Understanding Diabetes And How It Affects Your Pups

Diabetes might be most commonly known as a human disease, but it affects pups as well.

A majority of the affected pups are middle aged, overweight female fur balls, but the disease can strike any other pup as well, so it’s important to know about it! Diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin in the body, which means that glucose and sugars can’t be properly digested. But how can you tell if your pup suffers from it? The most obvious symptom in pups is increased thirst, but this can also be a sign of other conditions, so have a vet check it out.

Treatment for Diabetes

If your pup is diagnosed with diabetes, you don’t need to panic. Although there’s no cure for diabetes, there are plenty of treatments available to help curb it effectively. Here are some of them.

1. Insulin injections. A veterinarian will give a prescribed dose to your fur ball and then check his blood to see how well he responds to the injection. After a correct dosage is determined, then you will be able to give these injections to your pup by yourself at home. The best part is that the needles are so thin, most fur balls don’t even feel them!

2. Weight loss. If your fur ball is overweight, consult a veterinarian about a restricted calorie diet. A lighter weight makes blood glucose regulation easier, so vets may provide prescription pup food for this goal to be achieved.

3. Spaying. It is recommended that female pups are spayed, because the hormone progesterone raises the level of blood glucose in the body, resulting in more irregular levels.

4. A constant lifestyle. Your pup’s energy must remain at healthy levels but not change much from day to day, so he should get the same amount of exercise daily. Changing that will alter the amount of insulin that he needs. In the same way, your fur ball should eat the same amount of food daily, following the same time schedule day to day.

Emergencies for Diabetic Pups

Now you know what sort of treatments are available. Following these, your pup can lead a pretty happy, well-managed life. But are there any diabetic emergencies you should look out for? Yes, there are two of them; here they are!

1. Hypoglycaemia. When blood sugar drops too low due to lack of food consumption or an overdose of insulin, a diabetic pup will suffer from this. They might tremble or become very weak and may even experience seizures. Treat your pup quickly by rubbing glucose syrup or honey on his gums. While most fur ball’s recover easily from an episode of hypoglycaemia, it’s best to send them to the very for a quick check-up after!

2. Diabetic ketoacidosis. This is caused by too little insulin in your pup’s body, which results in the metabolizing of his own body fat for energy. A pup suffering from this condition may become lethargic, have no appetite, or vomit. Usually, this sort of condition actually happens before a diabetes diagnosis, because his pancreas hasn’t been producing the materials he needs, but it can also happen to pups who just miss a dose of insulin. Whatever the case, if you notice this happening, rush your fur ball to a vet immediately.

With care and love, a diabetic pup can go on to have a long life and enjoy his daily activities unhindered. Do give this a like and share if you found it useful.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay