How to manage diabetes in dogs

If you’re lucky enough to have a canine best friend, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep him healthy for as long as possible. Unfortunately, dogs can be affected by many of the same chronic diseases that humans deal with. Diabetes mellitus is one of these diseases that commonly affects humans as well as our canine companions. How do you know if your dog has diabetes and what will that mean for treatment? Here’s what you should know about diabetes mellitus in dogs. 

What is diabetes mellitus in dogs?

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that causes increased thirst and urination due to a lack of regulation of sugar levels in the blood. In a healthy dog, the pancreas has specific cells called B cells that make and secrete insulin after a rise in blood sugar. Insulin is then the “key” that unlocks receptors on the surface of cells to allow glucose to get into cells. In dogs with diabetes mellitus, they either do not make insulin—or are resistant to insulin—causing sugar to build up in the blood without being able to get into cells. This is different from diabetes insipidus, which is also a metabolic disease causing symptoms of increased drinking and urination, but is caused by a disruption in the hormones that regulate water balance in the body instead of insulin.

Just like in humans, there are two types of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 and Type 2. While cats are prone to Type 2 diabetes, dogs almost exclusively get Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin or only produces a small amount. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still makes some insulin, but it may not be enough—or the body may not use it efficiently.

What causes a dog to get diabetes? 

According to Claudine Sievert, DVM, a Kansas-based veterinarian and veterinary consultant at CatPet, there are two causes of Type 1 diabetes in dogs: chronic pancreatitis, where the pancreas starts digesting its own tissue, and immune-mediated destruction of pancreas (the causes of this condition are still unknown).

What determines if your dog is at risk for developing diabetes? It depends on your dog’s age, sex, diet, size, and breed. Female dogs are more at risk than males. Per Dr. Sievert, the smaller a dog is, the more likely it is to develop diabetes at a younger age (larger breeds are more susceptible later in life).

Signs of diabetes in dogs

The good news is that it’s not difficult to observe symptoms of diabetes in your dog; in fact, the early warning signs are the same for humans as they are for canines and a simple blood test can confirm any suspicions.

“Usually, owners first notice that their dog is drinking a lot more water and urinating a lot more,” says Sara Ochoa, DVM, a Texas-based veterinarian and veterinary consultant for DogLab. “Many times they notice that their dog is having accidents in the house or cannot hold their urine all night.”

Other symptoms may include weight loss, increased appetite, depression or lack of energy, and weakness. 

Prognosis

If your dog has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, don’t panic: Many dogs continue to live a long life after diagnosis, although it depends on how early diabetes was detected and how well their owners follow the treatment plan.

“Early detection of diabetes in dogs is very important because it will allow you to start managing the disease and prevent the complications that decrease the quality of life and life expectancy,” says Dr. Sievert. With insulin treatment and close monitoring of glucose levels, she adds, diabetes may not affect your dog’s life expectancy at all. 

That said, if you choose not to treat your dog’s diabetes, the prognosis will look more bleak. When diabetes in dogs is left untreated, it can lead to complications like kidney disease, cataracts and blindness, urinary tract infections, and a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis, all of which can shorten your dog’s life expectancy.

How to treat diabetes in dogs

Just like in humans, diabetes can’t be cured—but it can be managed. Insulin injections are the primary treatment. Since dogs usually develop Type 1 diabetes, leaving them with little to no insulin, Dr. Sievert says medications like Precose or Glucotrol are only used in conjunction with injections, not as standalone treatments.

In addition to insulin injections, diets that help maintain stable blood glucose levels can help manage diabetes in dogs. “Your veterinarian will suggest a special diet that includes high amounts of quality protein and slow-burning carbs,” says Dr. Sievert.

If your dog is diabetic, you should avoid offering your dog treats or high sugar foods, says Dr. Ochoa, as these can cause blood sugar spikes. You will also want to keep his meals very consistent and feed the same amount at the same time every day.

Is it expensive to treat a dog with diabetes?

Finally, if you’re worried about how expensive it will be to treat your dog after he’s diagnosed with diabetes, know that the expense doesn’t have to be prohibitive. Dr. Sievert says that insulin injections cost about $100 per month, diabetic dog food isn’t significantly more expensive than typical food, and a glucose meter is a one-time purchase of about $200 that saves you money in the long run (testing at the vet’s office will cost you at least $20 for each individual blood glucose check). Proper care and follow up is the best way to reduce the cost of treatment because one of the biggest expenses of diabetes management is dealing with the complications that arise from a dog not being well regulated. 

With the proper care and treatment, your diabetic doggo can be by your side—begging for belly rubs and ear scratches—for many years to come.