Your Dog and Diabetes

When you get your new puppy and he’s adorable and fluffy and full of puppy goodness, you don’t think too much about his overall and long-term health. Oh, you want him to be healthy and you hope when you get him that he’s free of disease or illness. You also take care to get the proper vaccinations at the proper time. You might even research the right diet for him so he can grow up happy and healthy.

But it’s unlikely that you worry he might get diabetes. That might not enter your thought process, but diabetes unfortunately strikes many dogs. Dogs that were healthy, active and with no problems might suddenly develop health problems that are later found to be diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious disease in dogs and in some ways can be more serious than in humans. While we can talk about our symptoms and even track our own symptoms – or answer questions posed to us about how we feel and how we are behaving within the context of our illness – a dog has no such outlet. It’s up to his owners to pay attention to how he seems to be feeling and how the illness is manifesting itself in him.

To that end, education is necessary. Not for your dog, of course, but for you. You should understand your dog’s risk factors, how it’s diagnosed and treated and what complications you should watch for. That’s what this guide is all about.