{"id":537,"date":"2022-11-01T17:21:08","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T22:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/?p=537"},"modified":"2022-11-01T17:21:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T22:21:09","slug":"helping-my-pet-avoid-diabetes-what-you-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tenwestvet.com\/blog\/helping-my-pet-avoid-diabetes-what-you-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping My Pet Avoid Diabetes: What You Can Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Dog<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes is a disease that affects many animals. Both cats and dogs can develop it, and it can be a very serious problem for both. At Ten West Bird and Animal Hospita<\/a>l, it is our goal to keep our pet patients as healthy as possible. While sometimes diabetes in animals happens despite prevention measures, being a proactive pet owner can go a long way to avoiding it in many cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

A Little About Diabetes in Pets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of us have a frame of reference about what diabetes is from our encounters with it in the world of human health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the body cannot utilize glucose normally. Glucose, a type of sugar, is the body\u2019s main source of energy.

As food enters the digestive tract, glucose is absorbed from it into the cells that line the intestines. From there, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered throughout the body. As the glucose reaches other cells a hormone called insulin helps it to move from the blood into them. Insulin is made by the pancreas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there is not enough insulin being produced, or if the body\u2019s cells need a higher amount of insulin than normal, the glucose is unable to be absorbed and accumulates in the bloodstream. High glucose levels in the blood is called hyperglycemia. At a certain level, the glucose begins to spill over into the urine, pulling large amounts of water along with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end result of this is that the body\u2019s cells are starved of energy, forcing the use of fat and muscle stores for energy. This results in symptoms including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n