Dealing with Diabetes

Like humans, dogs are also susceptible to developing Diabetes Mellitus (sugar diabetes). With a third of the UK’s dogs being classified as obese, diabetes is just one of the life threatening illness that can develop in over weight animals.

It is thought that 1 in 300 dogs and cats are diabetic, making it the most common hormonal disease in pets.

Dogs usually develop the condition between 5 and 12 years of age and the more susceptible breeds include the Samoyed, Tibetan Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Poodles, Daschunds, Labradors, and the West Highland Terrier.

Diabetes is caused by irregular amounts of the hormone insulin being released into the body. This insufficiency can result in the dog not being able absorb glucose or having too much glucose in the system, which can cause cataracts, kidney and or liver problems and in severe cases even death.

The most common indication that your dog might be diabetic is excessive drinking and urinating, though other signs to look out for are weight loss, an increased appetite and lethargy.

To help stabilise a diabetic dog’s condition, vets suggest that the dog is injected daily with insulin to regulate its sugar levels.

We also suggest the dog is given small, frequent meals throughout the day to help stabilise its blood sugar levels. Feeding just one large meal a day can have a dangerous effect as it will increase the dog’s sugar level too rapidly. This is known as Hyperglycaemia and can cause the dog to have an increased thirst, frequent urination and possible vomiting. The condition can also lead to a coma. If blood sugar levels fall too low (Hypoglycaemia), the dog may become unsettled and tremble, this could lead to fitting or a coma if insulin is not administered.

Feeding a high quality food such as Naturediet will ensure that your dog gets a well balanced diet that does not contain any added sugars, colours or preservatives. Naturediet has a small amount of carbohydrate added in the form of brown rice; carbohydrates are converted into glucose by the body during digestion, so it is equally important to ensure your dog does not have carbohydrates in excessive amounts.

For more information visit our factsheet at www.naturediet.co.uk/Factfiles