Today, we have a guest post from Andrea Mykrantz CVT, Practice Manager for Dr Rex Riggs, owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. Andrea writes about a topic dear to her heart, caring for a dog or cat with diabetes.
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Your pet has diabetes, now what?
The diagnosis of diabetes in a pet can be a very overwhelming and even scary time for any pet owner. Diabetes in animals can be fairly easy to control but even with simple, un-complicated regulation, the disease still requires a good chunk of your personal time and a financial commitment.
On the other hand, gaining good diabetic control can sometimes be problematic and require several visits to your veterinarian for additional tests. The goal of this article is to help you understand what is happening to your pet with the diagnosis and the regulation process.
What is diabetes?
The most common form of diabetes in pets is diabetes mellitus; also know as Type II diabetes. It is generally diagnosed in dogs five years of age or older. Some breeds are more likely to develop diabetes, such as the Miniature Schnauzer, Miniature Poodle, Dachshund, Miniature Pinscher, and the Beagle. Just like in people, obesity plays a big role in the onset of diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas, a small organ located near the stomach. The pancreas produces two types of cells. The first type of cells creates enzymes for the digestion of food and the second type are called beta-cells, necessary for the production of the hormone insulin.
Diabetes occurs when the beta-cells fail to produce enough insulin to regulate the blood sugar. In the absence of insulin the body cannot get the glucose from the blood stream into its cells and the cells starve. Think of insulin as the key that unlocks the door separating our cells from the food (glucose) that they need to survive. Symptoms associated with diabetes include
- increased thirst,
- increased urinations,
- weight loss and eventually
- lethargy,
- vomiting,
- stopping eating altogether and
- if left untreated, death
How is diabetes diagnosed?
When your vet sees your pet and suspects diabetes as a possibility, he or she will often recommend a full blood workup, urinalysis, and sometimes a urine culture. Frequently, we see that your pet has experienced some amount of weight loss and the actual diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is made when the blood test indicates a high level of glucose in the blood stream as well as glucose in the urine.
On occasion, when the disease has progressed a bit farther, we will also note the presence of ketones in the urine. Because the body has not been able to use glucose as its energy source, instead it will begin to use its fat. When the body burns fat for energy, a by-product known as ketones are created and unfortunately they are toxic. Once ketones are present the animal will continue to decline rapidly unless treatment begins.
Beginning Treatment
The level of treatment that your pet will require is based on how advanced the diabetes has become. If your pet is still feeling good and eating, generally you will be taught to give insulin injections to your pet and start them on a special diet. Some cats can even be maintained on a special diet alone.
However, if your pet has stopped eating, has been vomiting, and is generally not doing well; chances are we will admit your pet into the hospital to begin treatment. We often place the pet on IV fluids to help re-hydrate him and we will begin insulin injections every few hours. Often multiple blood glucose samples are taken throughout the day to determine when to switch your pet from the faster acting insulin to the type you will be using at home. This process is different in each animal but generally requires a hospital stay of two to three days. Your pet will likely be going home with a special diet in addition to insulin and you will receive instructions on how to feed this new diet.
Regulating your pet
Normally, after the first week of home administration of insulin injections you will be asked to bring your pet back to the hospital for one day to have a blood glucose curve performed. . During the day, blood glucose samples are drawn throughout the day in order to get a glucose curve. Each animal is different, but a first time curve is usually complete after two to four samples are drawn.
Once we have the results of the blood glucose curve, the doctor will recommend what steps should be taken next. Sometimes all that is needed is an increase in insulin with a plan for another blood glucose curve. Other times the doctor may recommend additional testing to rule out other metabolic diseases that make diabetes more difficult to control
Diabetic Home Monitoring
Another option for regulating your pet is to purchase a blood glucose monitoring kit and perform your blood glucose curves at home. Typically, we prefer to do the initial blood glucose curve and if things appear to be going smoothly with your pet’s regulation we can discuss home monitoring.
There are several advantages to doing your blood glucose monitoring at home, the most popular being saving some money in the long run. Many pet owners who are dealing with diabetes for the first time worry constantly about their pet’s glucose level getting too low. However, with the ability to check your pet’s blood sugar at home you will be able to confidently determine if your pet needs immediate emergency intervention. Of course we still recommend seeking veterinary help if your pet isn’t acting right and his blood sugar is within normal limits. Ask you vet if this would be an option for you.
In Summary
Diabetes is dogs and cats is a treatable disease. Your pet should likely go on living a happy, healthy life. While it is true that treating a pet for diabetes can potentially be an expensive endeavor, it is well worth it for many pet owners.
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