Diabetes Melitus comes in two varieties, Type I and Type II
diabetes.
Type I diabetes is characterised by very low levels of insulin
secretion, or no insulin (a substance which is responsible for sugar
processing in the body) production at all. Patients with type I
diabetes face a life threatening illness if not treated with
insulin.
Type II diabetes results from inadequate or delayed insulin
production. Many patients with type II diabetes can live quite
happily on controlled diets and without insulin supplementation.
What really happens?
Reduced amounts of insulin causes decreased ability of certain
tissues to use glucose, especially muscle, fat tissues and the
liver. I trying to overcome this, the body mobilises reserves of
other energy sources such as proteins and fatty acids, which can
lead to muscle wastage, weight loss and fatty accumulations in the
liver.
Because the body can use less glucose as an energy source, it builds
up within the blood. Once the amount of glucose in the blood reaches
a certain level it overwhelms the kidneys and starts to be excreted
in urine. This has a diuretic affect and increases the amount of
urine being produced, causing your pet to go to the toilet more
frequently. This fluid loss from the body increases thirst, so your
pet needs to drink more water. High levels of glucose in the blood
can also lead to cataracts forming in the lens of the eye (the pet
can't see).
Who gets Diabetes Mellitus?
About 1 in 500 pet dogs or cats will develop diabetes. The most
likely to be afflicted are obese animals, female dogs around 8 years
of age and cats of any sex between 8 and 13 years old.
Other risk factors include severe pancreatitis, long term
corticosteroid and hormone use and some immune-mediated diseases.
What do I look for?
Initial signs are:
Polydipsia and Polyuria (drinking lots and peeing lots)
Polyphagia (eating a lot)
Long term signs are:
Repeated urinary tract infections
Muscle wastage
Cataracts in dogs (often see cloudy eyes)
Cats can be standing and walking with the hock joints
("ankles") on the ground (plantigrade stance)
How does the vet test for diabetes?
Blood test is an essential part of finding out if diabetes is the
problem, giving repeatable, high blood glucose readings. Blood
glucose will also be high if a sample is taken when pets are
stressed, such as after traveling in the car or if a little shy of
needles.
Glucose present in a urine sample.
Can it be cured?
Diabetes can be treated but not cured. With a consistent diet high
in fibre, complex carbohydrates and low in fats, insulin
supplementation can stabilise blood glucose levels. Obese pets need
to gradually reduce their weight and pets that are at a healthy
weight need to keep their calorie intake constant.
Every pet is an individual when it comes to amount of insulin
required to maintain blood glucose levels. Regular blood and urine
glucose testing is needed to keep the insulin at a safe dose which
"does the trick".
