How To Take Care Of a Diabetic Canine?

Diabetes is an incurable disease and is more of a life-long condition than an ailment which the patient has to live by. The body produces a hormone insulin which facilitates utilization and absorption of glucose by the muscles and tissues of the body to generate energy. When due to some reasons this production of insulin is impaired, the glucose level in the bloodstream spikes up thereby leading to diabetes. If this condition is left unaddressed, it can lead to severe complications and even life-threatening conditions in dogs. Thus, to understand the disease, the foremost thing to learn is its symptoms and once the presence of the disease is ascertained through lab tests, you must take necessary steps to improve the quality of life of your beloved pet.

Symptoms of Diabetes in Pets

• Lethargy
• Increased Urination
• Excessive Thirst
• Increase in Appetite
• Weight loss

Ways to Take Care Of A Diabetic Pet 

Watch Your Dog’s Water Intake

Increased urination means more water loss from the body and thus a diabetic pet tends to drink plenty of water. Therefore you must always keep a bowl full of water for him, however, do check on the quantity because the abnormally high amount of water intake can also lead to fatal consequences.

Provide Healthy, low-fat meals

Meals with low fiber and carb content are apt for diabetic dogs as they don’t spike up the sugar levels drastically. Whenever you opt to purchase packaged food for your dog, check the labels for the percentage of fat, carbs and fibers the food contains. Better if you can prepare a meal for your dog yourself.

Do not overfeed    

Dogs that are regularly overfed tend to get diabetes quite easily than their counterparts. Therefore, watch out when you feed meals to your already diabetic dog because as it is his glucose level is not normal and on top of that if you feed him more than required, it can shoot up his diabetes.

Get Him Some Exercise

Some sort of exercise on a daily basis helps keep the sugar levels stable. It also keeps the weight in check and elevates metabolism. Apart from that, exercising your dog regularly and taking him for an evening walk will boost his mood as well. So, maintain a routine and follow it diligently.

Learn to Inject Insulin Shots  

With a diabetic pet, you will always have to maintain his insulin levels through injections. So, rather than going to the vet every time, it is more feasible to learn how to inject one by yourself. There are different kinds of insulin that require different syringes for their administration. Learn about different types of syringes used for different insulins.

Diabetic dogs require constant attention from their owners and must always be looked after thoroughly. Therefore, you must have a complete knowledge as to how to manage such pets. Consult a vet if needed, to get proper guidance regarding diabetic pet management. Follow the aforementioned guidelines carefully so you can improve the quality of life of your diabetic pet.