What is Canine diabetes?

There are two forms of diabetes that dogs can develop, and both are problems with hormones. Diabetes Mellitus is a disease caused by problems with insulin produced by the pancreas and Diabetes Insipidus is caused by problems with the hormone vasopressin.

Diabetes Mellitus is a condition where the body does not produce enough insulin to metabolize the sugar in the body so that the cells in the body can use this glucose for growth and energy. This type of diabetes is the most common seen in dogs.

Diabetes Insipidus is a disease caused by the body not being able to produce enough of the hormone vasopressin which is an anti-diuretic hormone which controls the amount of water that the kidneys retain.

With Diabetes Mellitus, the symptoms are extreme thirst as well as excessive urination and these are the same symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus. The vet will need to do a physical exam and run lab tests on the urine and blood before he can make a diagnosis between the two.

Diabetes Mellitus comes in two forms - Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes and most canine diabetes is Type 2. Type 2 occurs when the cells in the body are resistant to this insulin. Glucose is the simple type of sugar which is used by the body's cells for its main fuel but merely having glucose is not enough. Insulin is needed to move the glucose from the blood system to the cells. When the cells are resistant to the insulin produced then there is buildup of glucose in the blood causing high blood glucose levels. The excess glucose is sent to the kidneys to rid the body of it and this leads to excessive urination.

The treatment for Diabetes Mellitus in dogs is to change the dog's diet and put the dog on insulin injections. Because these injections are needed to be given daily, the owners must learn to give these shots. Basically the treatment is much like the treatment for humans who have Type-1 diabetes.

Diabetes Insipidus is able to be controlled with the synthetic version of vasopressin as the vet tries to find the cause for the problem. It is usually because of a problem with the gland which produces the hormone - in some cases this gland can become damaged or infected and when the cause is removed (as in a tumor) or the damage or infection heals, the function of the kidneys will return to normal. Diabetes Insipidus is very rare.

If your dog is diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus and needs daily injections of insulin, please do not get discouraged or depressed. First of all the dog will pick up on your mood and second, there are millions of dogs who get daily injections of insulin and are living for many years.

Learn More about Canine Diabetes

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