What is dog Diabetes? Diabetes mellitus, the clinical name for sugar diabetes, is a condition that affects the concentration of glucose, or sugar, in a dogs blood. Diabetes in dogs is most often the result of a dogs body making too little insulin (Type I Diabetes). Much less commonly, dogs may develop Type II Diabetes in which their bodies dont process insulin properly. Insulin affects how your dogs body uses food. When your dog eats, food is broken down into very small components its body can use. One component, carbohydrate, is 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 theres too little insulin available, glucose cant enter cells and can build up to a high concentration in the bloodstream. As a result, a diabetic dog may seem hungry constantly, but will lose weight because its cells cant absorb glucose. Diabetes Risk Factors for Dogs •Genetic Predisposition–certain breeds are more prone to diabetes •Middle-aged to older female dogs •Obesity •Un-spayed Females–un-spayed females may develop Type II Diabetes and spaying will often result in resolution of the diabetes If you think your dog may be at risk, make an appointment today to get your dog checked for diabetes.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:00:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015