Pet Diabetes
Pet Diabetes Care at Atlas Animal Hospital & Emergency Vancouver
If you’ve heard about the devastating effects of diabetes on humans, you should be warned that you also need to protect your pet against this blood sugar disorder’s potential hazards — especially if your pet shows signs of a possible diabetic emergency. Your emergency veterinarian at Atlas Animal Hospital and Emergency Vancouver can check your pet for diabetes, administer treatment for acute attacks, and help you keep your pet’s condition under control.
Causes and Signs of Pet Diabetes
Diabetes is an instability in blood sugar levels brought on by a failure to control glucose in the blood with the hormone insulin. In some pets, the pancreas may simply fail to produce enough insulin; this problem is similar to type 1 diabetes in humans- Most dogs, and many cats, seem to develop this type of diabetes. But in other dogs and cats, the body becomes resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas- This condition, which is associated with obesity, endocrine conditions, pregnancy and certain medications, resembles type 2 diabetes in humans.
Why Diabetic Pets Need Veterinary Evaluation
Diabetes can wreak havoc on the body and even threaten your pet’s life, so it’s important to recognize the signs of this disorder and bring your pet to our clinic for evaluation. Common symptoms include:
- Unusual thirst or water consumption
- Unexplained weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Frequent urination (and even urinary incontinence)
If your pet’s blood sugar level swings wildly out of control, you have a veterinary emergency on your hands. Abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) may cause twitching , trembling, abnormal behavior, and even coma. Extremely high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) may cause weakness, along with a refusal to eat and drink; like hypoglycemia, it can place your pet into a coma.
