Similarly to humans, dogs can also be affected by chronic diseases they can’t be cured from. One of these diseases is diabetes. However, this doesn’t have to mean your dog can’t have a long, healthy life too.
So, if you own a dog that has diabetes, don’t worry, as there are a lot of ways to manage this condition successfully. There are various approaches to treating diabetes, and you will surely get a hand on the best treatment approach for your dog very quickly.
You might have heard that there are two types of diabetes in humans: Diabetes type I and Diabetes type II. But is this distinction the same in canines too? Let’s quickly explain what diabetes is and how it occurs in our four-legged friends.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when the body can’t control the levels of sugar in the blood. What happens is that the organism suffering from this condition has eventually high levels of sugar in blood and urine. Sugar (glucose) needs insulin in order to fuel the body cells with energy. In an organism struck with diabetes, there’s an inability to produce insulin which blocks this process and stops the body cells from having this important source of energy.
What Is Type I Diabetes?
Type I Diabetes is another name for insulin-deficiency diabetes and it occurs when the body isn’t producing enough insulin. This type of diabetes is the most common one in dogs. It is also a completely irreversible condition that is caused by numerous factors that are still being researched.
Some dogs can be born with it, others can gradually develop it, and sometimes it can also occur in pregnant dogs.
Insulin-deficiency diabetes is treated with daily shots of insulin.
What Is Type II Diabetes?
On the other hand, there’s also Type II Diabetes, also known as insulin-resistant diabetes. This occurs when the organism is producing insulin, but the body doesn’t have the ability to use insulin as it should. What happens is that cells are basically ignoring the message insulin’s trying to send, and therefore, they are not taking the sugar out of the blood to fuel themselves.
This type of diabetes often occurs in older or obese dogs, and it’s believed that it can be a consequence of bad diet routines.
Some researches claim that this type of diabetes is reversible with diet corrections and an adequate amount of exercise. However, insulin-resistant diabetes is really rare in dogs and might occur as a result of auto-immune disorders or other diseases.
Conclusion
If your dog has Type I Diabetes, there’s not much you can do, except providing him with proper treatment and getting the insulin shots. On the other hand, Type II Diabetes can not only be reversed completely or partially, but it can also be prevented with healthy routines in your dog’s nutrition and daily activities.
Always make sure your dog is getting the healthiest nutrition possible, and which foods shouldn’t be fed to diabetic dogs.