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Diabetes in Pets -

Post by: Kenzie on Nov 20th 2018

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Diabetes in Pets

November is nationally recognized as American Diabetes Month, but did you know that it is also Pet Diabetes Awareness Month? Diabetes in dogs and cats has become a growing epidemic throughout the years. Knowing what diabetes is, how to prevent it, and how to treat it if your pet develops it is our responsibility as pet owners to keep our best friends as healthy and happy as possible. Here are some facts about diabetes in pets, brought to you by our pet door installation experts.

What Is Diabetes?

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Diabetes in pets, like in humans, results from the glucose-insulin connection malfunctioning because of an insulin complication. This can either be an insulin deficiency in your pet's body (known in humans as Type 1 diabetes) or that the body isn't using its insulin effectively as a result of insulin resistance (or Type 2 diabetes). Type 1 diabetes is caused when the pancreas cannot produce insulin in the way it should, prohibiting glucose from getting into the cells of the body to be converted into energy. Type 2 is induced by your pet's diet. While there is good insulin production in their body, they will become insulin-resistant because they consume too much sugar.

The Causes and Risk Factors

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Though we commonly associate obesity and diet as being causes of diabetes, there are many other risk factors that can raise your pet's risk of developing diabetes. These include breed or genetics, age, auto-immunity, GMOs, gender, toxins, an inflamed pancreas, vaccinations, metabolic syndrome, and the long-term use of steroid drugs. While your pet's diet is certainly something you need to keep a careful watch over to reduce their likelihood of developing diabetes, it certainly isn't the only possible cause.

The Signs

If your dog or cat does have diabetes, how do you recognize the signs? Symptoms of diabetes can develop gradually over time, such as the following:

  • Frequent Urination - Also known as polyuria, frequent urination is an early warning sign of diabetes in both humans and pets. The excess glucose that builds up in your pet's blood ends up being too much for their kidneys to handle, so that excess sugar has to be released into their urine along with other fluids from their tissues. If you notice your pet's urine production has gone up throughout the day or that they are having accidents inside the house suddenly, this could be an indication of diabetes.
  • Increased Thirst - Another classic symptom, increased thirst (known as polydipsia) comes hand-in-hand with frequent urination. The more your pet urinates the more dehydrated they will become. This dehydration also comes from the kidneys not being able to keep up with the backed up glucose in their blood.
  • Increased Appetite - If your pet suddenly seems to be constantly starving despite no change in their diet, don't immediately blame it on the amount or type of food they eat. Dogs and cats with diabetes are extra hungry because the amino acids/glucose that their body needs aren't there or aren't being used properly.
  • Sudden Weight Loss - Though your pet may be hungrier and eating more than normal, noticing that they are also experiencing a sudden weight loss is a prevalent symptom of diabetes because of an increased metabolism and/or their body's inability to get energy from the food they eat.
  • Vomiting - If your pet's diabetes as progressed to the point of ketoacidosis before being diagnosed, vomiting is a common side effect.
  • Weakness and/or Fatigue - An unusual lethargy and lack of energy in a customarily upbeat pet could be a sign that their cells are being deprived of blood sugar.
  • Urinary Tract Infection - Urinary tract infections are common for pets with diabetes. This is because there is more sugar than there should be in the urine, allowing for a greater chance of bacterial growth in your pet's bladder.
  • Kidney Failure - Most notably in cats, kidney failure is often one of the first diabetic diagnosis. This is due to the sugar that is not being retained in your pet's bloodstream entering into their urine, causing the kidneys to become overwhelmed with the extra sugar.

If you begin to notice some of these symptoms in your dog, contact your vet so they can be tested for diabetes before their condition worsens.

Treatment

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If your dog begins showing signs of toxicity after eating chocolate, immediately contact or visit your veterinarian or a Pet Poison Helpline for treatment. Based on the size and weight of your dog and the amount they ingested, your vet may tell you to monitor them for symptoms and call back if their condition deteriorates. They can also induce vomiting to get the toxins out of the body if the chocolate was recently consumed. If they fear your dog is a more severe case, they may choose to put them on medication or IV fluids. You can also take immediate steps at home after you witness your dog get ahold of some chocolate. Giving them a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide (mixed with something more palatable to make it easier to get down) will help them to vomit the chocolate up, or if you can't get them to vomit you can feed them to hopefully dilute the effect of the theobromine. If you see them eat a large portion of chocolate, though, it's safer to contact a vet right away for advice.

Caring for a pet with diabetes is a daunting task at first, but you'll soon find that it's a manageable condition for them to live with. The changes will become part of yours and your pet's daily life. With some special attention and hard work, your dog or cat will lead a happy and nearly normal life.

Do you have any questions? Contact Glass Pet Doors today to discuss pet door installation , perfect for helping your diabetic pets have easy access to outdoor exercise. We're happy to help!

