Just like humans, dogs and cats can both have diabetes. This means that they cannot produce or use insulin properly, which leads to the inability to convert their food into energy.

In honor of Pet Diabetes Awareness Month (November), we encourage pet owners to run routine blood work on both cats and dogs, so that high glucose values can be caught as early as possible. We want to spread awareness about pet diabetes so that you are informed and can monitor your pets for symptoms, as well as know how to manage if your pet has already been diagnosed.

What is Diabetes?

When pets eat, they use the fats and carbohydrates in their food to make energy to perform bodily functions and daily activity. When looking at diabetes, we are specifically looking at the carbohydrate glucose, paired with insulin hormone levels.

Glucose is a sugar that, typically, tissue absorbs from the bloodstream to aid in energy production. In order to enter the tissue, however, insulin must “unlock the door” for glucose. Normally, insulin is produced in the pancreas and released into the bloodstream to regulate blood sugar. In a diabetic pet, there is a lack of insulin and sometimes none at all. Because of the lack of insulin, glucose cannot exit the bloodstream and tissues are deprived of necessary fuel for function. Since the glucose has nowhere to go, it builds up in the bloodstream and results in high blood sugar.

How is Diabetes Diagnosed?

Routine blood work, performed at a minimum annually, will check blood glucose levels. If this number is high, your veterinarian will likely suggest doing a “blood glucose curve”. By using a glucometer to check blood sugar, veterinarians will track the increase and decrease of blood sugar over the course of a 12 hour period. The first sample is collected prior to receiving insulin or food. After the initial reading, the pet is given a dose of insulin after eating. Every 1-2 hours a new blood sugar reading is collected and documented, so that we can see a baseline of the pet’s glucose levels over the 12 hour period, with insulin assisting the excess glucose. This test helps determine the proper dose required to maintain healthy levels of blood sugar. In many cases, pets are diagnosed after symptoms arise, prompting owners to bring their pet in for a visit. Symptoms to look out for include:

Maintenance

Once your veterinarian has diagnosed your pet, they will prescribe them insulin injections. Your veterinarian will show you how to administer these injections subcutaneously. In most cases, insulin is given twice a day with food. Insulin does require refrigeration, and will require purchasing insulin specific syringes in addition to the medication. Insulin pens are also an option, where a syringe is attached to a dispensing pen that gives a specific dose. Both of these can be bought from your veterinarian or ordered from an online pharmacy with a prescription.

It is very important to only give the prescribed dose of insulin. Too much insulin can cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This can cause your pet to be lethargic and weak, and is an emergency situation. We recommend keeping Karo syrup on hand for instances like this. If your pet has received too much insulin, or appears to have low blood sugar despite being given their regular dose, administer 1 tablespoon of Karo syrup per 5 lbs of body weight orally to raise your pet’s blood sugar levels. If no improvement occurs within 15 to 30 minutes, we recommend taking your pet to the vet immediately to stabilize them. After any episode like this, your vet should be consulted before administering any more insulin.

Investing in a pet specific glucometer for your home is encouraged. Having this tool on hand gives you the ability to check blood sugar levels at any time.

To aid in glucose intake control, your vet may recommend feeding a glucose management diet in conjunction with the insulin. Royal Canin and Hills Science Diet both offer glucose management diets designed for diabetic pet management. These diets will require a prescription for purchase.

Once a proper insulin dose has been established to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, you will only need to recheck blood work every 6-12 months. At these check-ups, your pet’s insulin dose may be adjusted, or you may be asked to bring your pet in for another blood glucose curve. Bring your pet in sooner if they are experiencing: