National Pet Diabetes Month: Important Facts about Diabetes

November is National Pet Diabetes Month and in observance, Bart and friends want to share with you information that can help you understand and potentially identify diabetes in your pet.

It may surprise you to learn that dogs and cats can both suffer from Diabetes, also called diabetes mellitus. 1 out of 100 dogs has it by the age of 12 and between 1 in 50 or 1 in 500 cats will also have this condition. In diabetic cats and dogs, their pancreatic cells produce little or no insulin, or there is an abnormal response to the insulin that is produced.

The effects upon your pets are life changing. For dogs the most common diabetes-related issues include:

• Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia (that may be induced by transient remission or incorrect insulin dosing)
• Ketoacidosis (ketones and high acidity in body fluids)
• Cataracts
• Chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Poor grooming and dry, lusterless coat
• Recurrent infections
• Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve dysfunction resulting in an abnormal stance)

To manage your pet’s Diabetes, you must visit your veterinarian. And, as part of the treatment, they will most likely recommend not only insulin therapy, but also a program that includes what to feed your pet (wholesome, real foods such as found in Freshpet) as well as quantity and timing of each meal. Exercise will also be part of this program, since many pets are overweight. With the correct wholesome food, exercise and management with your vet’s assistance, your pet can live a healthy life!

Information provided courtesy of Freshpet: real, all natural pet food made from scratch with the freshest ingredients in their kitchen. Freshpet meals are crafted using real meat and veggies you can see. They never have any preservatives – that’s why you’ll find their products in the fridge on the pet food aisle.