosed when a pet still has some insulin-producing cells. Either there is a delayed secretion response or there are insufficient levels. Insulin resistance is also associated with type II, and if oral medication isn’t working, injections may be an option to control it.
At-Risk Pets
For cats, adult and senior males tend to be the most at risk of developing pet diabetes while female adults are more commonly diagnosed among dogs. In general, overweight or obese pets are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, but there are also certain breeds (such as poodles, dachshunds, miniature schnauzers, and samoyeds) that are genetically predisposed to the condition. Additionally, some medications, pancreatic abnormalities or illnesses, and autoimmune disorders can result in the development of pet diabetes.
Treatment
If your pet is diagnosed, we will work closely with you to control your pet’s symptoms. If your pet needs to be at a target weight, changing his or her nutritional needs is a great start along with planning effective fitness routines. Getting used to medications, injections, and daily glucose testing can be daunting at first, but we’re committed to helping you and your pet adjust.
The More You Know
Although the cause of pet diabetes is largely unknown, we know there are specific factors that play into the development of this chronic disease. Preventing obesity, maintaining good exercise habits, and offering a healthy diet are essential, and the team at All Pets Animal Hospital is here to help. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about pet diabetes.
source by: http://allpetsanimalhospital.org/blog
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