It’s not fun for anyone to deal with diabetes, and this includes pet owners who discover that their dog has it!
Luckily, dogs who receive the right treatment for their diabetes can be expected to live normal lives. Those that are also diagnosed early can also live normal lifespans when they get the care they need. That said, diabetes can wreak serious havoc on the body without treatment!
Issues like seizures and blindness can plague those who are left untreated, or who aren’t treated properly. In more extreme cases, they can also fall into a coma. Because of this, it’s important to have a firm understanding of dog diabetes and how to make sure your dog is getting the best treatment possible with your vet’s help!
What Is Diabetes In Dogs?
Dog diabetes causes problems with the body’s reaction to glucose. Typically, glucose is capable of being turned into physical energy through the use of insulin, which comes from the pancreas. However, in some cases, there can be problems with insulin production which results in an inability to absorb the glucose correctly.
When this happens, that glucose begins to accrue in the blood, essentially stuck. This results in a number of complications in the body, which can become quite harmful if they progress too far.
It’s also important to know that there are a couple of types of diabetes out there. Type 1 diabetes is typically thought to be genetic or due to other DNA-related factors. In this type, there is a lack of insulin production, which can mean that insulin shots are required for the sugar to be absorbed well.
On the other hand, type 2 diabetes can often occur in correlation with obesity. It results in the body becoming resistant to insulin, though it is still being made. Many can think of this type as more lifestyle-related in humans, as it occurs when there are too many carbohydrates in the diet of the human or animal, or too much excess weight.
What Causes Diabetes In Dogs?
Now that you’ve seen diabetes explained, it’s worth considering the causes of pet diabetics. The dog diabetes causes can include a variety of different sources. The cause can really be unique to your pet, their breed and environmental factors that might come into play. Many dogs that end up with diabetes tend to be older, and there are some breeds that can be more likely to develop it.
These breeds include:
While these breeds can be more likely to develop diabetes, that doesn’t mean that other breeds are immune. Any dog of any breed can develop it, it’s just more likely in certain situations.
