If the dog suffers from diabetes you soon understand: normally he starts drinking much more than usual, urinates very frequently, is much hungrier and loses weight in a suspicious and abnormal way. More attention should be paid to the situation in the event that the dog is between 6 and 8 years old, a period during which diabetes usually occurs more frequently (it should be noted that, however, diabetes can appear, according to what veterinarians tell us, from 4 to 14 years of age).
If all the above conditions are valid, but even if you simply suspect it is good to take the dog to the vet. Early diagnosis is important as diabetes, if neglected, can cause serious complications.
Which diabetes?
There are at least two different types: mellitus, the most classic, and the bland which is rarer but no less complicated. Both forms of diabetes have very little in common. Today we will focus on mellitus, caused by a deficiency in a hormone that secretes the pancreas, the famous insulin. The decompensation in question also causes very serious conditions of sugar metabolic disorder. In turn, these lead to a dangerous rise in blood sugar with all the problems that come with it. The presence of sugars in the urine at that point becomes alarming and a solution is urgently needed since diabetes is a disease that can lead, if neglected, to death.
The diagnosis
Not everyone knows it, but it is a very common disease among adult dogs; 1 in 200 dogs suffer from it and it affects females much more than males. In reality, science does not identify breeds that are more or less subject to the disease even if at a statistical level it is the smaller breeds that suffer from diabetes mellitus more frequently.
Although there is no certainty about it, it is certain that a number of conditions that occur together are causing the disease:
- genetic predisposition;
- obesity;
- infections;
- medications;
Early diagnosis is important and the only one who can do it is the vet. The dog will need to have blood and urine tests. The important thing is that he is fasting. The level of sugars found in the blood and urine tests will give a certain answer.
The therapy
After the routine exams, the right therapeutic procedure can be planned, which varies for each dog. In general, drug therapy is indispensable: it consists in the subcutaneous administration of insulin. There are different types but it seems that the most effective for dogs is that of swine origin. It should be remembered that insulin has different effects in dogs than in humans. These are in fact much faster but also less lasting, and this element should not be underestimated.
Drug therapy does not solve the situation by itself. The dog must be subjected to a series of dietary attentions with the aim of:
- eliminate the obesity problem;
- determine a precise frequency of meals;
- determine daily exercise sessions;
- specify a daily calorie intake to be respected.
The complications
If the therapy is not sudden or followed precisely, the complications can also be very worrying: for example, you can run into diabetic ketoacidosis, drastic weight loss, cataracts, bacterial infections, pancreatitis. In short, all further pathologies not to be underestimated.
Diabetes in hunting dogs
When the hunting dog suffers from diabetes mellitus, attention must be increased. Not everyone knows, for example, that during periods of intense work the insulin doses must be reduced. During the hunting day, in fact, physical exercise reduces the presence of glucose and improves insulin mobilization due to the greater flow of blood into the muscles.
The owner, for his part, will have to bring sugar, candied fruit or sugar water with him as the risk of hypoglycemia is around the corner. The main signs that warn us of the glycemic drop are the sudden weakness of our auxiliary, constantly bent head, seizures or in the worst case collapse.
Nutrition of the diabetic dog
Without wishing to go into detail, since each dog is a story unto itself, it is good to remember however that on the market there are feeds designed for those suffering from diabetes, containing all the essential nutrients for effective food therapy.