What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (abbreviated as DM) is a condition caused by a lack of insulin, which affects your dog or cat's blood glucose (blood sugar) levels.
Does your dog or cat show any of the following symptoms?
- Very thirsty.
- Pee a lot.
- Good appetite but still weight loss.
Below are a number of videos. Here you can clearly see what the symptoms are and how we can best tackle diabetes.
Recognize diabetes
Symptoms of diabetes
A visit to the vet
Treatment of diabetes
If your dog or cat has diabetes, you will need to administer insulin daily to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. The amount of insulin required varies from animal to animal. Insulin can be administered with an insulin syringe or with an insulin pen.
You may be dreading the idea of injecting your pet. Ask your vet or veterinary diabetes consultant for advice and tips.
Treating your pet for diabetes may require effort, but it is worth it. Pets with controlled diabetes drink, eat, urinate and exercise at normal levels. Their weight is usually stable and the risk of complications is lower.
Healthy lifestyle
In addition to insulin treatments, it is also important to adjust your pet's lifestyle.
A dog with diabetes benefits from regularity.
Exercise regularly
the exercise the animal gets affects the insulin requirement. A dog with diabetes benefits from being walked at regular times. A few standard routes also have an effect. The more regular the animal lives, the more stable the insulin requirement. If the dog or cat suddenly moves a lot and uses energy, there is a greater need for insulin.
The Weight
A healthy body weight is of great importance for animals; for healthy animals and for animals with diabetes. Overweight dogs or cats can cause various health problems, such as diabetes. Keep a close eye on weight gain or loss
Do you have a dog or cat with diabetes? Then pay extra attention to the body weight of your animal. In case of unexpected weight gain or weight loss, contact your veterinarian or veterinary diabetes consultant.
The nutrition
Animals with diabetes also need regularity when it comes to feeding and eating meals. So give your pet the same amount of food (of the same composition) at the same time every day. Food affects your dog or cat's insulin needs. The right food is therefore crucial. There are even special diets developed for animals with diabetes, which respond to the animal's changed needs. Special food is usually available at every veterinary practice. A number of Royal Canin foods also have the so-called taste guarantee. If the animal really does not like the adjusted diet, it can be returned to Royal Canin.
The VetPen
The VetPen is a pen developed for humans and animals. This is usually easiest for the owner to use. If you come to our veterinary diabetes consultant, she will tell you exactly how it works and we will practice together. Each starter kit contains at least the following:
- A box of needles for the first 14 days.
- A USB stick so you can watch the explanation again at home.
- The blue bag to store the VetPen properly.
- A number of additional attachments ensure that the pen fits comfortably in the hand of every user.
- A needle remover (this removes the needle from the pen itself).
Practice in practice
For explanations and questions about the Vetpen, you can visit one of our veterinarians. He or she will take the time to discuss the use of the Vetpen in a relaxed atmosphere and to practice together. Your pet is also welcome to come along (if they like).
Only when everything is clear or all doubts have been removed, you leave the practice with the following:
- The grease pen.
- A USB stick to watch an explanation again.
- A booklet or link with all the brochures and letters.
- A needle bucket.
- Another appointment with our veterinarian or veterinary diabetes consultant to measure the glucose.
Do you have any questions or doubts? Please contact us.
