K-9 DIABETES

K-9 Diabetes has probably been happening in our K-9 friends for hundreds or even thousands of years but, it's only recently that people have paid their pets enough attention to realize their dog, or cat for that mater, may be heading into or having this problem.

Diabetes in animals, just as in humans is generally caused by feeding animal fats and/or being in an over-weight condition. Seldom, will you find a human or any other meat eating animal, who does not consume animal fats nor is over-weight, fall ill with this diseases. Diabetes is something that can be controlled, but not cured, although there can be significant improvements in the condition if, it is diagnosed early and the diet is altered, the patient's body weight reduced considerably and aiding medication administered.

The Pancreas is a small gland within the body which creates and secrets Insulin. Insulin is the substance which regulates the sugars in our bodies. When this gland is working properly, our sugar levels will be adjusted to keep them at safe levels. When the Pancreas malfunctions, these levels can go very high or very low. Either of these extremes can cause the body to go into Diabetic Shock. This can be a very serious condition which may throw the person/dog into a coma from which they my NEVER recover and DIE! If we, as humans, experience a problem with our Pancreas, we will feel a mild to very severe pain in our side and hopefully, we will seek medical assistance. In our four-legged friends, they experience the same kind of pain but, they can't tell us that "it hurts"! We must do our best to keep Animal Fats out our of our pets diet! Animal fats are one of the two chief causes which promote Diabetes. The other would be just generally allowing your "Four-legged Friend" or yourself to become considerably overweight. Have you ever noticed, 90% of ALL people and animals who have Diabetes are considerably overweight and generally consume meat fats and foods made/cooked with fats (too much fast foods, donuts, ice creme, fried foods, chicken skins/fat, and many other things like this you can think of).

There are some oils that are much better for you and your pets. Olive oil is actually GOOD for you. Olive Oil is a "Monounsaturated Fat". Canola Oil (which is almost as good as Olive Oil), Sunflower Oil and Corn Oil are three others that are not so bad. These are "Polunsaturaated Fats". One of the best ways to tell if any fat is extremely harmful to you or your pets is to allow it to stand at room temperature for several hours. If the fat remains in a TOTAL liquid state, it's either Olive oil or one of the other "better fats" mentioned above. If it congeals, it's a fat you and you pet should stay as far away from it as possible. Now, many meat cuts, that we all eat, release fat but, we must try to keep that fat out of our diets as much as possible.

It should be known that some fat is an ESSENTIAL part of any diet. Among other functions it helps the body absorb nutrients from foods but, we must be wise as to which fats are better for our and our pet's health!

Diabetes is not something you would want to see happen to you or you beloved pet. PLEASE, READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL ON FOODS FOR YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY! LOOK FOR PRODUCTS WHICH USE "GOOD" FATS!

Some symptoms to watch for concerning possible signs of a pancreas problem in your animals:

Early symptoms

1. Very frequent urination.

2. Drinking large amounts of water.

3. Excessively large appetite.

4. unexplained loss of weight.

Advanced symptoms

1. Lethargy

2. Loss of appetite.

3. Vomiting.

4. Dehydration.

5. Weakness.

6. Coma

Diabetes mellitus, sometimes called sugar diabetes, is a common disease in dogs. Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Miniature Schnauzers, Keeshonds, and Poodles have the highest incidence, but all breeds can be affected. Females with the disease outnumber males by three to one. The average age of onset is 6 to 9 years.

Diabetes is a result of inadequate production of insulin by the islet cells in the pancreas. There may be a genetic predisposition for this in some dogs. Islet cell destruction also occurs in some cases of pancreatitis. Insulin enables glucose to pass into cells, where it is metabolized to produce energy for metabolism. Insulin deficiency results in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and glycosuria (high urine sugar). Glucose in the urine causes the diabetic animal to excrete large volumes of urine. In turn, this creates dehydration and the urge to drink large amounts of water.

Initially, dogs who do not metabolize enough sugar have an increase in appetite and a desire to consume more food. Later, with the effects of malnourishment, the appetite drops.

In summary, the signs of early diabetes are frequent urination, drinking lots of water, a large appetite, and unexplained loss of weight. The laboratory findings are high glucose levels in the blood and urine.

In more advanced cases there is lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, weakness, and coma. Cataracts are common in diabetic dogs. Ultimately, diabetes is a disease that affects all organs. Diabetic dogs will have enlarged livers, be susceptible to infections, and often develop neurological problems if not treated.

Diabetic ketoacidosis condition associated with severe hyperglycemia in which ketones (acids) build up in the blood. Ketones are byproducts of the metabolism of fat. In diabetic ketoacidosis, fats are metabolized for energy because sugar is unavailable. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be recognized by weakness, vomiting, rapid breathing, and the odor of acetone on the breath (it smells like nail polish remover). Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening emergency. If you suspect diabetic ketoacidosis, take your dog at once to your Vet!