Diabetes Mellitus: Part 1

Most of us know someone with Diabetes but did you know that Diabetes is frequently diagnosed in our pets. 1 in 300 dogs and 1 in 230 cats are diagnosed with Diabetes in their lifetime. Humans are now up to 1 in 10 will be diagnosed with Diabetes.
Diabetes Mellitus in humans and pets can be divided into 2 categories. Either the patient has a lack of sufficient insulin or the cells of the body have become resistant to the effects of insulin.
Insulin is required to keep the blood sugar from getting too high. It tells the cells to take in the glucose so that they can function properly. However, too much glucose in the cells over time causes a lot of problems.
Dogs are most frequently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This is caused because the cells of the pancreas that make insulin cannot do their job. Therefore, there just isn’t enough insulin.
Cats are most frequently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This occurs because the patient has had high levels of glucose for prolonged periods of time and the cells cannot respond to the insulin normally.
How Do I Know If My Pet Has Diabetes?
Common signs of diabetes are increased drinking of water, increased urination, initially increased appetite, and weight loss. As we begin treating diabetes one of our goals is for these clinical signs to improve. If you suspect your pet has any of these clinical signs, we recommend a physical and likely bloodwork to determine the cause of these common clinical signs.
How did my pet get diabetes?
Very rarely pets may have congenital or hereditary diabetes. More commonly, middle aged or older pets that have carried excess weight for years, are prone to developing insulin resistance. As stated above, this is the most likely cause of diabetes in cats. Cats sometimes improve on low carbohydrate diets and weight loss. Not uncommonly, cats develop diabetes after being on certain medications, especially steroids. Some of these cases are reversible.
Dogs develop type 1 diabetes due to repeated episodes of pancreatitis. This can destroy the beta cells that create insulin. Alternatively, dogs can lose the ability to produce insulin because the body’s immune system has attacked these cells. This is called Immune mediated disease and we often cannot identify a specific cause.
My dog has been diagnosed with Diabetes, now what?
At your appointment, your veterinarian will go over your pet’s bloodwork. Many patients are what we like to call a “ healthy diabetic” . This means that your patient has elevated blood glucose and glucose in the urine but is eating and drinking and is otherwise healthy.
If it is a “healthy” dog diabetes, it is likely that you will be prescribed insulin. This replacement hormone is only available as an injection and usually is given twice daily for the rest of the dog’s life. It may surprise you but most dogs tolerate insulin injections very well. The needles are very small. The veterinarian will likely prescribe a fairly low dose of insulin to get started which may be adjusted after the patient has had time for their body to adjust to insulin.

Insulin will be used to bring your dog’s blood sugar down. Blood sugar that is below the normal levels can be more dangerous than high blood glucose. Therefore, we want to start with a low dose so that we do not cause your dog to be hypoglycemic.
It is very important that your dog eats right before getting the insulin injection, twice daily. If the dog does not eat, their blood sugar could dip too low. Many of us free choice feed our pets. However, with diabetic dogs, it is advantageous to feed twice daily so you can monitor his/ her appetite. If she does not eat, contact the prescribing veterinarian. Twice daily feeding also helps your patient adjust to when he/ she is getting a big influx of sugar ( when they eat) and when they get that dose of insulin. Foods that contain higher levels of fiber help that food to be absorbed more slowly over the entire day instead of a big rush of sugar ( in the form of carbs in the food). Hill’s, Purina and Royal Canin all produce a prescription diet for diabetic patients which is ideal but not required.
Don’t be surprised that we don’t need to constantly monitor your dog in that first week. Normally, we will be rechecking in 7 – 10 days. That will be an important time to allow your dog to adjust to the insulin. Monitor your pet for changes in some of those initial symptoms such as drinking and urinating frequently. Hopefully, over the week you will these symptoms improving. If you notice lethargy, inappetence , vomiting or diarrhea please call as soon as possible. We do not usually recommend at -home glucose monitors at this stage.
Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar: This can be a life threatening condition. If your pet seems “ out of it” , stumbling , vomits, is not interested in food, etc., you may try a little Karo or maple syrup on the gums. This will bring the blood sugar up within minutes. However, if you see no change, a different cause should be considered. If you are experiencing this with your diabetic dog, please call Somerset or ISU College of Vet Med ER .
So, you are on your way! You have accepted the challenge of caring for a diabetic dog. It’s not too bad, is it? Just remember some tips:
- Try to feed twice daily with none or very limited snacks of low calorie throughout the day.
- Always have fresh water available at all times.
- Don’t adjust the insulin without a recommendation from your veterinarian.
- Make sure you always have supplies like needles and fresh insulin. Especially going into the holidays or weekends.
Stay tuned for next month when we tackle ongoing monitoring and some stunning advances in care for your pets!
About Us
We are a woman-owned practice committed to making you and your pet feel at home in our Ames, IA animal hospital. We deliver a full range of services to nurture their health and give them as many years as possible with you. Our services range from life stage wellness care and prevention to surgery, dentistry, and internal medicine, with the goal of meeting all your companion’s needs for life.