What to expect when your dog has diabetes

Yesterday one of my clients brought in her dog for an ear infection and expected us to culture it right away. This information was taken from an interview with Danielle Dickinson Behavioural Trainer Urban Dog Training with Dogs Life Magazine conducted in June 2010.

Yesterday one of my clients brought in her dog for an ear infection and expected us to culture it right away.

What to expect when your dog has diabetes. Dietary changes are usually necessary when a dog is diagnosed with diabetes. If your dog is overweight or obese your vet may recommend a diet aimed at weight loss. A good quality diet.

The key to helping your dog live with diabetes is to spot this condition as early as possible. The earlier your dog is able to get help the better quality of life he can enjoy. When a dog has diabetes his cells are actually being starved for the energy and fuel that it needs to keep its organs and muscles working properly.

When caring for a diabetic dog your costs will vary. Generally speaking pet owners can expect to spend between 43 and 231 per month on diabetes related care. Although diabetes may present itself differently depending on the dog there are some common and symptoms you can look out for.

Increased urination this happens because glucose is drawing water with it into the urine. Excessive thirst this is the bodys way for compensating for unexpected fluid loss. Dogs with this type of diabetes need daily shots to replace the missing insulin.

This is the most common type of diabetes in dogs. Insulin-resistance diabetesThis is when the pancreas is. Diet plays a vital role in helping to keep your dogs diabetes regulated.

Your veterinarian can recommend choices specifically for your dog but these basic tips can help. Keep meal content and volume identical each day to avoid changes in insulin requirements. Choose dog foods with quality sources of protein and low carbohydrates.

Switch to a reduced-calorie diet if your dog is overweight. Therefore a diabetic dogs body cannot control the levels of sugar in its blood and when elevated this is called hyperglycaemia. Many dogs can cope with this for a while but they often become seriously unwell if they acquire another illness such as a urine infection.

And diabetic animals are very prone to suffer from other health problems. Dogs with diabetes are more likely to develop other health concerns as well. They have a greater risk of going blind and may develop urine infections and other problems more easily.

It is important to look out for the symptoms so you can get your dog checked for diabetes as soon as problems start occurring. The 2 Types of Dog Diabetes. Even though diabetes is not a curable disease it is a treatable one.

That means that your diabetic dog will be able to enjoy a normal life span. Provided that you treat the dog with insulin to keep the levels of blood glucose under control your dogs quality of life will improve dramatically. What are the symptoms that a diabetic dog is dying.

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This information was taken from an interview with Danielle Dickinson Behavioural Trainer Urban Dog Training with Dogs Life Magazine conducted in June 2010. Its a pretty frightening thing to be told your fur kid has a serious condition such as diabetes or arthritis. Ear infections can occur in both diabetic and non-diabetic pets.

This week has been chock full of ear infection patients at my little practice. I thought it would be a good article topic since it is so common. Yesterday one of my clients brought in her dog for an ear infection and expected us to culture it right away.

Although I appreciate her. In general the diet recommended for a diabetic dog includes complex carbohydrates and fiber to ensure more regulated blood sugar levels quality protein and in some cases with dogs who are prone to pancreatitis lower fat. Life Expectancy for Dogs With Diabetes.

Some people may ask If my dogs has diabetes should I put him down The answer is no. Dogs with diabetes can live a happy life without any symptoms of their disease but it does require effort on your part. If you are able to give your dog insulin diabetes may not affect life expectancy.

Most dogs with diabetes will have increased thirst and urination. Although the appetite is usually good or increased there is often weight loss. Some dogs however may become obese.

In some cases blindness due to cataracts may be the first indication to an owner that there is a problem. Consistent treatment is a vital component of the proper management of the diabetic dog. Your dog needs consistent administration of insulin consistent feeding and a stable stress-free lifestyle.

Your dog should live indoors to minimize uncontrollable variables that can disrupt regulation. If you suspect your dog is suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. DKA can develop very quickly and if left untreated it is a deadly condition.

Your dog will require hospitalization and intravenous fluids. Diabetes requires life-long treatment and care so it is quite natural to feel overwhelmed if your senior dog has been diagnosed. But by working together with your vet it is totally manageable and many dogs with diabetes can live a happy long and relatively healthy life.