what is Diabetes?
In diabetes, the glucose level in the blood is too high because the body produces too little insulin. This insulin regulates the sugar level in the blood.
Further explanation:
During digestion in the intestines, food is broken down into useful building blocks for the body. The carbohydrates are mainly broken down in the intestines into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestine into the blood and after a meal the supply of glucose from the intestine to the blood increases. Glucose is almost indispensable for the body cells, not only as a building block but also as fuel.
Body cells only take up glucose from the blood if they have been stimulated to do so by the hormone insulin. Insulin, which is made by certain cells in the pancreas, therefore ensures that the body's cells can absorb enough glucose and insulin also ensures that the glucose level in the blood remains within narrow limits.
If there is too little insulin, too much glucose remains in the blood and there is diabetes. In diabetes, the glucose level in the blood, also called the blood sugar level, is elevated. The body cells, on the other hand, lack the fuel and building block glucose when there is a shortage of insulin.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
If there is a lot of glucose in the blood, glucose will be lost with the urine through the kidneys. The glucose in the urine
attracts extra moisture, which causes the dog to urinate more. In order not to dry out, the dog will then also have to drink more. Because glucose is an important fuel that is now lost, the dog will eat more, but will still lose weight. If left untreated, the dog's appetite and general condition will eventually deteriorate.
The main symptoms of diabetes are:
Drink a lot
Pee a lot
Hunger (at first)
Lose weight
Vomiting (later stage)
Cataracts (in long-term poorly controlled diabetes
How do we diagnose diabetes?
The observed symptoms often point in the direction of diabetes, but can also occur in other diseases. The definitive diagnosis is made when the dog with symptoms of diabetes (repeatedly) shows too high a glucose level in the blood (and the urine also contains glucose).
How does diabetes occur in dogs?
It is not entirely clear in all cases why diabetes develops in a dog. But often other diseases or treatment with certain medications are the cause of the development of diabetes in the dog. Diabetes arises in these situations because the action of insulin is counteracted by other hormones. To compensate for this, the pancreas has to make more insulin. If this fails, or if the pancreas eventually becomes exhausted, there is not enough insulin to keep the blood glucose level within normal limits and this is called diabetes.
In Cushing's syndrome, the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol decreases the sensitivity of cells to insulin. Long-term treatment of your dog with corticosteroids (such as dexamethasone or prednisolone), often used by veterinarians to combat itching, can also lead to the development of diabetes.
Diabetes is more common in females than in males. This is because the ovaries release the hormone progesterone for a period of 8 to 10 weeks after each cycle. This progesterone can lead to an increased production of growth hormone in the bitch. This growth hormone, like the aforementioned adrenal cortical hormones, counteracts the effect of insulin. It is precisely during this period, after the heat, that diabetes can develop in the bitch. If diabetes develops in your bitch during this period, the ovaries must be removed as soon as possible. By removing the ovaries, the increased production of growth hormone stops again and the pancreas may still be able to produce enough insulin to make the diabetes disappear again.
Bitches whose heat is prevented with medication also have a slightly increased risk of diabetes. The drugs used to prevent the heat are very similar to the body's own hormone progesterone. Like progesterone, they can therefore also lead to an increased production of growth hormone and subsequently result in diabetes.
Bitches whose ovaries have been surgically removed (castration) have a much lower risk of developing diabetes. Neutered bitches (often called spayed bitches in the vernacular) no longer come into heat (and therefore no longer produce progesterone) and of course no longer need medication to prevent the heat.
The treatment of diabetes
New treatment schedule!
Diabetes in dogs has been treated with insulin injections once a day for many years. However, studies have now shown that, just like with the cat, we get a much more even sugar level in the blood when we prick twice a day. Certainly a solution for many poorly regulated patients. Knowing more? We are happy to help you!
Important points in successful diabetes treatment:
Regular and accurate dosing of insulin.
Regular exercise and diet.
The bottle of insulin must be UPRIGHT! be kept in the refrigerator.
Before use, the bottle of insulin must be swirled (not shaken!!).
Regular consultation and check-ups with and by your vet.
Injections of Caninsulin
Diabetes is caused by a deficiency of insulin. That is why this deficiency must be supplemented daily, at fixed times, with an insulin injection. The owner of a diabetic dog will therefore have to learn to inject insulin subcutaneously.
Learn how to inject
You need to start injecting your dog; this seems scary but in practice it is not too bad. Of course we don't just send you home with a box of syringes and needles. We will show you how to withdraw the insulin from the bottle and how to inject it under the skin. In dogs it is recommended to give an injection of Caninsulin® twice a day, 12 hours apart. The exact treatment schedule will be made in consultation with you by your veterinarian, taking into account the daily routine of the person treating the dog as much as possible.
Finding the right dose
Because it is not exactly known how great the insulin deficiency is in your dog, the correct dosage must be determined. In other words, your dog needs to be set up. Based on your pet's weight, the vet will determine how much insulin should be given initially. The insulin preparation used for dogs is called Caninsulin®.
The vet will calculate an initial dose of Caninsulin® based on your dog's weight. By measuring the blood glucose level with a glucose meter at fixed times after insulin administration, the veterinarian can see whether this dose still needs to be adjusted. This means that the blood glucose level must be checked regularly. If necessary, we can teach you to take your own blood and measure the blood glucose level at home.
o nce the correct dose of insulin is found, the dog will recover quickly. The dog will become more lively and drinking and urinating a lot will decrease. Also, the number of checks can now be reduced. However, regular monitoring remains necessary, because over time the need for insulin may change and an adjustment of the dosage may be necessary. Once your dog is set up properly, it can lead a normal life.