What Our Customers Say

  • Lisa Jensen
    Can't say enough good about working with Trevor at Utah Pet Access to have a dog door installed at my mother's home. Very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you!
  • Michael Riggs
    Installed a large pet door at my house. They did a great job, despite the fact that my back door's decoration made it complex. I am very satisfied. Thank you!
  • Amy Romney
    Utah Pet Access was great to work with. They were very responsive. The bid and install guys both showed up on time for their appointments. They both explained everything in detail and were very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!
  • Jake Buxton
    Easily the best in the biz! There's another rag tag outfit running around using inferior product and the finished product from Utah Pet Access is far better looking. Almost as if the door came from the factory this way! Impressed!
  • Brian Long
    UPA replaced a large, fixed arched window that is on the 3rd floor. They did encounter a problem with the thickness of the gap between the panes on the day of the install but caught it before fully removing the original window. They were out the next business day to finish the job. First day it was raining; second day the wind was rather bad. No complaints from them. Also had them replace the fixed glass in french doors with ones that have the built-in blinds. We will use UPA again if the need arises.
  • Nicole Stirling
    Great experience. Fast service, good communication, excellent product.
  • Lance Beech
    Great installer did a gray job fast I have nothing but good to say about the company and the people who work there
  • sandra bithell-hottel
    professional, timely and quality workmanship they’ve done three doors for me and they stand behind their workmanship!
  • Michael St Clair
    They have done 3 pet doors for me over the last 6 years and every time they have done an amazing job. They are very professional and cleanup everything when done. It always looks great and they have amazing solutions for every house I have put a dog door in.
  • Hunter Bigelow
    We love our glass door with the pet door! One of the best purchases we have made for both us and our pets. Utah Pet Access was great to work with and were professional and knowledgeable throughout the process. Would 100% recommend them to anybody.
  • John Skedros
    They are a great company to work with. We had a small problem with the door. It was still under warranty and they came by and fixed it without any hassle to us.
  • Amanda Marriott
    Brad and Utah Pet Access has been absolutely amazing! The door is not only beautiful, but is functional. From the time that we communicated with Brad to the time the door was installed…was seamless and smooth. Great communication. The installation was precise and quick. The installer was kind and professional. Good with my 3 German Shepherds and he did amazing work. I would highly recommend Utah Pet Access for any of your door and pet door needs! Thank you!!
  • Jenny D
    We absolutely love our pet door!! The employees are very kind and pleasant to work with! I highly recommended them.
  • R.D. Parsons
    Life changing as a pet owner after we were able to get a dog door installed. Happy pets and happy owners. Pet Access was fast, professional and friendly when it came to getting the project completed.
  • Darrell Poleviyaoma
    Utah Per Access had a wonderful and great customer service. Great installation and great product will totally recommend them to someone else and family.
  • Cristian Wood
    Trevor and his team are as professional as they come! They are always going above and beyond and providing an outstanding experience. I have and would still highly recommend them.
  • Jennifer Bellows
    Great company to work with! So responsive and reliable! My large Labrador loves his large Endura Flap door. Took less than a month from the initial phone call to install. I highly recommend this company.
  • Heather Bandiola
    We had a great experience with our pet door purchase, the customer service, and installation. We not only got the pet door installed but had the glass on the other side replaced also. We had it installed over a year ago and we're still happy with it. Thank you!
  • dbbedoya
    Did an amazing job and adapted to some last minute changes to make it even more accessible for my doggie! Thank you so much! Great company to work with!
  • Lindsay Flesch
    We just recently ordered and had a beautiful patio door with dog and blind insert installed. Utah Pet Access went above and beyond to ensure that we were happy with our finished product. I would strongly recommend this company for your pet door installation. Their customer service was excellent. Thank you Utah Pet Access!
  • William B
    Great work. The dogs love it and I’ve had zero issues with the door or installation.
  • Michelle Flesher
    I love, love, love my pet door from Utah Pets. I was very worried about getting the measurements right, but with Trevor's help it was a breeze. Thanks so much.
  • candace ashby
    These guys were awesome. Great service, friendly, my dog door looks awesome. I’ve sent them to a few of my neighbors. Highly recommend!
  • Steve Uragami
    Pet door works great!! Installation was fast and clean.
  • Mark Zambrzycki
    Had an excellent experience with Utah Pet Access getting a dog door installed in my glass patio slider. Trevor was extremely responsive and helpful. He worked with my glass company to get the order done right and shipped to them. It was then installed perfectly, with no issues. Please give them a call!!!
  • David Artica
    My wife and I have loved this product. Our dog goes in and out to our backyard at will. It’s nice to not have to worry about her being stuck inside all day. Best of all I never had to buy a sliding door, or drill any holes in ours
  • Chad Anderson
    Easy to work with. Great product.
  • Jenny Yergensen
    Super easy to work with, did a fantastic job and were less than one or two other competitors that I looked at! Would definitely recommend…having a doggie door for our 2 dogs has been a complete game changer!
  • Sarah Willardson
    I looked everywhere online to find a product to install in my home that would work for my dog's needs. They were the PERFECT solution. Could not be happier with the product and service!
  • Melanie Hall
    Worth every penny that I spent on the dog door, as it has made a huge difference for my elderly dog. Great service and workmanship.
  • Jason Rabbitt
    I absolutely recommend this place. Their price was the best I found in the area and they were very kind and helpful. They answered all my questions and went over all my options. I ended up being able to keep the original glass (safely stored in my home) which means if I ever sell my town house, and the buyers don't want a doggie door, Utah Pet Access will come back to my home and install the original glass (for a very reasonable install fee). The installation was quick and they helped me store the original glass safely. I've had my doggie door for over a year now, and it still works great, the magnetic latch still works very well, and my dachshund uses it every day.
  • David K
    They were professional and installed a great looking doggy door for us. 2 years later it still works like new.
  • Andy Nichols
    High quality door and professional guidance through selecting the right door for my house.
  • Tony Washington
    The company provided us with an excellent installation of our pet door at a very reasonable price.
  • Pete Gallegos
    Utah Pet Access did a great job putting a doggie door on my 8' tall French door with the blinds inside the glass. I have recommended them to many friends and family
  • Abby Jenkins
    Utah Pet Access was responsive, friendly, and prompt with their consultation and door installation. I've had my pet door for about a year now and have had zero issues. It is well insulated, quiet, and easy to use. The cat and dog love it!
  • Kevin Edwards
    Great product and very easy to install.