Diabetes

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when there is a lack of insulin in your pet’s body.

How did my pet get Diabetes?
Diabetes acts the same in pets as it does in humans. Just like humans, genetics plays a role in why we get certain diseases like Diabetes. Another factor that may play a role is your pet’s weight, as obese pets are more likely to develop Diabetes than pets at an ideal weight.

Your pet’s pancreas is ultimately responsible for your pet’s natural production of insulin. Other conditions that impact their pancreas can contribute to a condition of Diabetes. Insulin resistance and secondary diabetes can be linked in pets, particularly dogs that exhibit hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s Disease) or are treated chronically with glucocorticoids or progestins.

What is happening to my pet?
Each time your pet eats their food it begins to break down. One of the components of the food that is broken down is glucose (sugar) that is then carried to their cells by insulin. If your pet cannot produce enough insulin or if the insulin that they do produce doesn’t work properly it can’t carry the glucose to the cells. This means that there is a build-up of glucose (sugar) causing blood sugar levels to rise. Too much sugar in your pet’s bloodstream will cause adverse side effects.

How does my veterinarian diagnose Diabetes?

Your pet’s outward appearance and behavior will indicate to the veterinarian that there is a need for further diagnostics to determine if your pet has Diabetes. Further diagnostic tests can include:

Bloodwork which will determine if there is an elevation in blood sugar (glucose) in your pet’s bloodstream.