Protecting Pets from Diabetes

November is Pet Diabetes Awareness Month

Is your dog suddenly not as excited to see you when you walk through the door? Or maybe you notice that he or she is drinking much more water than usual? If it seems like every time you turn around you are filling up the dog bowl or your cat or dog doesn’t want to snuggle in your lap, there may be cause for concern. Your pet’s change of attitude and habits may be a serious sign of pet diabetes!

Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine diseases affecting cats and dogs. One contributing factor is a cat or dog’s breed, as certain types are more prone to the disease. Another factor is weight gain – and with the holidays around the corner, it’s easier than ever for man and man’s best friends to splurge on sweet treats and leftovers. Keeping pets on a balanced diet year-round can help ensure a healthy weight.

Diabetes Mellitus is a condition that affects the concentration of glucose, or sugar in your dogs or cats blood. Diabetes occurs when your dog’s/cat’s body makes too little insulin, stops producing it completely, or doesn’t utilize insulin properly.

When your dog/cat eats, carbohydrates are converted into several types of simple sugars, including glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, where it travels to cells throughout the body. Inside cells, insulin helps turn glucose into fuel. If there’s too little insulin available, glucose can’t enter cells and can build up to a high concentration in the bloodstream. As a result, a dog with diabetes may want to eat constantly, but will appear malnourished because its cells can’t absorb glucose.

Know the Signs

• Urinates Frequently: Your dog or cat wants to go outside more often. Your dog may urinate in the house; your cat may urinate outside of their litter box.
• Always Thirsty: You have to fill the water bowl more often than before or notice your cat or dog drinking from unusual places, such as a toilet bowl.
• Always Hungry: Your dog or cat never seems to get enough food – they’re always begging for food.
• Losing Weight: Although your dog or cat has a good appetite, they keep losing weight.
• Cloudy Eyes: This sign is only present in dogs.
• Deteriorating Coat: Fur can become dry or dull. Cats may stop gooming.
• Always Tired: Your dog or cat used to be energetic, but now they sleep all day.

“Diabetes is manageable,”said Kathryn Junkins Sarpong, DVM, DABVP “The way we treat it is through diet, we usually adjust their food to be low glycemic food, basically a food that doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. We put on them on a feeding schedule and also insulin; that replaces what the body is not making and responding too well to lower the blood sugar and comes in an injection. It sounds scary but most owners, almost all owners I have had this conversation with is able to learn to give those injections at home and really do well with this.”

“Diabetes can be prevented,” continued Sarpong. “Exercise just like for us. Getting them out and getting them exercised. In cats exercise them indoors with a laser pointer or other exercise promoting toys. If you have a female dog getting her fixed can be tremendously helpful at reducing the risk.”

For more information visit petdiabetesmonth.com

About Kathryn Junkins Sarpong, DVM, DABVP

Kathryn Junkins Sarpong, DVM, DABVP, is a 2001 graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she completed a rotating small animal internship with Dr. Stephen Ettinger in Los Angeles. She then moved to Dallas, Texas and spent several years practicing emergency medicine.

Starting in 2006, she co-founded three new veterinary practices. Two of the practices included overseeing new hospital construction. Her daily tasks include a heavy caseload of medicine and surgery, mentoring new veterinarians, and the business essentials of three busy practices. She achieved board certification in canine and feline medicine as a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2011. In 2017, she published a ground-breaking study on parvovirus in the Journal of American Veterinary Medicine Association.

Prior to becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Sarpong worked on a new HIV medicine as a chemical engineer for Merck &Co., Inc.

When not working, Dr. Sarpong enjoys finding adventures with her family which includes two spirited daughters, a fun-loving husband, two dogs, two guinea pigs, and a rotation of foster animals.

About Merck Animal Health

For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter at @MerckAH.

Courtesy: Merck Animal Health

Photo Courtesy: kitty.green66 CC-BY-SA 2.0 from flickr