I talk to a lot of people about diabetes and it seems that rarely do people give any thought at all about diabetes in dogs. Canine diabetes is on the increase to be sure. There is really no difference with diabetes in people as it is in dogs, cats, or other animals. What can you do to protect your pet from getting diabetes? Here are some helpful tips.
Take a quick look at how and what you feed your dog. Are they being fed the proper diet? Is it drinking excessive amounts of water? Has your dog been gaining a great deal of weight suddenly, or likewise, losing a lot of weight for no reason? Do you notice them urinating more than normal? These could all be symptoms or an early warning sign of diabetes in dogs. I would suggest an annual medical check up for your pet to be sure.
If the results come back positive, and in fact has canine diabetes, it is a manageable disease. There are steps you can take in treating the disease. Have your dog's insulin checked. A good vet can easily take care of this. They will take a blood draw from the animal's body and test it. Your first duty is to get the glucose level to normal.
If your dog requires insulin shots, it works the same way as it does in people. When starting out it may seem extremely difficult, and your dog may not want to give you a whole lot of cooperation, but as time goes on, it will get better. Animals have a way of getting in routines just as humans do.
You also want to prepare yourself in the event your pet has a health emergency. See if some other members of your family will get some training with you in case you're not there. Of course, the main responsibility of the day to day treatment will be yours, but if you are not there it should be left to one particular person in the family.
Keep a record of your dog's day-to-day health. Make notes on anything unusual. It would also be a good idea to have other important information wrote down that includes: the vet's emergency phone number, steps to follow in case of too much insulin, precautions to be taken if the needle breaks and possibly what to do in the event of a seizure.
The biggest issue with diabetes in dogs is to be sure and check their blood glucose level. Your doctor may recommend bringing your dog in periodically to monitor the glucose levels.
Again, things can seem somewhat overwhelming at first with canine diabetes, but everything will even itself out in time. Dogs are wonderful animals and your pet is certainly worth the effort to protect their health and allow them to lead a happy and healthy life. Keep an eye on the early warning signs of diabetes and take action if you see anything unusual.
