Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to take care of your diabetic dog? Canine diabetes is a manageable disease, but it’s up to the pet owner to carry out the treatment plan. If you’re struggling, read on to learn the three things you must know to manage diabetes in dogs.
Diet For Dogs With Diabetes Is Very Important
In order to avoid blood sugar spikes and dips, you’ll be feeding your pet twice a day, twelve hours apart. But what to feed your canine diabetic?
Avoiding foods with sugar would seem to be the most obvious thing you should be doing. But do you realize that most dry and semi-moist dog foods contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates? Your pet’s body breaks carbs down into glucose–so a high-carb diet is the last thing you should be feeding your pet. Even the prescription diets your vet sells are high in carbs. Get in the habit of reading pet food labels.
Fats and proteins are also broken down into glucose, but it happens much more slowly than with carbs. This type of diet helps to avoid blood sugar spikes right after meals.
A high-quality canned dog food is your best choice. Avoid sneaking your buddy table scraps or treats made with flour and sugar, as this sort of thing will play havoc with his blood sugar levels.
Keep Up With Your Diabetic Dog’s Medications
Your vet will teach you how to monitor your pet’s blood sugar. You’ll either use urine strips to measure the amount of sugar present in your pet’s urine, or a blood glucose monitor like people use.
More than likely, you’ll be giving your pet two insulin injections a day. Talk to your vet, but it’s probably best to wait to give the shots until after you feed your companion. If you give the shots before a meal, and then he doesn’t eat, his blood sugar levels can drop to dangerous levels, and he can go into hypoglycemia, which can be fatal. You’ll need to get him to the vet quickly if this happens.
Exercise For A Pet With Canine Diabetes
Always talk to your vet before setting up an exercise plan for your pet, as exercise will affect his blood sugar levels.
There are two things to remember about exercise and a diabetic dog. First, you must keep him on a schedule. A ten-minute walk at the same time every day is much better for your pet than a vigorous 30-minute exercise session twice a week.
A low-key activity like hiking or swimming is best. Low-key means your pet won’t get out of breath.
If your buddy hasn’t been very active in the past, it’s best to start out slowly. You’d be surprised how far a small amount of exercise will go to control his blood sugar levels.
The key is to be consistent. If his activity level varies drastically from day to day, it can cause his blood sugar levels to spike.
When you go for a walk, take a little sweetener like Karo syrup with you. If his blood sugar should drop while you’re out, rub a little on his gums to bring his sugar levels back up.
Can Natural Remedies For Dogs Help Control Blood Sugar Levels?
Prevention is the best way to treat canine diabetes. Keep your pet’s weight under control by feeding him a high-quality diet, and avoiding treats and table scraps. Regular exercise will help with weight control, and is a natural way to control blood sugar levels.
Research has shown than certain herbs and dietary supplements are useful in regulating blood sugar levels in both people and pets. Don’t wait another day to start taking steps to prevent diabetes in dogs. Protect your pet by learning more about natural remedies for dogs right now.
Darlene Norris has combined her experience working at a vet clinic with her long-time interest in natural healing to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Diabetes Control. Learn how you can use natural remedies for dogs to prevent canine diabetes by visiting http://NaturalPetDiabetesControl.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/managing-your-diabetic-dog-three-things-you-must-know-919100.html
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