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Aug
The first step to treating canine diabetes is seeing your vet. Diabetes can be from multiple causes.
In fact it looks like some dogs with type one diabetes have already been cured of their disease.
Can a dogs diabetes go away. This reality may not be as far off as you might think. In fact it looks like some dogs with type one diabetes have already been cured of their disease. First some background information.
Most dogs have what is called type one diabetes as opposed to type two diabetes the opposite is true for cats. With type one diabetes the pancreas stops. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect dogs and cats and other animals including apes pigs and horses as well as humans.
Although diabetes cant be cured it can be managed very. Unfortunately diabetes is not curable in dogs and the vast majority of diabetic dogs require insulin injections for life once diagnosed. Loma Wintheiser Date created.
Mon Nov 16 2020 931 PM. Dogs with diabetes suffer from chronically high blood sugar which can lead to increased thirst increased urination weight loss immune system compromise and a. Many dogs with diabetes wont actually die of diabetes but each dog will need to be assessed on a case by case basis.
In fact many dogs with diabetes have completely normal lifespans and a high quality of life provided they have the correct treatment. Some people may ask If my dogs has diabetes should I put him down The answer is no. Dogs with diabetes can live a happy life without any symptoms of their disease but it does require effort on your part.
If you are able to give your dog insulin diabetes may not affect life expectancy. If the diabetes is secondary it might go away after the primary condition is under control. If the diabetes is the primary disease and it is the result of obesity the diabetes will most likely improve a great deal or completely resolve once the pets weight is under control.
The first step to treating canine diabetes is seeing your vet. If your dog is displaying any of the above symptoms especially those of advanced diabetes its important to take him to the vet right away. Your vet can perform an exam and bloodwork to determine the cause of your dogs symptoms.
If steroid medication caused your dogs transient diabetes your vet will start slowly reducing the steroid dosage. Steroid medication should not be stopped all at once. A sudden stop of steroid use can cause a dog to develop Cushings disease.
Your vet will taper your dogs steroid dosage over several weeks. Photo Courtesy of Dr. Diabetic dogs can live healthy lives.
Unfortunately a common complication of diabetes in dogs is cataracts cloudy lenses. In fact 75 of dogs develop cataracts and blindness in both eyes within 9 months of being diagnosed with diabetes. The harsh reality of life is that treating a dog with diabetes can be prohibitively expensive for some people.
The costs of visits to the veterinarian combined with insulin and other medication not to mention the ridiculously expensive price of diabetic dog food means that no matter how much they love their pooch some people simply cannot afford the treatment cost of a diabetic dog. Diabetes can be from multiple causes. She may yet be diabetic once her progesterone fades away over the coming weeks after her spay surgery.
Progesterone can cause insulin resistance. I hope her diabetes was only from the hormones but time will tell. Do home test and keep in touch with your veterinarian so you have a game plan.
Now thanks to specialized training dogs can return the favor when their human is diagnosed with diabetes. Medical assistant diabetic alert dogs are being trained to help insulin-dependent individuals manage their treatments. Thanks to their powerful noses these dogs can notice a change in blood sugar and alert their owner.
Dogs with diabetes mellitus typically require two daily insulin injections as well as a dietary change. Although a dog can go a day or so without insulin and not have a crisis this should not be a regular occurrence. Treatment should be looked upon as part of the dogs daily routine.
Diets are usually high in proteins fiber and complex carbs to help slow down the bodys glucose absorption. Most dogs will also need to be a low-fat diet. Dogs with diabetes should also start a new exercise plan that includes moderate but consistent exercise.
Most dogs can live a completely normal life despite being diagnosed with diabetes. With an appropriate diet and exercise regimen as well as daily insulin injections dogs with diabetes can be both happy and healthy. Dogs with diabetes will often want to eat constantly and drink excessively before treatment is started.
Especially in senior and middle aged dogs diabetes is becoming frighteningly common in dogs today. Once your dog gets diabetes he will most likely need insulin for the rest of his life. So its really important to do everything you can to prevent your dog from becoming diabetic.
Without insulin therapy or treatment for diabetes mellitus dogs can develop life threatening complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis which can lead to multi organ failure Puchot explains. This can happen quickly and is seen within one to two months after development of diabetes.