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Dogs can also be victims of cancer, tick-borne diseases, autoimmune conditions, arthritis, liver or kidney disease, thyroid disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and even diabetes.
There are two canine diseases known as diabetes: diabetes mellitus diabetes insipidus. Both are endocrine diseases.
Diabetes insipidus is caused by a lack of vasopressin, the antidiuretic hormone.
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by a deficiency of insulin, the hormone that plays a critical role in sugar metabolism, and is the more common of the two types.
Canine diabetes mellitus can be further divided into two categories: a congenital type that is similar to juvenile-onset (Type I) diabetes in humans; and an acquired type that is similar to adult-onset (Type II) diabetes in humans. Most canine diabetes mellitus is insulin-dependent Type II, also known as IDDM.
Diabetes Dog
Insulin
Insulin is the key. This essential hormone not only opens the pathways for glucose to get from the blood to the cells, it helps prevent the liver from producing an excess amount of glucose and aids the body in storing the sugar for future energy use.
Diabetes mellitus occurs when the endocrine system fails to produce enough insulin . The result is too much glucose in the blood and too little in the cells, a condition that forces the cells to seek energy elsewhere and seriously disrupts body functions.
When the insulin-producing cells are damaged or destroyed by disease or affected by genetics, diabetes mellitus is the result.
Risks and causes
IDDM is considered common in dogs. Onset of the disease is generally between seven and nine years of age.
IDDM can also be triggered by infectious virus diseases, immune deficiencies that result in destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, pancreatic infections, steroids and reproductive hormones.
Canine Diabetes Dog Symptoms and Diagnosis
Onset of IDDM is marked by excessive hunger, excessive thirst, and excessive urination. If the disease remains undiagnosed, the dog will lose weight as his body breaks down fats and proteins to get needed energy.
Continued failure to seek treatment brings lethargy, loss of appetite, depression, and vomiting. Affected dogs may have decreased resistance to bacterial and fungal infections and may develop liver and bladder problems and cataracts.
Diagnosis depends on evaluation of early symptoms, a physical examination, and lab tests to ascertain the amount of glucose in the blood and urine.
A single test for hyperglycemia (excess blood glucose levels) may not be sufficient, especially if the levels are only slightly elevated, so veterinarians may want to run more than one.
Dog Diabetes Treatments
Injection of insulin is the treatment; several insulins are available.
Short-acting insulins are are effective for one-to-four hours. Medium-range insulins last from four to 24 hours, and long-range versions last from eight to 28 hours.
Short-acting insulins are the most powerful and are often used initially to regulate glucose in dogs with ketoacidosis.
While insulin can keep IDDM under control so that the dog lives a normal life, the most effective type of insulin for each dog depends on its individual body and the stage of its disease. In addition, some dogs will do well with a single injection each day and others
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