Managing a Diabetic Pet

 It can be very scary to hear that your pet has just been diagnosed with diabetes.  What does this mean for you and for your beloved pet?  What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when there is a lack of insulin being made by the pancreas, which results in the inability of the body’s cells to receive and utilize glucose (sugar) that it uses for fuel.  Without being able to detect and utilize the glucose, the body thinks its starving and starts breaking down proteins, starch and fat.  This then results in a surplus of glucose that still cannot be used by the cells without insulin and some of this glucose will spill out through the urine.
A diagnosis of diabetes is reached not only by clinical signs of excessive eating, excessive drinking, excessive urination, and weight loss, but also by bloodwork showing an extremely elevated glucose level in the blood and glucose in the urine. Once a diagnosis is reached, your pet would be started on an insulin type that is appropriate for them.  Dogs with diabetes are always insulin dependent and require insulin injections for the rest of their life.   Some cats, however, can have the non-insulin dependent type of diabetes, and while they may start on insulin injections, some cats’ signs may resolve if their pancreas is able to start producing enough insulin again.  Special diets are typically recommended for dogs and cats with diabetes.  It is recommended for dogs to be on a high fiber diet, while cats will benefit from a diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein, to help with weight loss in overweight kitties.
Close monitoring is needed to determine the appropriate amount of insulin needed in each case.  Your veterinarian will want to see you and your pet back for frequent rechecks and blood glucose curves in the hospital on regular intervals.  In some cases, home glucose testing is needed if the pet becomes too stressed in a hospital setting- as stress may falsely elevate glucose levels.
Cinema Veterinary Centre is located at 23460 Cinema Drive, Suite L in Valencia.  For more information, please call 661-253-9300.