Canine Diabetes Treatment

A diagnosis of diabetes means that your dog's pancreas isn't releasing enough insulin to metabolize the sugars in his food. His increased blood sugar levels can lead to serious complications and even death.

Diabetes is most frequent in older overweight female dogs over age 7, according to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. While there's no cure for canine diabetes, treating your pet's symptoms can keep her comfortable, active and happy for years.

Insulin for Canine Diabetes

Your vet may recommend insulin, diet, or both to treat your dog. He'll determine how many daily injections your pet needs with an insulin glucose response curve test.

Practice by injecting a piece of soft fruit with water. Become comfortable extracting the correct dose of insulin from the bottle.

Learn to handle the bottle properly. Shaking the insulin too much may create bubbles, making it harder for you to gauge the dose. Roll the bottle lightly in your palms to warm it slightly before giving your dog her shot.

When you're comfortable, hold the syringe in one hand while gently pulling up a fold of skin on her back, abdomen or chest . Use as many different sites as possible for her shots
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Inject the insulin only into the top fold of skin. Keep your fingertips clear of the needle. If blood enters the syringe when you pull back on the plunger, you're in a blood vessel. Remove the syringe and try again. Give doggie lots of praise after each injection, and record the injection time on a calendar reserved for that purpose.

Store the insulin the temperature recommended by the manufacturer, and discard it when it reaches its expiration date.

Diet for Canine Diabetes

High-fiber foods, says the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, are useful in treat canine diabetes. Fiber slows your pet's digestion of carbohydrates, preventing blood sugar spikes.

Get a prescription diabetes food from your vet, or add a pysillium-based fiber like Metamucil to his food. Many dogs love the taste of unsweetened canned pumpkin, another great fiber source.

If she's getting a single insulin shot, give your dog between one-fourth and one-third of her total daily food before she gets it. Give her the remainder of her food six to eight hours after her shot.

A dog on twice-daily insulin should get half his food before each shot. Wait 12 hours between his meals.

Control calorie intake because obesity is an underlying cause of diabetes. Don't forget to include treats in the total. Use the Calorie Chart at the Pet Obesity Prevention Site in the Resource Section to find the calorie counts for many of the most popular commercial dog foods.