{"id":1944,"date":"2016-11-20T03:46:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-20T03:46:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aercmn.com\/?p=1944"},"modified":"2016-11-20T03:46:47","modified_gmt":"2016-11-20T03:46:47","slug":"what-pet-owners-need-to-know-about-diabetes-mellitus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/what-pet-owners-need-to-know-about-diabetes-mellitus\/","title":{"rendered":"What Pet Owners Need To Know About Diabetes Mellitus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The Disease:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945 alignright\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/spencer-in-chair-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/strong><br \/>\nIn Diabetes Mellitus, the pancreas does not make enough insulin. \u00a0Insulin carries glucose (sugar) from the blood stream into cells for energy. \u00a0Lacking insulin, glucose stays in the blood stream, causing high blood sugar, and the cells in the body can\u2019t use glucose for energy.<\/p>\n<p>Dogs and cats with diabetes mellitus will commonly show the following symptoms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Really hungry and thirsty<\/li>\n<li>Increased urination<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Diagnosis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIf your pet is showing signs of diabetes, your veterinarian will want to run tests: blood work, urinalysis, urine culture, and fructosamine level.\u00a0If your pet is diabetic, glucose will show up in his blood and urine, and the fructosamine level shows where your pet\u2019s glucose has been over the past few weeks. A urine culture is a good idea because diabetic pets are more likely to develop urinary tract infections.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Treatment:<\/strong><br \/>\nDogs and cats with diabetes need insulin shots subcutaneously (under the skin) to manage their blood sugar. There are many different types of insulin. Your veterinarian chooses the best type of insulin for your pet. \u00a0Insulin is usually given twice a day \u2013 in the morning and at night. \u00a0Your pet\u2019s diet will likely be switched to a prescription diabetic food so that his blood sugar can remain steady all day. Your pet must eat before receiving insulin. If the pet is not eating, contact your vet right away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Long Term Care:<\/strong><br \/>\nSome diabetic pets are very easy to manage on insulin. Other pets may be more tricky. Your vet will ask you to monitor appetite, urination and drinking habits, and you might find it helpful to keep a daily log. Once your pet\u2019s insulin is where it should be, you should see the excessive thirst, hunger, and urination decrease.<\/p>\n<p>A blood glucose curve is a test during which your pet\u2019s blood sugar is checked every few hours all day long. Your vet will recommend this test, and fructosamine levels will be rechecked occasionally, too. By watching both the glucose curve and fructosamine levels, your veterinarian will be able to make sure your pet is getting the right amount of insulin.<\/p>\n<p>If your pet doesn\u2019t get the right amount of insulin, many problems can develop. \u00a0With a high blood sugar, dogs can go blind, and both dogs and cats can develop a life-threatening complication called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). If your pet gets too much insulin or is getting insulin without eating well, his blood sugar can become too low. Symptoms of low blood sugar include sleepiness, dizziness, seeming confused or falling over, shaking, seizures, and coma. If your diabetic pet is ever showing these signs, see a veterinarian immediately, as low blood sugar can kill your pet.<\/p>\n<p>Many pet owners feel frightened and don\u2019t know what to do when they first learn their cat or dog is diabetic. However, after learning about the disease, getting the knack of insulin shots, and learning how to track blood sugar, many owners become confident and comfortable managing their diabetic pet. If you have any questions about pet diabetes, contact your family vet! If you have a pet in diabetic crisis and your vet is closed, feel free to call AERC. We\u2019re open 24\/7!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Disease: In Diabetes Mellitus, the pancreas does not make enough insulin. \u00a0Insulin carries glucose (sugar) from the blood stream into cells for energy. \u00a0Lacking insulin, glucose stays in the blood stream, causing high blood sugar, and the cells in the body can\u2019t use glucose for energy. Dogs and cats with diabetes mellitus will commonly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Pet Owners Need To Know About Diabetes Mellitus | Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/what-pet-owners-need-to-know-about-diabetes-mellitus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Pet Owners Need To Know About Diabetes Mellitus | Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Disease: In Diabetes Mellitus, the pancreas does not make enough insulin. \u00a0Insulin carries glucose (sugar) from the blood stream into cells for energy. \u00a0Lacking insulin, glucose stays in the blood stream, causing high blood sugar, and the cells in the body can\u2019t use glucose for energy. 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