Diabetes in pets, either a cat or as dog, can be just as dangerous and life-threatening as in humans.
Pet symptoms are similar to human symptoms, with excessive urination and excessive thirstiness being a main one. This is caused by the level of glucose in the blood rising too high and the kidneys letting excess glucose leak into the urine. This is why a glucose urine test is a normal means of diagnosing diabetes. Leaking of glucose into urine takes water with it increasing the volume of urine produced and the correspondent need to drink more and more.
Another symptom is diseased animals tend to lose weight. This is because the lack of insulin produced by the animal causes the animal's body to breakdown fat stores and muscles to produce ketones and sugar in the liver. Insulin is a hormone that ensures transportation of glucose from the blood to muscles and other tissues. Insufficient production of this hormone by the pancreas or insensitivity to its effects causes the diabetes.
A further symptom of high blood sugar or hyperglycemia is inflammation of the blood vessels in the pet's eyes.
The whites of the eyes become bright red, like oxygenated arterial blood and slowly regain their normal color as blood glucose levels are normalized. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is also characterized by inflammation of the whites of the eyes, except instead of a bright red color the color is a darker red, like non-oxygenated or venous blood. This is especially true of dogs, but hypoglycemia doesn't seem to present itself this way in cats.
Left untreated hyperglycemia can cause blindness in pets in a very short time. Other complications are dehydration, neuropathy of the legs and permanent tissue damage from glucose toxicity. Hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar presents itself as shaking or trembling like shivering no matter what the temperature and can even result in loss of consciousness. Quick intervention with honey or other glucose product rubbed on the gums of the animal can help with a recovery. Feeding as soon as possible after the symptoms are noted can ward off the more dire consequences of low-blood sugar.
After diagnosis treatment with insulin is a viable means for pet owners to alleviate the suffering their pets are going through. Instructions on administering daily or twice-daily injections of insulin are available from your veterinarian or from many concerned pet diabetes (www.petdiabetes.com) websites.
Pet symptoms are similar to human symptoms, with excessive urination and excessive thirstiness being a main one. This is caused by the level of glucose in the blood rising too high and the kidneys letting excess glucose leak into the urine. This is why a glucose urine test is a normal means of diagnosing diabetes. Leaking of glucose into urine takes water with it increasing the volume of urine produced and the correspondent need to drink more and more.
Another symptom is diseased animals tend to lose weight. This is because the lack of insulin produced by the animal causes the animal's body to breakdown fat stores and muscles to produce ketones and sugar in the liver. Insulin is a hormone that ensures transportation of glucose from the blood to muscles and other tissues. Insufficient production of this hormone by the pancreas or insensitivity to its effects causes the diabetes.
A further symptom of high blood sugar or hyperglycemia is inflammation of the blood vessels in the pet's eyes.
The whites of the eyes become bright red, like oxygenated arterial blood and slowly regain their normal color as blood glucose levels are normalized. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is also characterized by inflammation of the whites of the eyes, except instead of a bright red color the color is a darker red, like non-oxygenated or venous blood. This is especially true of dogs, but hypoglycemia doesn't seem to present itself this way in cats.
Left untreated hyperglycemia can cause blindness in pets in a very short time. Other complications are dehydration, neuropathy of the legs and permanent tissue damage from glucose toxicity. Hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar presents itself as shaking or trembling like shivering no matter what the temperature and can even result in loss of consciousness. Quick intervention with honey or other glucose product rubbed on the gums of the animal can help with a recovery. Feeding as soon as possible after the symptoms are noted can ward off the more dire consequences of low-blood sugar.
After diagnosis treatment with insulin is a viable means for pet owners to alleviate the suffering their pets are going through. Instructions on administering daily or twice-daily injections of insulin are available from your veterinarian or from many concerned pet diabetes (www.petdiabetes.com) websites.
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