Living with a diabetic dog may be challenging at times but it is possible to live with your fur-baby in an amazing way. If you have ever had to deal with diabetes in any other aspect of your life, you will understand the need for taking care of your pooch’s health…or even better, take on being one’s caregiver!
“How to live with a diabetic dog” provides you with techniques that will help you maintain your dog’s health and reduce the risk of blood sugar swings which could prove fatal.
This article includes:
- Tips on maintaining a healthy diet for your diabetic dog;
- Exercise recommendations for dogs with diabetes; and,
- How to find out if your dog is diabetic.
1. Tips on Maintaining a Healthy Diet for Your Diabetic Dog
Diet is an important part of managing diabetes. Consistently feeding a high-calorie and nutritious diet will help slow down or control the condition by reducing the risk of uncontrolled blood sugar levels and other problems that may occur as a result. If possible, feed your pet two meals per day, one to two hours apart. If your dog is diabetic, keep track of the amount and type of food they eat and find out if the food is either too high in carbs (which will cause blood sugar swings) or lacks protein or vitamins.
Many dogs can eat a diet that has more protein since they require more protein than carbs. If your dog is diabetic, make sure it has a high-protein diet. High doses of vitamin supplements may also be helpful for diabetics because they usually lack the proper amounts of many key vitamins and minerals, such as zinc and vitamin E.
2. Exercise Recommendations for Dogs with Diabetes
Take your dog with you when you exercise. If your pet is too energetic and you can’t control it, get a dog leash. This way, you’ll be more of a team and your pup will get more of a workout due to the added weight. Take walks during the time of day when your pet normally has their peak energy level. Vary the direction in which you walk so that they don’t get bored or tired of walking in one direction all the time.
3. Find Out If Your Dog Is Diabetic
With such a high incidence of diabetes in dogs today, it’s important to know how to spot the warning signs and take care of your pet if these symptoms appear. First of all, you’ll want to look for the following:
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Weight loss
In most cases, people can’t detect if their dog has diabetes by looking at them. Instead, they’ll need to do several tests to determine if your pet is diabetic. Some tests involve blood glucose readings done with a monitoring device that attaches to the collar of your pet. Other tests require taking a sample of urine and analyzing it for glucose levels.
If your dog is diabetic, you’ll need to administer insulin shots. This process can be a bit tricky at first, especially if you’ve never given them a shot before. However, it’s not as difficult as it appears and most owners get the hang of it in no time. It may even help to get extra tips from your veterinarian or from reading more about how to inject insulin into a dog.
Conclusion
When a diabetic dog is properly cared for, great things can happen. They can live happy and healthy lives without any difficulties. However, when diabetes is not taken care of properly, complications can arise that are unpredictable. It all depends on what type of diabetes they have and how bad it is, along with the dog’s behavior and overall health conditions. But it is nothing a healthy diet and active lifestyle won’t help.
Thank you for reading the article.
To explore more, check out our canine diabetes-related articles that you might be interested in.
How do you live with your diabetic pup? What measures do you take so that your furry friend can live a fulfilled life? We would love to hear from you. Please share with our community by leaving a comment below!