Diabetes in dogs - what does this mean for you as a dog owner?

Common disease also affects four-legged friends!

Pathologically high blood sugar levels - in our highly civilised world, countless people have to struggle with this. As this disease is closely linked to our lifestyle, it is often referred to as a"disease of civilisation". But not only two-legged friends are affected, more and more domestic dogs are also suffering from diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes in dogs - what is it?

Highly complex metabolic processes take place in the body of every living creature to keep the organism healthy. Hormones, enzymes and many other substances influence and regulate each other. Even the smallest deviation within this system inevitably has an effect on many other processes , which in the worst case can lead to illness .

In a healthy organism , nutrients absorbed in the digestive tract are broken down into their components and transported via the blood to their respective destinations for numerous different processes. Carbohydrates are converted into sugar (= glucose), which is required as an energy source in every single cell of the body. In order for the sugar molecules to pass through the cell wall, the body needs the messenger substance insulin, which is produced in the pancreas.

In a dog suffering from diabetes, the passage of blood glucose into the cell interior is impaired - instead, more and more glucose accumulates in the blood, while the cells lack the "fuel".

What symptoms occur in dogs with diabetes?

If there is an increased sugar level in the blood, the body first tries to counteract this by excreting more glucose. This is done via the kidneys so that the dog urinates more frequently. The loss of fluids now leads to severe thirst and increased water intake.

At the same time, the lack of energy suggests to the brain that more food must be consumed in order to gain new energy. The dog therefore drinks and eats excessively, but at the same time loses weight, as the body increasingly breaks down its own reserves to produce energy - fatty tissue and muscles dwindle.

Over time, the dog also changes its behaviour, becomes tired, has hardly any stamina and is listless. Its coat becomes dull and shaggy, and as the disease progress es, it can develop visual impairment with clouding of the lens and even blindness. If the disease is not recognised, the permanently elevated blood sugar level ultimately leads to life-threatening conditions, sugar coma and ultimately to the dog's death.

Diabetes primarily affects older dogs in the second half of their lives. Small and light dogs under 20kg body weight are more likely to develop the disease than large and heavy animals, and it affects significantly more bitches than males. In some breeds, there appears to be a hereditary component to diabetes. These include beagles, dachshunds, poodles and some retrievers. Around one in 100 dogs suffers from diabetes.

What are the causes?

There are two types of diabetes. While type 2 diabetes mainly occurs in humans, where there is sufficient insulin in the blood but the body's cells do not recognise it correctly and therefore do not absorb enough glucose, type 1 diabetes occurs almost exclusively in dogs.

In type 1 diabetes, not enough insulin is produced in the body to transport the glucose to the cells. There can be numerous reasons for this deficiency: fluctuations in the hormone balance due to other organ damage, severe obesity or infections can negatively affect the function of the pancreas, but environmental factors, certain medications or genetic predisposition can also lead to this. Direct changes to the glandular tissue caused by inflammation or tumours also have an effect on insulin production.

Dogs suffering from adrenal gland dysfunction (= Cushing's disease) also frequently develop diabetes as a secondary disease due to the abnormally high cortisol levels.

Diabetes in dogs - how is it diagnosed?

If diabetes is suspected in your dog, the vet will carry out various tests. The dog's glucose levels will be measured in both urine and blood samples over several days. If the blood glucose level is elevated each time (values from 150 mg/dl), treatment with insulin must be initiated.

From now on, your dog must be injected with a certain amount of insulin every day for the rest of his life . The vet will show you exactly how to do this so that you don't have to visit the surgery every day. Especially at the beginning of the treatment, the blood glucose level must be measured several times a day to determine whether the insulin dose is correct. Too much insulin can also make the dog seriously ill.

Using a special measuring device, a small drop of blood is usually taken from the dog's ear to determine the current sugar level. You can also carry out this test yourself after being instructed by the vet.

Female dogs with diabetes are also advised to have their uterus and ovaries removed, as the hormone progesterone produced here also affects the blood sugar level, especially when the dog is in heat.

Are there any natural treatment options?

If your dog has diabetes, there is no alternative to insulin. However, you can support the treatment by giving your four-legged friend high-quality food and making sure that he is always fed at the same time of day if possible.

As obesity favours the development of diabetes, you should generally make sure that your dog maintains or reaches its optimum body weight .

Diabetes in dogs - which food is right now?

Our recommendations for your four-legged friend:

BIO wet food for dogs