Caring for Your Diabetic Canine Pet

Diabetic Dog Care Information Is Important for Overall Good Health

Jan 19, 2009

There is nothing more devastating than receiving news that your canine pet has been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetic care information is important for good health.

There is nothing more enjoyable than having a pet dog, especially a miniature schnauzer. Having a schnauzer that becomes ill and is diagnosed with a long term chronic disease such as diabetes is devastating. This news affects the entire family. Your family schnauzer has diabetes and is going to require insulin injections two times each day for the rest of his life. His prognosis is unknown and the associated side effects are cruel and may further jeopardize the quality of the dog’s life. After receiving the news, where do you start to begin to sort through all of the complexities associated with the news?

Daily Routine Becomes Key Stabilizing Ingredient

Once your dog has been stabilized and released from the hospital, someone within the family will have to be responsible for administering the daily or bi-daily insulin injections. Following a daily routine is critical for the continued stabilization of the dog’s blood sugar level. Commitment to a daily routine, including exercise will assure the continued health and well being of your pet. Most pet owners reward their pets with treats and often the dog is rewarded with too many treats, all from the good intentions and love for your pet. However, numerous treats contain sugar which can no longer be tolerated by a dog with diabetes. Consult your veterinarian for a list of approved alternatives to continue to reward your pet.

Information is Key in Caring for Your Pet with Diabetes

Your pet is a beloved member of your family. Commitment by all family members involved with the pet’s care is necessary for the overall well being and good health of your pet. Communication among care givers is important. Simple documentation records including the recording times of insulin units, behavior observations including lethargy, documentation of food and water intake are all important to assist with the communication process involving the pet’s care. The goal is to provide the best of diabetic care for your pet to assure the overall good health, well being and long life for your pet. Accurate and professional information is essential in developing a special needs plan to care for your pet.

Local and National Support Groups Help Care Givers Cope

First and foremost, everyone in the family must remain calm and realize that no one is responsible for the dog’s illness. As with the news of any other catastrophic event, there is always a tendency or need to assign blame for the illness. Diabetes is not caused by a pet owner, virus or infection. For unknown reasons, the pancreas may become unable to secrete insulin or there may be other antagonistic agents preventing the proper absorption of insulin. Many breeds, including schnauzers are predisposed to acquiring diabetes. What is important is to initially get the dog’s blood sugar level stabilized which will probably require a brief initial stay in the hospital, 1-3 days. Educating yourself and members of your family regarding diabetes is extremely important in providing care for your diabetic pet.

Putting All the Care Pieces Together

The more knowledge you acquire the more comfortable you will become in caring for your pet and in helping your pet live a normal healthy and happy life. Information regarding diabetes is everywhere including the internet, your local library, your veterinarian, and pet support groups. Always address any care questions with your veterinarian, as your veterinarian remains your primary life line for both information and care for your chronically ill pet. Although each pet may share a common diagnosis, each pet’s situation is unique and because of that uniqueness broad assumptions should never be made regarding the care of your pet with another owner’s pet. Individual consultation with your veterinarian remains paramount for the effective care of your diabetic pet.

There are groups that also provide information from members regarding their experiences and many personal stories are shared with group members. Dogplay.com lists groups that can assist you with coping for caring for your pet with diabetes

The copyright of the article Caring for Your Diabetic Canine Pet in Pet Diseases is owned by Gia Gee. Permission to republish Caring for Your Diabetic Canine Pet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.