Decoding Canine Diabetes Part 1
Canine diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming and the information found after a quick Google search can easily confuse an already stressed-out dog parent.
I knew what diabetes was and I knew that there was type 1 and type 2 diabetes in humans. But I had no idea that dogs could get diabetes until Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and acute pancreatitis. Down the rabbit hole I went and there were so many things that confused me when I did internet searches. I understood that Lucy would require insulin twice per day for the rest of her life, she would need to eat a low-fat diet and that I would need to test blood glucose levels. Thankfully my vet’s office is AAHA accredited and vet tech Mark is their AAHA Certified Diabetes Instructor. Mark taught me how to give insulin and subcutaneous fluids and handed me a sticky note with blood glucose meter details. I was on autopilot at the time because Lucy was so ill and while they wanted to keep her at the vet for care I opted to care for her at home…I was doing the same things they did at the hospital with the extra benefit of her being at home and round the clock care. My stubbornness and persistence along with the proper medications and fluids helped and Lucy healed quickly from acute pancreatitis.
Once pancreatitis was gone I took a deep breath and dove into testing blood glucose levels…it was a dismal failure! I went back to the vets for a lesson in testing blood glucose levels. SUCCESS! We were on our way to successfully managing canine diabetes. This of course took months, many mistakes and educating myself so that I understand all the whys. The education has never ended; I still learn new things all the time and thankfully I have great platforms to help others understand canine diabetes, nutrition and I support people through the good times and bad.
I thought it was time to write a multipart series about decoding canine diabetes, this series will help you understand canine diabetes. From types of diabetes to feeding to testing and more, my hope is that this will help you!
Let’s jump right in and start decoding canine diabetes!
My dog was just diagnosed with diabetes, what is it?
Glucose is used as the main form of energy by the body. Glucose comes from food eaten, mainly carbohydrates but protein and fat can also be broken down by the liver into glucose and glycerol (from fat). Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas and opens cells to accept glucose intake. Cells cannot intake glucose without insulin.
The pancreas has two functions, the exocrine function secretes digestive enzymes that help break down nutrients eaten. The endocrine function secretes hormones like insulin. Insulin is produced and secreted by the beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans.
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder where the body cannot control the amount of glucose in the blood, resulting in high blood glucose levels.
There are two types of diabetes mellitus:
Type 1 (T1) diabetes mellitus – T1 is caused by destruction of the beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans, the cells that produce and secrete insulin. Beta cell destruction can be caused by the immune system attacking the beta cells, digestive enzymes of the pancreas destroying cells due to pancreatitis, steroid medication, genetics and disorders like Cushing’s.
Type 2 (T2) diabetes mellitus - The pancreas produces insulin but the body is resistant to insulin and doesn’t allow insulin to open cells to accept glucose for energy. Sometimes the pancreas produces insulin but not enough for the body’s needs. Genetics, poor diet, being overweight/obese, lack of exercise, medications, hormones and certain diseases can cause T2 diabetes.
Understanding the difference between T1 and T2 diabetes mellitus is important since treatment options vary between the two. T1 diabetes is an insulin dependent disorder which means that insulin injections are required for life. Type 2 diabetes therapy can vary from oral medications along with diet change to insulin injections.
Dogs are considered T1 diabetes and require insulin therapy for life.
Interestingly, cats can be either T1 or T2 and it is most common for cats to be T2 so there is a possibility of remission in cats with T2 diabetes with carb restriction and insulin therapy.
I am repeating this: dogs are considered Type 1 diabetics and need insulin therapy to survive!
Is there an insulin pill instead of injections?
There are no insulin pills that can be taken. Insulin is a protein and there are digestive enzymes in the stomach that start the breakdown process of protein into amino acids. Insulin cannot survive in the stomach.
Can canine diabetes be controlled with diet alone?
While reducing carbohydrates helps with blood glucose levels, canine diabetes cannot be controlled with diet alone. Insulin injections are required since they are no longer producing enough or any insulin.
How long can a dog live with diabetes?
The median lifespan of a dog diagnosed with diabetes mellitus is 2.7 years which has increased over the past nine years from two years. And while 2.7 years is not a very promising number I am happy that there has been an increase since I started this journey in 2015. The increase is due to caregiver (YOU) education, increased veterinary care and successfully managing canine diabetes.
While the median lifespan isn’t great, your diabetic dog can live a normal, happy and long life with proper DM management. Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes at 11 years of age and lived to just six weeks shy of her 16 th birthday. Her vet contributed her long life due to the care that she was given and that her diabetes was well managed for years. Four and a half years diabetic and almost sixteen! We also have many members in our Facebook group that have dogs that have lived eight plus years with diabetes. There are members in the group that had puppies when they joined that are now happy and healthy adults that have lived with diabetes for years. And it is important to note that most dogs are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus later in life.
What are some key points to successfully managing canine diabetes?
This is a topic that we will dive into deeper but I want to give you key points now so that you can get started managing canine diabetes right away!
Testing urine for ketones – an important and easy step to managing canine diabetes. With high blood glucose levels there is a possibility of ketone production and buildup of ketones in the body. Ketones are an acid the liver produces when there is not enough insulin in the body to get cells to uptake glucose, so the liver produces ketone bodies from fat as a source of energy. Buildup of ketones of ketones causes diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) a very serious and life-threatening illness due to high, uncontrolled blood glucose levels. DKA is painful and treatment is expensive. By testing urine for ketones we can easily monitor ketone levels and get treatment before they get ill.
Testing blood glucose levels – this may sound a bit scary but it is easy after a little learning curve. By testing blood glucose (BG) levels we know it is safe to give insulin, testing gives great insight into how insulin and food are working together, we can treat for hypoglycemia and we can get our dog into the vet when seeing increased blood glucose levels.
I always say – you wouldn’t inject a toddler with insulin before knowing what BG is and a doctor wouldn’t tell you not to test your human child. There is no difference with a dog, they are insulin dependent and science has given us the gift of insulin and testing at home!
So, today’s takeaways from Decoding Canine Diabetes Part 1 are:
- Our dogs are considered Type 1 diabetes and require insulin to survive.
- There isn’t an insulin pill, insulin injections are our only option.
- Diet alone will not control canine diabetes!
- Diabetic dogs can live a normal, healthy and happy life.
- Testing urine for ketones and testing blood glucose levels are an important part of managing canine diabetes!
Be on the lookout for part two of this blog series where we will be diving deeper into decoding canine diabetes!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
For a printable version of this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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