March 2008 Newsletter
Diabetes in Dogs and Cats: A Growing Epidemic
Written by one of our veterinarians, Dr. Amanda Luell, this important newsletter focuses on one of the emerging medical illnesses in our pets today. Our goal is to improve awareness of the disease and to provide pet owners with some of the warning signs, such as changes in water consumption and urination.
Diabetes in Dogs and Cats
Diabetes is a very common disease in older dogs and cats, especially when the pet is overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is one important way in which to help prevent the disease.
Most commonly, the signs an owner can look for are increased water consumption and, with that, increased urination. Sometimes you might find that they are not able to hold it as long as they used to; they may wake you up in the middle of the night to go outside or they may have accidents in the house. You may also see unexplained weight loss, with or without a ravenous appetite.
Your veterinarian will want to collect some blood work to look for, among other things, an increase in glucose. Collecting a urine sample is also an important part of the diagnostic panel. It allows us to check for glucose in the urine and to make sure the kidneys are functioning normally. Sometimes other diagnostic blood tests are required to definitively diagnose diabetes, but often a simple blood test and urine sample are all that is needed. These tests help the veterinarian to rule out some of the other diseases that can present with similar clinical signs.
Diabetes isn’t necessarily a death sentence for your pet. It does, however, require owner diligence, dedication and increased responsibility as it requires simple daily insulin injections as well as a change in diet and activity level for your pet. It may also, initially, require a few extra visits to your vet to monitor the initial blood glucose response to insulin injections.
The owner will also need to become familiar with possible signs of an overdose of insulin, a condition called hypoglycemia, which simply means too little glucose. This is a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention. It can occur if the insulin dose is too high, if too much insulin in given or, for cats, if they has a spontaneous remission of the disease. The signs to watch for include seizures, loss of consciousness, severe lethargy, or non-responsiveness.
Amanda Luell, DVM
Written by one of our veterinarians, Dr. Amanda Luell, this important newsletter focuses on one of the emerging medical illnesses in our pets today. Our goal is to improve awareness of the disease and to provide pet owners with some of the warning signs, such as changes in water consumption and urination.
Diabetes in Dogs and Cats
Diabetes is a very common disease in older dogs and cats, especially when the pet is overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is one important way in which to help prevent the disease.
Most commonly, the signs an owner can look for are increased water consumption and, with that, increased urination. Sometimes you might find that they are not able to hold it as long as they used to; they may wake you up in the middle of the night to go outside or they may have accidents in the house. You may also see unexplained weight loss, with or without a ravenous appetite.
Your veterinarian will want to collect some blood work to look for, among other things, an increase in glucose. Collecting a urine sample is also an important part of the diagnostic panel. It allows us to check for glucose in the urine and to make sure the kidneys are functioning normally. Sometimes other diagnostic blood tests are required to definitively diagnose diabetes, but often a simple blood test and urine sample are all that is needed. These tests help the veterinarian to rule out some of the other diseases that can present with similar clinical signs.
Diabetes isn’t necessarily a death sentence for your pet. It does, however, require owner diligence, dedication and increased responsibility as it requires simple daily insulin injections as well as a change in diet and activity level for your pet. It may also, initially, require a few extra visits to your vet to monitor the initial blood glucose response to insulin injections.
The owner will also need to become familiar with possible signs of an overdose of insulin, a condition called hypoglycemia, which simply means too little glucose. This is a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention. It can occur if the insulin dose is too high, if too much insulin in given or, for cats, if they has a spontaneous remission of the disease. The signs to watch for include seizures, loss of consciousness, severe lethargy, or non-responsiveness.
Amanda Luell, DVM
posted by Alpine Vet Tech at
2:17 PM
0 Comments
