What are the signs of diabetes in pets?
Noticing the early signs of diabetes is the most important step in taking care of your pet. If you see any of the following signs, your pet should be examined by a veterinarian. The earlier the diagnosis, the better chance your pet may have for a longer and healthier life.
What is Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs?
Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder in which the body fails to produce enough or appropriately respond to insulin. Diabetes is a disease of the endocrine system, which is responsible for producing hormones to regulate the body’s metabolism, among other things.
Insulin is responsible for turning food into energy. When a dog eats a meal, the nutrients enter its bloodstream as glucose, also known as blood sugar. All the cells in the body use glucose as fuel.
Insulin acts on receptors on the cells, allowing glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter the cells where it can be used as energy or stored. When there is a lack of insulin, cells cannot get enough glucose and become starved for energy. At the same time, the bloodstream contains high blood glucose levels, which can damage nerves and blood vessels.
Treating diabetes mellitus involves providing insulin to increase the amount of glucose entering the cells and reducing glucose in the bloodstream.
There are three types of diabetes in dogs:
Type I is known as insulin-dependent diabetes and is similar to Type I diabetes in humans. This is the most common type to occur in dogs. In Type I diabetes, insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas are destroyed, causing an absolute lack of insulin. These dogs need a lifetime of insulin supplementation to live normally.
Type II is known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes and is similar to Type II diabetes in humans. This form of diabetes is typically related to obesity. In Type II diabetes, the pancreas may produce less insulin, and the body’s cells respond poorly to the insulin that is secreted. This leads to less glucose entering the cells (and higher glucose in the blood). Type III diabetes is hormone-induced and typically related to pregnancy. This form of diabetes is rare in dogs, but it can occur and can be fatal. Dogs often return to normal but Type III may occur again during another pregnancy. Because of this danger, vets often recommend spaying a dog as soon as it is medically safe to do so.
Regardless of type, reduced glucose in the bodys cells stimulates the liver to produce more glucose, which worsens the sugar in the bloodstream. The kidneys will filter and absorb the extra glucose in the bloodstream. However, as the excess glucose spills into the urine, dogs will urinate and drink excessively.
Other issues related to the excess sugar include:
Roughly 1 in 300 dogs acquire diabetes throughout their life. Females and middle-aged to senior dogs have a higher risk, as are dogs that are obese. Breeds that are predisposed to diabetes include:
Signs of diabetes most commonly seen include:
Other common diseases and illnesses, such as urinary tract infections, Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism and pancreatitis often cause complications in diabetic dogs. Diabetic dogs may also show additional symptoms based on underlying disorders.
Long-term effects of diabetes, if unregulated or untreated, are severe and eventually fatal. Some common secondary and long-term effects include the following:
Diabetes mellitus in dogs has several causes. Most dogs acquire Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes. Type I diabetes is most likely due to the immune system mistakenly attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to a total—or partial—loss of insulin secretion.
Other risks and complicating factors of diabetes include genetics, hormones and other diseases.
Understanding your dog’s prognosis
As with so many canine health problems, early diagnosis is key to your dog living a full life. Caught early, with treatment started right away and careful monitoring, many dogs with diabetes live full, active lives. The battle will be more difficult with dogs who have these issues:
- Dogs who have high levels of phosphate in their blood at the time of diagnosis tend to have a slightly less positive prognosis. The exact reason for this is unknown, but it emphasizes the need for a complete blood chemistry panel at the time of diagnosis.
- Dogs who are more than 10-years-old, overweight, have a history of pancreatitis or are battling hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease) are more likely to have problems.
- Dogs with hypothyroidism have a slightly higher risk of becoming diabetic, and any dog who has required treatment with glucocorticoids for long periods of time is also at risk.
- A study from the United Kingdom suggested that Border Terriers, West Highland White Terriers and Cocker Spaniels had lower survival times than Border Collies.
- Tibetan Terriers, Cairn Terriers and Samoyeds are also considered high-risk breeds for diabetes.
- While female dogs have a higher risk of developing diabetes, if they are spayed, they can be managed quite well.