| Diabetes mellitus in dogs |
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What is diabetes mellitus? Diabetes mellitus refers to a medical condition where there is an excessive quantity of sugar (glucose) in the blood. This is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. The clinical signs seen in diabetes are largely due to the raised concentrations of glucose in the blood, and the inability of the body to use glucose as an energy source (due to the deficiency of insulin). What clinical signs do you see in diabetes mellitus? The most common clinical signs seen in diabetic patients are an increase in the volume of urine that is produced and, to compensate for this, an increase in the amount of water that is drunk. Weight loss is also a common feature, and an increase in appetite may be noticed in some dogs. Some will appear to go blind suddenly, due to the rapid formation of cataracts, which can also cause secondary eye problems. How is diabetes mellitus diagnosed? The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is made by finding appropriate clinical signs, together with an increased blood glucose concentration and the presence of glucose in the urine. How is diabetes mellitus treated? Diabetes mellitus is a treatable condition. Although long-term treatment does require commitment, it can be very rewarding to manage this condition successfully. Sometimes an entire bitch will develop diabetes after a season. If spayed at the appropriate time, this may result in resolution of the diabetes, although she may always have a tendency to develop the condition which may flare up again at a later stage. The majority of dogs however will require insulin injections for life. Insulin must be kept in the fridge between 4 and 8 degrees C. Vials must be stored upright and rotated gently prior to withdrawing insulin, not shaken. You will be shown how to administer the injections, which will usually be required twice daily, after feeding. The starting dose of insulin will be worked out for you and your dog will stay on this dose for 7-14 days; you will then need to bring him back for a check up and blood test. Depending on the result of this, and his clinical signs, the insulin dose will probably need adjusting. This ‘stabilisation phase’ can last several weeks until the blood glucose level is under control, and he may at some stage need a ‘blood glucose curve’ carrying out – this is where your dog needs to stay with us for a day and have serial blood samples taken to see what happens to the blood glucose over the course of 12 hours. We will need detailed information from you regarding time of feeding and insulin injections, dose, type of food and amount and timing of exercise.
What monitoring is needed once the diabetes is stable? You will need to monitor your dog’s appetite, drinking and general demeanour. If these change, we will need to see him.(See below for signs of ‘hypos’). We also recommend a check up 4 times a year (every 3 months) in order that we can weigh him and take a fructosamine test which will tell us how well the blood sugar is being controlled. What happens if my dog receives too much insulin? If a dog receives too much insulin, it is possible for the blood sugar level to drop dangerously low. (Hypoglycaemia or ‘hypo’). For this reason it is important to be very careful in ensuring the dog receives the correct dose of insulin. Hypos can also occur if your dog does not eat his food; for this reason we advise giving the insulin after or during feeding. If he will not eat you will need to contact the surgery, and similarly if he vomits after feeding. The typical signs displayed by a dog with a very low blood sugar level are severe weakness and lethargy, shaking, unsteadiness and even convulsions. If a diabetic dog shows any of these signs it is important to seek urgent veterinary attention. If the more severe signs are displayed (ataxia or unsteadiness during walking, and/or convulsions) rub a little glucose powder onto his gums, or syringe a few mls of glucose solution into his mouth, carefully. Further information We will lend you a CD-ROM or video to help explain more about diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. Help is also available at www.diabeticpets.co.uk. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions regarding your pet’s treatment.
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