Diabetic Service Dogs

What is mellitus diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease caused by sugar excess in the blood: this is related to a lack of hormone called insulin.
The animals are predisposed individuals who are overweigh and doing few exercises.
The phases of the disease:
The disease develops in several stages that are in sequence according to a quite long time:

- A prediabetic stage: the rate of blood glucose (blood sugar) is 1.30 to 1.80 g / L (normal is 0.70 to 1.10 g / L) in fasting. However, at this stage, there is no glycosuria (sugar in urine). This step is very difficult to detect because blood sugar can increase to values of 1.50 g / L but are not pathological, the diabetic service dog is not yet ill. Several blood samples with increased values are needed to establish a reliable diagnosis.

- A stage where the disease actually triggers: the animal is drinking and urinating a lot, he eats a lot, there is sugar in the urine. The rate of blood glucose is greater than 3 g / L. In addition, cataracts (clouding of the lens becomes whitish) may occur.

- Metabolic acidosis (very important worsening unrest) : if the animal is not treated or if treatment is not well balanced, with a thin, vomiting, ketones in the urine, ... There is a life-threatening for the diabetic service dog.
What treatment?
Regarding the treatment of diabetic animals, it varies depending on the stage of disease.
1. When the animal is in pre-diabetes, dietary measures are in place.
Indeed, a high protein and low-carb diet with a significant amount of fiber is necessary to limit the intake of fat and sugar, the excess aggravates the disease.

In the early stages of the disease or when diabetes is not serious, you can use pills that lower blood sugar (eg sulphonylureas).
But these drugs are rarely strong enough and are sometimes poorly tolerated by the diabetic dog.

2. When diabetes is declared or somewhat serious (high blood sugar, glycosuria, increased fluid intake ...), treatment with insulin is required.
Insulin is the best way to treat mellitus diabetes.

The vet adjusts the first dose required for the animal, which can take several days.Then should be done after it a regular monitoring that is fundamental to the treatment, insulin requirements may change according to time.
It must indeed produce insulin once (with insulin delay) or twice (with semi insulin-delayed) daily and this over the life of the animal.

We must absolutely respect the best times of injections of insulin and meals administration (which is made simultaneously").

If treatment is not well respected, the diabetic service dog may do what is called a diabetic coma (sharp decline in general condition, vomiting, ...) leading to the death of the animal if no treatment is established.

The insulin treatment is essential for the survival of a diabetic diabetic service dog.
3. In addition, care must be taken to the weight of the diabetic service dog because obesity is a contributing factor.