Introduction
The symptoms of diabetes in dogs are usually pretty standard: increased thirst, increased urination, and rapid weight loss. In order to confirm that a dog has diabetes though, a veterinarian must perform a blood and a urinalysis test. These two tests together will rule out any other cause of the symptoms, and they will help the veterinarian to decide how best to begin treatment.
Diagnosing Diabetes in Dogs
When a dog is suffering from diabetes, the body is unable to process sugars. These unprocessed sugars will eventually be excreted through the urine in the form of glucose. Glucose is not normally present in the urine, and any level of glucose in the urine indicates the possibility of diabetes. Diabetes also causes the body to go into a starvation mode; the dog’s body is unable to get energy from sugars, and so the body begins to break down fats as an energy source. The break down of fats causes a substance, called ketones, to be excreted in the urine as well. The presence of ketones in the urine is also a positive indicator for diabetes. Most dogs who suffer from diabetes are at a high risk of having a urinary tract infection too; the high level of sugar in the bladder promotes the growth of bacteria leading to an infection. The urinalysis will let the veterinarian know if the dog needs to be treated for a UTI.
While a urine test by itself is a good indicator of the absence or presence of diabetes, a blood test is necessary to reach a 100% positive conclusion. The blood test will check for abnormally high or low levels of glucose in the body, and a blood test will also let the veterinarian know if the dog’s kidneys have been affected by the disease.
While diabetes is a serious disease that needs immediate treatment, it can be effectively controlled through diet and insulin regulation. Many dog owners today have diabetic dogs that lead happy, healthy, and long lives thanks to the treatment options that are now available.