Types of Canine Diabetes
September 26, 2009
Normally, your dog’s body produces insulin through the pancreas to help aid digestion. However, problems occur when he becomes diabetic. Abnormalities could go in two ways depending on which kind of diabetes he has.
Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
This is the more common among the two, and causes deficiency in insulin production. When glucose production is no longer regulated, it becomes excessive and this could badly affect your dog’s health.
When your dog has Diabetes Mellitus, the liver will not stop producing glucose, and when blood glucose levels are fully concentrated, it leaks into the kidneys and goes into the urine. This results in water loss as shown through excessive urination as well as excessive thirst.
There are two types of Diabetes Mellitus: we have type I and type II. Type I is a congenital problem that exists in dogs even at a young age, and type II which is the more common type, is otherwise coined as insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus, which is what middle aged dogs acquire.
Diabetes Insipidus
This type is less common than Diabetes Mellitus. However, in spite being a rare condition, Diabetes Insipidus is very dangerous and has been the cause of many deaths among dogs. The symptoms of this disease are similar to DM; these are mostly excessive thirst and urination. Diabetes Insipidus are also of two types: Central Diabetes Insipidus and Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus.
Central Diabetes Insipidus: There is a deficiency in production of antidiuretic hormones (ADH) from the brain. This could be caused by a congenital defect or the presence of tumor or trauma.
Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus: When this disease occurs, the kidney will no longer respond to ADH hormones due to non responsive receptors. This condition may be brought about by infections, congenital defects, and medications.
Both kinds of canine diabetes are dangerous medical conditions that require visits to the vet so that proper treatment would be given. Along with medication, lifestyle changes are needed if you want to keep your dog in good shape and save him from the effects of worsened cases of canine diabetes.