Do diabetic dogs lose bladder control? Expert Advice

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What is the difference between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus?

There are two types of diabetes in dogs. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is also called sugar diabetes and results from a disruption of pancreas function and abnormal regulation of blood sugar. The term, meaning sweetened with honey, originated from the fact that the urine of these patients was sweet due to high amounts of sugar excreted from the body.

Diabetes insipidus (DI) gets its name from the fact that the urine of these patients is dilute enough to be tasteless or insipid. Diabetes insipidus (DI) is rare in dogs, and is characterized by excessive thirst/drinking and the production of enormous volumes of extremely dilute urine. Some dogs may produce so much urine that they become incontinent (incapable of controlling their urine outflow). The irony of this disease is that despite drinking large volumes of water, the dog can become dehydrated from urinating so much.

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Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect dogs and cats and other animals (including apes, pigs, and horses) as well as humans. Although diabetes can’t be cured, it can be managed very successfully.

Diabetes mellitus, or “sugar diabetes,” is the type of diabetes seen most often in dogs. It is a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to how the body converts food to energy.

To understand what diabetes is, it helps to understand some of this process.

The conversion of food nutrients into energy to power the body’s cells involves an ongoing interplay of two things:

Glucose: essential fuel for the body’s cells. When food is digested, the body breaks down some of the nutrients into glucose, a type of sugar that is a vital source of energy for certain body cells and organs. The glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, which then transports the glucose throughout the body.

Insulin: in charge of fuel delivery. Meanwhile, an important organ next to the stomach called the pancreas releases the hormone insulin into the body. Insulin acts as a “gatekeeper” that tells cells to grab glucose and other nutrients out of the bloodstream and use them as fuel.

With diabetes, the glucose-insulin connection isn’t working as it should. Diabetes occurs in dogs in two forms:

Insulin-deficiency diabetes: This is when the dog’s body isn’t producing enough insulin. This happens when the pancreas is damaged or otherwise not functioning properly. Dogs with this type of diabetes need daily shots to replace the missing insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes in dogs.

Insulin-resistance diabetes: This is when the pancreas is producing some insulin, but the dog’s body isn’t utilizing the insulin as it should. The cells aren’t responding to the insulin’s “message,” so glucose isn’t being pulled out of the blood and into the cells. This type of diabetes can especially occur in older, obese dogs.

Female dogs can also develop temporary insulin resistance while in heat or pregnant.

What is the difference between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus?

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