Diabetes and your pet - 7 - Diabetic complications

Diabetic complications

Difficulty in stabilising the diabetes

• It is common in the first few weeks to months of a diabetic being diagnosed that there will be many changes to the insulin doses and regime.
• However, some patients may have difficult to control diabetes and need more intensive treatment.
• All aspects of the animals life need to be considered, such as diet, exercise, and weight.
• Vets may use several glucose curves over several weeks in order to find out the problem and find the right insulin dose.
• Entire bitches must be spayed, the hormonal changes during a season will disturb the insulin control.
• There are some diseases which can underlie the diabetes and make it difficult to control, such as Cushings disease or Acromegaly. These can also be diagnosed by blood tests.
• If your pet is proving difficult to control, do not despair, the huge majority are eventually very well controlled, but some take longer than others.
  

Hypoglycaemia (Low Blood Sugar Levels)

• This is potentially a very serious problem, and comes about when the blood sugar levels of a diabetic fall too low.
• It can occur for many reasons for example;
  
  • the animal is accidentally given too high an insulin dose,
  • the animal is injected with insulin but then doesn't eat
  • The animal, usually dogs, over exercise and burn up too much energy.
• A hypoglycaemic episode is most commonly seen 6-8 hours after insulin has been given, as this is when it has its peak action in the body.
• The signs of hypoglycaemia are;
  • Your pet becomes shaky or weak
  • They seem unable to walk, staggering or stumbling
  • If left untreated they can collapse and fall into a coma
• If you are at all concerned you should contact your veterinary surgeon immediately for advice, or take your pet to the vet.
• It is important to try to raise their blood sugar levels as quickly as possible, your vet can do this by putting them on a drip containing glucose but at home you can;
  • If they are conscious, feed them a sugary treat such as a biscuit or honey
  • In cats you can just feed them, or try to put sugar or honey into their mouths or rubbed onto their gums.
  • Glucose tablets or powder are easily available from your local chemist or your vet, and are good to have on hand for a diabetic animal.

• This will generally only occur in an untreated or very poorly controlled diabetic animal, but it is a life threatening condition and must be treated immediately.
• It occurs when the blood sugar levels have been too high for too long and the body can no longer cope.
• Clinical signs of ketoacidosis include
  • Sudden onset lethargy and depression
  • Weakness, your pet may be unable to stand, or stagger when they walk
  • Drinking and urinating very large amounts.
  • Vomiting
  • Collapse
  • Sweet smelling breath - this is typical of ketoacidosis, but not all people can detect the smell.
• An animal showing signs of ketoacidosis should be taken to a vet immediately. The vet will take blood and urine samples to confirm the diagnosis and start intensive treatment to try to save them.
• Ketoacidosis is a life threatening condition and the animal will die if they are left untreated.
  

Being the owner of a diabetic animal is demanding, but also hugely rewarding when you see your pet respond to the treatment and become their old selves again. There is no doubt it is a huge commitment on your part, but your vet should always be available to help and answer any queries.

Please note, this is an advice only website, if you have any specific concerns or queries about your pet, you should contact your veterinary surgeon.