Pets get Diabetes Too

There is great concern by human doctors about the increase in the number of diabetes cases. We are seeing this trend in dogs and cats as well. Diabetes is a condition where there is too much sugar in the blood due to an absolute or relative lack of a hormone called insulin. Insulin is normally produced in an organ along side the intestine called the pancreas. We use insulin to help sugar enter the cells of the body for use as energy.

Dogs and cats can be especially prone to diabetes if they are overweight. Certain breeds such as the minature schnauzer may be predisposed to diabetes. Dogs and cats with a history of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) or pancreatitc cancer may develop diabetes. Dogs and cats with other endocrine disorders such as Cushings or Acromegaly may also have diabetes.

When should you be suspicious of diabetes in your dog or cat? Clinical signs of diabetes include drinking excessively, urinating excessively, ravenous hunger, and weight loss. If your pet is experiencing any of those signs, we may recommend a blood chemistry panel, complete blood count, and urinalysis. If the blood sugar is high and there is sugar in the urine, we have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

If diabetes is left undiagnosed or untreated, your pet may go into a state called diabetic ketoacidosis. The dog or cat will stop eating, will likely vomit or have diarrhea, and may go into a diabetic coma. This is because of the accumulation of ketones. The body produces ketones when it can not use sugar as an energy source. Unfortunately the body is better at producing ketones than using ketones, so they tend to build up and make the pet sick. It is very important to recognize the signs of diabetes, confirm the diagnosis, and start treatment prior to becoming ketoacidotic.

For most animals the treatment of diabetes consists of giving injections of insulin under the skin every twelve hours. The needles are small and for most pets we use small amounts of insulin. Most owners become comfortable with administering the injections themselves. We provide training on giving injections for the owner as part of the diabetic consultation.

The other part of treatment includes dietary modification. Since diabetic pets already have a high blood sugar, we want to reduce the amount of carbohydrates (sugar precursors) in their food. For dogs, this means a high fiber/low carbohydrate diet, and for cats a high protein/low carbohydrate diet. There are several pet food manufacturers making diabetic diets in dry and canned formulations for dogs and cats and there is a good chance we can find one your pet will like.

We will periodically need to monitor a diabetic pet's blood sugar level to make sure the amount of insulin given by injection is controlling the diabetes and not making the blood sugar too low. We do this with what is called a blood glucose curve. We have the pet owner give the insulin and feed breakfast as usual, then the pet is dropped off at our hospital for several blood glucose checks throughout the day. Based on the results, we may need to make changes to the amount of insulin given.

Diabetes is a very treatable condition. We have managed many diabetic patients for years. All it takes is a loving and dedicated owner such as YOU! If you have any questions regarding diabetes or would like your pet screened for diabetes please schedule an appointment with Dr. Alshouse or myself.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jim Jackson