Diabetes Awareness Month

By: Tiki Cole, CVT

   Diabetes is a common disorder in humans, and most everyone has heard of it and has a pretty good understanding of it. But did you know that you dog or cat could be suffering from diabetes as well? There are two forms of diabetes in dogs: diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is sometimes called “drinking diabetes” and diabetes mellitus is also known as “sugar diabetes”. Diabetes insipidus is a very rare disorder that results in a failure to regulate body water content. Diabetes mellitus is more common in dogs and cats, and is frequently diagnosed in dogs and cats five years of age or older.

Diabetes results from a shortage of insulin or when the body has trouble using the insulin it has made properly. Insulin affects the way your dog or cat’s body uses food. Carbohydrates are converted into several types of sugars, including glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood. Once in the bloodstream, glucose travels to cells where it can be absorbed and used as a source of energy, if insulin is present. Without enough insulin, glucose can’t enter cells and builds up in the bloodstream. So your dog or cat may act hungry all the time and eat constantly, but still be losing weight because its cells can’t absorb glucose.

Things you should be looking for if you think your pet may have diabetes include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, ravenous appetite and weight loss. If you notice these symptoms you should call your veterinarian. The first step in caring for a pet with diabetes is knowing what to look for.