Diabetes and your pet - 5 - Diet and exercise

Pet Type

Dog

Issue

General Health

Feeding

This is a very important aspect of a diabetics treatment, When animals eat, their blood sugar levels will rise, so controlling what and when they eat is very vital to gain good control of their blood sugar.

Dogs

Dogs are similar to people in that after they eat, their blood sugar immediately climbs, therefore their eating patterns and insulin injections need to be carefully matched and controlled.
It is very important that dogs eat before they are given their insulin. If they are injected, and then don't eat, there is a danger their blood sugar levels could fall dangerously low. If you are at all concerned about injecting your dog, always speak to your veterinary surgeon.
Dogs who are given insulin once daily should be fed 1/3rd of their daily ration after their injection in the morning, and then 2/3rds about 8 hours later, when the insulin will have its peak effect, and the blood sugar levels are likely to be at their lowest.
Dogs who are injected twice daily should be fed 1/2 their daily ration with each injection.
Diabetic dogs should receive no treats or snacks between meals. Treats will cause the blood sugar levels to rise and the insulin may not be able to control them. Also, diabetics are often overweight, and if they can lose weight, their condition will be easier to control and their general health will improve.
The ideal food for a diabetic is low in fat and high in fibre. There are prescription diets available for diabetic dogs, and these can be very helpful. To learn more about diabetic diets, click

Cats

In cats, the after eating rise in blood sugar is less marked, so it is not as important as in dogs to ensure they eat at certain times.
However, it is important that they do eat at some point, otherwise the insulin could cause the blood sugar to fall to dangerously low levels.
Cats who are fed wet food should be fed in a similar fashion to dogs, twice daily is best.
Cats who are fed dry food can also be fed twice daily, but the biscuits can be left down to allow your cat to graze, which is how most cats will eat.
It is important that the total food intake is monitored closely, diabetics should eat the same amount every day in order to ensure good control.
Diabetic cats are often overweight, so controlling their food intake is very important. If they can lose weight, their diabetes will be more easily controlled, and even reversed in some cases.
There are diabetic prescription diets for cats. It can be a very good idea to feed these. In some cats, the diabetes can be controlled by diet alone. For more information on diabetic diets, click .

Exercise

It is important that a diabetic animals exercise levels are consistent from day to day, exercising burns calories and can lower blood sugar levels.
In cats it is not normally necessary to do anything at all, they are very good at regulating their own energy levels, generally doing very little!
In dogs, it is obviously more important. Dogs should be given the same level of exercise every day.

Hypoglycaemics

There are tablets, 'Hypoglycaemics' which can be given to try to reduce the blood sugar levels in some cases.
They stimulate the production or release of insulin.
They are not commonly used and are often not very successful as most diabetic animals can no longer produce insulin, or are resistant to its effects.
However, your vet may suggest them if the animal has difficult to control diabetes, or they cannot be injected with insulin.