The hormone insulin is responsible for lowering blood glucose levels in both dogs and humans. If a dog suffers from diabetes mellitus (also called diabetes), the dog's pancreas either can no longer produce insulin adequately or the hormone itself is no longer effective. Both types provide an increase in blood sugar in the dog's body.
Causes
As with humans, dogs are divided into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is caused by a lack of insulin in the body. This can result from an interaction of several factors. One factor is, for example, genetic predisposition. But also a disorder of the immune system or infectious diseases can trigger the disease. Other risk factors are overweight or the wrong diet. Can be so decisive for diabetes in dogs.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is due to the body's inability to utilize insulin. In this form of the disease, insulin is produced in the pancreas, but the body's cells cannot recognize the insulin. This leads to insulin resistance. Unlike us humans, this case occurs relatively rarely in dogs. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes in humans, in contrast to dogs.
Symptoms
The most common symptom or. Signs that a dog may have diabetes is the development of great thirst, so that the dog drinks a lot of water. This will also increase the urge to urinate, which means that the kidneys have to work harder. Over time, this can lead to damage to the organs. Weight gain is also possible because diabetes disrupts the dog's metabolism.
Other symptoms include visual disturbances and even blindness. This is due to the fact that the increased blood sugar level can damage the blood vessels of the retina in the dog's eyes.
In addition, vomiting, apathy, listlessness and listlessness may occur. This happens because the dog's body is not supplied with enough energy due to diabetes.
Treatment
If you notice the above symptoms in your dog, contact a veterinarian urgently. This will be able to determine with laboratory tests whether your dog actually has diabetes or whether possibly another disease is present. The severity of the disease determines the course of treatment. As a rule, dogs become insulin-dependent, which means that they have to be given insulin by injection. In addition, the dog's diet must be adapted to the disease. Of course, being overweight also harms your dog.
Timely treatment can help your dog with diabetes lead a normal and healthy life. It is therefore advisable to feed special diet food to regulate the glucose supply. Make sure that your dog has a varied daily routine and gets enough exercise. If your dog is exercised and eats a diet without added sugars, diabetes can even be prevented.