There are two forms of diabetes in pets: diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is a very rare disorder that results in failure to regulate body water content. Your pet has been diagnosed with the more common type of diabetes, diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is frequently diagnosed in pets five years of age or older. This is also known as Type II or adult-onset diabetes. There is a congenital form that occurs in puppies called Type I or juvenile diabetes, but this is rare in pets.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas. This is a small but vital organ that is located near the stomach. It has two significant populations of cells. One group of cells produces the enzymes necessary for proper digestion. The other group, called beta-cells, produces the hormone insulin. Simply put, diabetes mellitus is a failure of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar.

Some people with diabetes take insulin shots, and others take oral medication. Is this true for pets?

In humans, two types of diabetes mellitus have been discovered. Both types are similar in that there is a failure to regulate blood sugar, but the basic mechanisms of disease differ somewhat between the two groups.

Type I or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, results from total or near-complete destruction of the beta-cells. This is the most common type of diabetes in pets. As the name implies, pets with this type of diabetes require insulin injections to stabilize blood sugar.

Type II or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, is different because some insulin-producing cells remain. However, the amount produced is insufficient, there is a delayed response in secreting it, and the tissues of the pet’s body are relatively resistant to it. Type II most commonly occurs in older obese pets. People with this form may be treated with an oral drug that stimulates the remaining functional cells to produce or release insulin in an adequate amount to normalize blood sugar. Unfortunately, pets do not respond well to these oral medications.

Why is insulin so important?

The role of insulin is much like that of a gatekeeper: it stands at the surface of body cells and opens the door, allowing glucose to leave the blood stream and pass inside the cells. Glucose is a vital substance that provides much of the energy needed for life, and it must work inside the cells. Without an adequate amount of insulin, glucose is unable to get into the cells. It accumulates in the blood, setting in motion a series of events that can ultimately prove fatal.

When insulin is deficient, the cells become starved for a source of energy. In response to this, the body starts breaking down stores of fat and protein to use as alternative energy sources. As a consequence, the pet eats more; thus, we have weight loss in a pet with a ravenous appetite. The body tries to eliminate the excess glucose by excreting it in the urine. However, glucose (blood sugar) attracts water resulting in the production of a large amount of urine. To avoid dehydration, the pet drinks more and more water. Thus, we have the four classical signs of diabetes:

1. Weight loss

2. Increased water consumption

3. Increased appetite

4. Increased urination

How is diabetes mellitus diagnosed?

The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is based on three criteria: the four classical clinical signs, the presence of a persistently high level of glucose in the blood stream, and the presence of glucose in the urine.

The normal level of glucose in the blood is 80-120 mg/dl (4.4-6.6 mmol/L). It may rise to 250-300 mg/dl (13.6-16.5 mmol/L) following a meal. However, diabetes is the only common disease that will cause the blood glucose level to rise above 400 mg/dl (22 mmol/L). Some diabetic pets will have a glucose level as high as 800 mg/dl (44 mmol/L), although most will be in the range of 400-600 mg/dl (22-33 mmol/L).

To keep the body from losing glucose, the kidneys do not allow glucose to be filtered out of the blood stream until an excessive level is reached. This means that pets with a normal blood glucose level will not have glucose in the urine. Diabetic pets, however, have excessive amounts of glucose in the blood, so it will be present in the urine.

What are the implications for me and my pet?

For the diabetic pet, one reality exists: blood glucose cannot be normalized without treatment. Although the pet can go a day or so without treatment and not have a crisis, treatment should be looked upon as part of the pet's daily routine. Treatment almost always requires some dietary changes and administration of insulin.

As for you, the owner, there are two implications: financial commitment and personal commitment.

When your pet is well regulated, the maintenance costs are minimal. The special diet, insulin, and syringes are not expensive. However, the financial commitment is significant during the initial regulation process and if complications arise.

Initially, your pet will be hospitalized for a few days to deal with the immediate crisis and to begin the regulation process. The "immediate crisis" is only great if your pet is so sick that it has quit eating and drinking for several days. pets in this state, called ketoacidosis, may require a week or more of hospitalization with quite a bit of laboratory test ing. Otherwise, the initial hospitalization may be only for a day or two for basic test s and to begin treatment. At that point, your pet goes home for you to administer medication. At first, return visits are required every 3-7 days to monitor progress. It may take a month or more to achieve good regulation.

The financial commitment may again be significant if complications arise. We will work with you to try and achieve consistent regulation, but some pets are difficult to keep regulated. It is important that you pay close attention to our instructions related to administration of medication, diet, and home monitoring. Another complication that can arise is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can be fatal. This may occur due to inconsistencies in treatment. This will be explained in subsequent paragraphs.

Your personal commitment to treating your pet is very important in maintaining regulation and preventing crises. Most diabetic pets require insulin injections once or twice daily. They must be fed the same food in the same amount on the same schedule every day. If you are out of town, your pet must receive proper treatment while you are gone. These factors should be considered carefully when your pet has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.

What is involved in treatment?

Consistency is vital to proper management of the diabetic pet. Your pet needs consistent administration of medication, consistent feeding, and a stable, stress-free lifestyle. To best achieve this, it is preferred that your pet live indoors most of the time. Although that is not essential, indoor living removes many uncontrollable variables that can disrupt regulation.

The first step in treatment is to alter your pet's diet. Diabetes mellitus is known as a “fiber-responsive disease”. Diets high in fiber are preferred because they are generally lower in sugar and slower to be digested. This means that the pet does not have to process a large amount of sugar at one time. Additionally, the fiber may help stimulate insulin secretion in Type II diabetes. The preferred diets are Prescription Diet d/m or w/d ä and CNM OM ä . If your pet is overweight, Prescription Diet r/d ä or CNM OM ä is fed until the proper weight is achieved, then your pet is switched to one of the others.

Your pet's feeding routine is also important. Some pets prefer to eat several times per day. This means that food is left in the bowl at all times for free choice feeding. However, this is not the best way to feed a diabetic pet. The preferred way is to feed twice daily, just before each insulin injection. If your pet is currently eating on a free choice basis, it is important to try and make the change. If a two-meals-per-day feeding routine will not work for you, it is still important to find some way to accurately measure the amount of food that is consumed.

The foundation for regulating blood glucose is the administration of insulin by injection. Many people are initially fearful of giving insulin injections. If this is your initial reaction, consider these points:

A. Insulin does not cause pain when it is injected.

B. The injections are made with very tiny needles that your pet hardly feels.

C. The injections are given just under the skin in areas in which it is almost impossible to cause damage to any vital organ.

Please do not decide whether to treat your pet with insulin until we have demonstrated the injection technique. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is and how well your pet tolerates the injections.

The injection technique is as follows:

Insulin Information. Insulin comes in an airtight bottle that is labeled with the insulin type and the concentration. It is important to make sure you match the insulin concentr