Power supply
It is important that the dog gets the same amount of food every day with a composition that is as constant as possible. The dog should be fed just before each insulin injection. If the dog does not want to eat or has to fast for an operation, for example, only one third of the normal insulin dose should be administered. For this reason, insulin is always only administered after meals. If the dog does not want to eat for whatever reason, the dose of insulin can still be reduced. If insulin is administered first and the dog then refuses to eat, the insulin dose cannot be adjusted. Special diet food is available for dogs with diabetes. This food is rich in dietary fiber and supports therapy with Caninsulin®.
Regular diet and diet
Because the amount of insulin is adjusted to the amount of glucose your animal needs on a day, regularity in the diet is important. It is important that your dog gets the same amount of food every day with a composition that is as constant as possible. With a sudden increase in daily activity, the dog burns more glucose. This can cause the blood glucose level to fall sharply and a so-called hypoglycaemia occurs (see also: "too low blood glucose level").
Regular living pattern
For exactly the same reasons as with the diet, a regular exercise pattern is also important. After all, with an irregular movement pattern, the glucose requirement and therefore also the insulin requirement will vary.
Treatment of underlying diseases
Because diabetes in dogs is often caused by other diseases, certain medications or hormonal changes after the heat and because these underlying causes make the treatment of diabetes more difficult, the cause of the onset of diabetes must be sought. It should be checked that the dog does not suffer from Cushing's syndrome. In addition, a dog with diabetes should not be treated with adrenocortical hormones, such as prednisolone and dexamethasone. If a bitch's ovaries have not yet been removed, it is wise to do so. Any overweight of the dog must be combated responsibly.
The tablets that are used in humans to stimulate insulin production hardly ever work in diabetic dogs. On the contrary, these tablets will increase the severity of the diabetes over time and are therefore preferably not used in dogs.
The prospects
Usually, the dog can lead an almost normal life through a regular lifestyle and treatment with the insulin preparation Caninsulin®. The life expectancy of a well-adjusted dog with diabetes is therefore comparable to that of an animal without this disease.
If a bitch develops diabetes shortly after the heat, it is possible that short-term removal of the ovaries will lead to the disappearance of the diabetes. These dogs must be closely monitored, because there is a chance that this dog will develop diabetes later on.
Complications
1. Blood glucose levels that are too low (hypoglycemia)
Causes
The main complication of treating a diabetic patient with insulin is low blood glucose. Insulin has a lowering effect on blood glucose levels. If more insulin is delivered than needed, the blood glucose level may become too low. Although this is not a common occurrence, it is important that you know how best to act in such a situation.
The main causes of a low blood glucose level are:
Absorption of less food in combination with the usual insulin dose.
Sudden increase in glucose consumption due to increased activity.
Too high a dose of insulin.
A normal dose of insulin, when the need has suddenly decreased.
Implications
When the blood glucose level is too low, the brain does not receive enough fuel. This can be life-threatening and it is therefore important that you recognize the symptoms.
Symptoms
A dog whose blood glucose level starts to get low can be restless or lethargic and/or be hungry at unexpected times. If the blood glucose level drops even further, the dog starts shivering or making strange movements (falling over, kicking with its legs). Eventually the dog will fall into a deep sleep, from which it is difficult or impossible to wake up. This situation is possible at any time of the day, but usually occurs 3 to 7 hours after insulin administration.
In summary, the symptoms of a dog with a low blood glucose level are:
hungry at unexpected times
restless or slow
trembling or shivering
strange movements (falling over, kicking with the legs)
What to do if you have symptoms of low blood sugar?
Because a blood glucose level that is too low is life-threatening, it must be ensured that the blood glucose level rises again as soon as possible. If your dog shows signs of low blood sugar, a meal should be given immediately. If the dog is no longer able to eat the meal, glucose or a glucose solution should be given as soon as possible. You give about 1 gram of grape sugar per kilogram of body weight. The solution can be carefully poured into the cheek pouch, the powder can be rubbed on the oral mucosa - especially on and under the tongue. If the dog does not immediately improve after the administration of glucose in the mouth, it is very important to contact the vet immediately.
If recovery does occur, you should still offer the dog a meal. Then keep a close eye on the dog for several hours to see if the symptoms reappear
performance. To prevent a further drop in blood glucose levels, meals should be given at regular intervals. Before the next insulin injection, the amount of insulin to be administered should be discussed with the veterinarian.
2. Somogy effect
The somogy effect is a special phenomenon that can occur if the blood sugar level is a few times too high when measured. The dose of insulin is then increased, with the result that the glucose level drops more rapidly. If the glucose level then becomes too low, the body will compensate for this and the glucose will shoot up again. At the next measurement, the glucose may be even higher and the insulin dose will be even higher. The great danger of this increasing yo-yo effect is the eventual life-threatening hypoglycemia.
You can prevent this by never increasing or decreasing on your own initiative, but always doing so in consultation with us. Any good veterinarian will recognize this effect in time.
3. Not wanting to eat or eating poorly
If your dog does not want to eat, you only spray 1/3 of the normal dose. If this persists for more than 2 days, please contact us.
If you have a dog with diabetes, you have come to the right place for excellent guidance and treatment. Consultation for diabetes patients is always possible, we prefer that you call once too much than once too little!
