How to Tell if Your Dog May Have Canine Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious illness for both humans and animals. While there has been extensive work and research done on the treatment and symptoms of diabetes in humans, animals have not always been in the spotlight for getting the disease and possible treatments. But there are certain things that you can watch for in your dog that may indicate that he may have diabetes. If you suspect your dog may have canine diabetes, make sure that you contact your vet and find out so that you can properly treat him for it before it gets worse.

Here are some common symptoms to watch for in your dog for canine diabetes:

· Your dog may begin to drink excessive amounts of water – more than he used to or more than you think is normal – especially if he has not increased his activity level or if it is not excessively hot outside.

· Frequent urination – if your dog has to go to the bathroom a lot more than he used to , or if it seems in excess of the amount of water you see him consuming.

· If your dog suddenly begins to have significant weight gain or weight loss.

· If your dog appears to be lethargic or have a loss of energy during the day when he used to b ea lot more active.

If you think that your dog may exhibit any of these signs of canine diabetes, you can contact your vet to perform a simple kind of blood test that can help your vet know if the glucose level in your dog is pointing toward canine diabetes. You should also have your vet do a complete physical every year, which can help to find the disease earlier and start treatment.

Canine diabetes can be controlled, and if your dog is diagnosed with it, you generally will be given insulin injections to give to your dog daily, and usually these injections are enough to be effective in controlling the disease and keep the glucose levels where they need to be to keep your dog healthy. You should make sure that you or someone in your home is properly trained by a vet to give your dog the shots he needs and that is able to know what to do in case of an emergency with your dog.