Diabetes and your pet: don't let it scare you
| Critter care |
By Eileen Alberton
Veterinarian. Williams Lake Vet Clinic
Is your dog or cat drinking more water than usual, urinating more often, eating much more than usual and still losing weight? It could have diabetes.
These are classical signs for diabetes. Similar symptoms can also be caused by other internal diseases, so your veterinarian will want to do a full blood panel and a urinalysis before making a definite diagnosis.
In people, there are two forms of diabetes: the insulin dependent or type I, where insulin injections are necessary, and the non-insulin dependent or type II, where diet, weight management, exercise and pills may be enough to control the disease. Animals only get type I or insulin-dependent diabetes.
The pancreas is the organ that produces both digestive enzymes, as well as insulin. When you eat a meal, enzymes break food into components that are absorbed into the bloodstream and then taken to the liver where they are turned into sugars. The rise in blood sugar tells the pancreas to produce insulin. This hormone moves sugar from the bloodstream into the cells of the body, where it is either used for energy or stored for future use as glucagon.
In the absence of insulin, sugar stays in the bloodstream causing an abnormally high blood sugar level. It also spills into the urine, pulling water behind it to dilute it. This shows up as sugar in the urine (not normal) and increased urination. The degree of insulin deficiency determines how much sugar is lost through the urine and how much extra water follows the sugar causing increased urination. Since the cells are not getting enough sugar, the pet feels hungry, and their appetite increases. Sugar is not being absorbed so weight loss occurs. The extra urination causes increased thirst, which leads to increased drinking.
Another symptom of diabetes, especially in cats, is a hind-end neuropathy. They walk flat footed on their hind legs due to improper electrical activity to the nerves. Once treatment has been started, it will usually reverse itself, occasionally taking months.
If the disease goes undetected, the body mobilizes stored glucagon and ketone bodies are produced. This can result in depression, vomiting, loss of appetite, and a sweet smelling breath from the ketones. The disease is still treatable, but often requires hospitalization for intensive care and intravenous fluids.
There is no units/kg dose that works for all pets. The correct dose is the one that controls both clinical symptoms and the hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar). It can take months to get your pet regulated, so expecting this will help prevent you from getting too frustrated. Adjustments in food quality and quantity, getting them to their ideal weight, and controlling any other infections in the body are all necessary.
Urinary infections in diabetics are quite common due to the sugar in the urine, but any infection (ie. dental disease) will also require diagnosis and treatment, as it will upset the “balance”. Dehydration can be an issue as well.
Food and treats increase blood glucose values. Special diabetic food is available to help give your pet the nutrients he needs while helping to maintain the “balance”. Your veterinarian will work with you and your pet to find the ideal diet. Exercise utilizes glucose, hence resulting in a reduction in blood glucose. The more regular your pet’s lifestyle and his meals, the easier it will be to regulate him. Discuss your pet’s normal habits with your veterinarian.
You will be shown you how to collect small amounts of blood from your pet, and how to use a human blood glucose meter, so that occasionally you can do a blood glucose curve. This involves choosing one day in which you collect blood samples at home at regular intervals (usually two hours), including prior to and following insulin administration, and write down the blood glucose levels.
Your veterinarian can then interpret the numbers and decide how to adjust insulin dose and frequency of injections. Doing this at home instead of at the hospital, when possible, greatly decreases the stress to the pet, and helps to stabilize your pet more quickly. Large amounts of stress can cause artificial increases in blood glucose, especially in cats, and this can complicate making decisions on proper dosage.
You will be instructed on how to recognize signs of hyperglycemia (excessively high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (excessively low blood sugar), and what to do if either of these occurs.
Cataracts are a common sequel to diabetes in pets, and there is no real way to prevent this from happening. They will occur faster if the pet has uncontrolled high blood sugar for prolonged periods, so following instructions and having regular rechecks are important, especially early on, until things are regulated. Cataracts occur due to the increase in fluid retention in the normally clear lens of the eye. Cataract surgery may be an option, and can be discussed with your veterinarian.
Instructions for your pet if it is having surgery of any kind will be slightly different than those of a pet without diabetes. Make sure you remind staff of this condition when booking an appointment for anything that requires an anesthetic drug.
Don’t let the disease scare you, and you and your pet will enjoy many happy and satisfying years together!
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