If you through that diabetes was a disease limited to humankind, think again! Pet diabetes is very real and is fairly common. If you’re a pet owner that never knew your pets could be affected by this condition, this article will serve as a great guide to help you better understand the health risks of diabetes.
What is pet diabetes?
Just like with humans, pet diabetes can present itself in one of two forms. The most common pet diabetes type is Diabetes Mellitus. On the flip side of the scales, Diabetes Insipitus is a far rarer condition. Diabetes in pets is in no way comparable to the Type I and Type II diabetes that humans get diagnosed with since almost all pets with Diabetes Mellitus require insulin treatment, regardless of what the underlying cause is.
Why do pets get diabetes?
There really isn’t an easy answer for this one. But the main importance here lies in keeping your pets healthy and slim. Diabetes is mostly diagnosed in middle-aged, overweight animals. It’s a condition with many facets rather than a single disease entity.
Diabetes Mellitus occurs when there is a relative or absolute deficiency of insulin. When there isn’t enough insulin, it results in a decreased ability of the body to use glucose, amino acids and fatty acids in the liver, muscles and fatty tissue. This leads to too much glucose being released into the bloodstream, which is more than the kidneys can handle.
When should I take my pet to get scanned for pet diabetes?
Pets with diabetes will seem to be hungry all the time but even though they’re eating plenty, they’ll be losing weight. They’ll also be drinking loads of water and going number one all the time, but still, they’ll eventually start dehydrating. Symptoms tend to appear over the course of a few weeks and might also include other red flags like depression, anorexia, vomiting and rapid dehydration.
Is there a way to prevent diabetes in pets?
There’s an age-old saying that says prevention is better than cure, and in the case of pet diabetes, it couldn’t be truer. It basically all comes down to the one thing you CAN control: your pet’s weight.
The only way to prevent the complicated, hard to diagnose and difficult to manage (not to mention emotionally and financially draining) disease is by NOT OVERFEEDING YOUR PETS. Giving your pet treats and food and thinking it’s a way of showing love is like buying him or her a ticket to the grave. Show your pet you love them by feeding them a good, healthy and nutritionally balanced diet, and regularly exercising with them. Sure, not all fat pets get diabetes, but if your pet is overweight, it just increases the likelihood of them getting diabetes, which means it’s just an unnecessary risk factor.
