Diabetes is a common health issue that you can find in dogs as well. If you own a dog, you will need to be mindful about this. Otherwise, the health condition can make your dog suffer a lot. Here are some of the most prominent signs that indicate the fact that your dog may have diabetes. If you can see one or more of these signs, it is important for you to go ahead and provide appropriate medical assistance to the dog.
Your dog pees more frequently
A dog suffering from diabetes would usually pee more frequently. Perth Vet – The Pet Practice says this is one of the most common symptoms that you can see in any dog with diabetes. Increased diabetes is a symptom that indicates diabetes among humans. This is the same for dogs as well. According to the vets, this health condition is called as polyuria. This happens due to the spilling of blood sugar to urine. As a dog owner, this is one of the earliest signs of diabetes that you will notice in your dog.
Your dog will drink more water
A dog affected with diabetes would consume more water than usual as well. In fact, diabetes will make a dog deal with excessive thirst. Some people assume that this is the main reason that leads the dogs to excessive urination. However, this fact is not true at all. The dog doesn’t urinate too often because he drinks more water. The dog becomes dehydrated inside the body because of diabetes. As a result, your dog will come across the need to drink lots of water to keep up. If you see this change in your dog, you should take him to a vet and get a checkup done.
Your dog will have a ravenous appetite
The dogs who are affected with diabetes tend to end up with getting an insatiable appetite as well. This happens mainly due to the insulin imbalances that take place in the body. Insulin is a hormone that develops within the body of your dog. It has the ability to control the level of sugar. When there is lack of insulin in the body, your dog will start feeling hungry most of the time. That’s because the body of your dog will not be able to perceive the presence of glucose.
Your dog will start to lose weight
When your dog is affected with diabetes, it will start to lose weight. However, diabetes is not the only reason why your dog will start losing bodyweight. There are numerous other factors, which can make a dog lose bodyweight. Some of the most common reasons on why your dog would lose bodyweight include kidney disease, liver disease and gastrointestinal disease. Even cancers can make your dog lose body weight. Hence, you shouldn’t take this as a standalone symptom. Instead, you will need to compare this with the other symptoms and see why your dog is losing weight. Your vet will be able to provide assistance you need.
The eyes of your dog would look cloudy
This is another common sign that you can use to confirm whether your dog has diabetes or not. In fact, you will be able to see this symptom in around 80% of the dogs who have diabetes. When you take a look at the eyes of the dog, you will notice that they appear cloudy. This is a long-term complication associated with the health condition. That’s because the lens of the eye will absorb eye fluid and convert that into excessive sorbitol.
Vision of the dog will get worse
The vision of your dog will get worse along with diabetes. This is related to the previous symptom. In other words, the vision of your dog goes down because of the formation of cataract in the eyes. Therefore, dogs who are affected with diabetes are also dealing with a high risk of blindness. The cataract will develop and create a situation where light cannot enter into the eyes. This is where the dog will have to deal with the negative consequences associated with blindness.
Coat of your dog will appear lackluster
Diabetes has the ability to create a negative impact on the coat of your dog as well. Therefore, the coat of the dog would look like a lackluster eventually. As a dog owner, you will also need to remain mindful about this symptom. Diabetes can make your dog refrain from getting nutrition needed out of food. This is where the coat will not grow properly in your dog. On the other hand, dehydration that takes place along with diabetes can also have a negative impact on the way how the skin of your dog looks like. If you notice the dog of your looks scaly, you should consider it as a sign of diabetes. Hence, you should rush to the vet and get the treatments accordingly.
Your dog will vomit without any cause
Diabetes can make the dogs vomit. If you see your dog vomiting without a cause, you will need to understand that it is affected with diabetes. This is another complication that insulin can create on the dog. Along with diabetes, your dog will end up without having any insulin. This will eventually pull glucose out from the tissues of the dog. Hence, the body of your dog will go ahead and produce ketones to get all its energy requirements catered. This will not take place in a sustainable manner. Due to the same reason, the enzymes located within the body of your dog would start malfunctioning. That’s where your dog will start t o vomit. You will also notice how the breath of your dog is pretty much similar to the odor of a nail polish remover.
Final words
Keep an eye on these symptoms. If you see one or more of them, you should understand that your dog is affected with diabetes. Hence, you should rush for treatments.
Piran is the bestselling author of the Zobuz, TheHearus and other well known Blogs. Her books have sold hundred of copies and are published in different languages.
