What is Canine Diabetes?
Canine Diabetes is known as Diabetes mellitus. It is a disease involving the pancreas. The pancreas is a small organ that lies along the small intestine near the stomach. It has two basic functions: 1. To produce digestive enzymes 2. To produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels. Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to control the dog’s blood glucose levels. As a result, the blood glucose can become very high. Diabetic dogs require regular injections of insulin to control their blood glucose levels. Without it diabetes mellitus can be fatal. This disease is relatively common in dogs. It is most often seen in middle-aged or older dogs. A congenital form of diabetes occurs in puppies, but it is very uncommon. What are the signs of diabetes mellitus? The signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs are: • Ravenous appetite • Weight loss (despite a good appetite and plenty of food) • Drinking larger than normal a
