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The holiday season is largely focused around gifts, family and friends and of course food! Unfortunately, the same delicious sweets, drinks and hors d’oeuvres that we love so much can be harmful to our health if not portioned appropriately. The same goes for our pets, except obesity is only one of the risk factors that can contribute.
November is We want you to join us in educating dog and cat families across the world about caring for a pet with diabetes.
Canine diabetes is a life long condition that requires blood glucose (sugar) monitoring and daily insulin (hormone) shots. In Latin, Mellitus stands for “honey sweet”, which refers to the elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine of dogs with diabetes.
These elevated levels are caused by the failure of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar. The beta-cells in the pancreas produce insulin, a hormone that control glucose level in the blood. When the insulin is not produced in the necessary amounts, the level of glucose in the bloodstream, urine and the tissues of the body increases.
1 in 150 dogs are effected with diabetes mellitus. Although any dog can develop diabetes, the following are at a higher risk:
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