Know What Happens If A Diabetic Dog Goes Untreated Here!

Have you ever asked yourself, “what happens if a diabetic dog goes untreated”? Since you’re here, you are very likely to be curious. 

It does evoke fear and the appearance of scary thoughts when your dog is showing signs of diabetes or officially got diagnosed with that. Thankfully, though, this disease is controllable and treatable.

Explore and learn more about diabetes as you read along, and be able to help your dog outlive diabetes actively.

Here’s What Happens If A Diabetic Dog Goes Untreated

Diabetes is a disease when the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin that a pup needs. Genetics, Chronic Pancreatitis, and obesity might be one of the many causes of diabetes. There are three types of it:

• The most common insulin-dependent.
• Non Insulin-dependent, which is similar to humans.
• Hormone-induced, which is related to pregnancy.

Regardless of the type, if left untreated, the chances for a long and healthy life are vague.

Fortunately, one can preserve your pup’s life with immediate and proper treatment. But without undergoing treatment, an article about diabetes in dogs claims that the following is what a dog might face:

1. Cataracts
2. Dehydration
3. Diabetic Ketoacidosis
4. Liver diseases
5. Malnutrition
6. Nonketotic hyperosmolar syndrome
7. Urinary Tract Infections
8. Weakness to partial paralysis in the legs

Without treatments and if they acquire the illnesses mentioned above, it might lead to an early death. It is best not to let diabetes develop into the final stage before deciding to undergo treatment. The later the treatment is, the harder it’ll be to manage diabetes.

Gene therapy, insulin injection, diet management, and glucose monitoring are some of the treatments your dog might undergo. It still depends on what the veterinarian sees as the best method to utilize.

What Dogs Are More Prone To Diabetes?

Here are some that are more prone to getting diagnosed with diabetes:

• It is a more common disease for middle-aged and older dogs and rare for young ones.
• Unspayed and pregnant females
• Obese or overweight dogs
• Breeds like Australian Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Keeshond, Labrador Retriever, Norwegian ElkHound, Poodle, Pug, Samoyed, and Spitz
• Genetics may play a role.

Some diseases may also cause more complications with diabetes, such as urinary tract infections (UTI), Cushing’s disease, and pancreatitis.

How To Prolong A Diabetic Dog’s Life?

Undergoing treatment isn’t the only thing that will help dogs face diabetes. As a pup parent, you’ll have a massive role in helping and supporting them. 

The following are a few things that you should take note of, as this would help relieve the burden on diabetic dogs:

• Awareness

The first thing you should know is the main symptoms of diabetes. Knowing the signs can lead to early identification, diagnosis, and dog diabetes treatment. As always, one should aim for early prevention – so here are some common symptoms of diabetes:

• Unquenchable thirst
• Frequent urination
• Increased appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Cloudy eye/s
• Weakness

• Be Updated

Be sure to know your pup’s vet’s scheduled check-ups or treatments. Scheduled check-ups help identify immediate changes and complications that might appear in your dog. Veterinarians find diabetes through tests like blood chemistry, urinalysis, and fructosamine. 

• Know the Do’s And Don’ts

Also, ask what your diabetic dog can do or not do, as well as what they can eat and what they can’t. Also, if you live with other people, inform them about your dog’s condition, so they’ll be aware too.

It is worth knowing what food is safe to feed to your dogs. Foods with sugar or sweeteners, starchy foods, white rice, and bread are what they should avoid. While salad greens, winter squash, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and oatmeal are some of those that are safe for them to eat.

• Provide Quality Diet

Provide good quality and balanced diet; it is best if the vet recommends it; if they didn’t recommend one, you could ask directly. And if you need to adjust portions or make changes, be sure to consult the vet first.

• Keep Up Exercises

Encourage your dog to keep up on exercises. It’ll be good for them to stay fit and active. Obesity might trigger or cause issues in diabetes, so know what your dog breed’s average weight should be and strive to achieve that.

• Always Monitor

Be ready for a long time of monitoring and treatment. It’ll be hard sometimes, but as a fur parent, it is a must that you’ll be there for them no matter what.

• Be Prepared

Learn more about diseases that might affect your dog.

Conclusion

In conclusion, regarding what happens if a diabetic dog goes untreated, the answer would be that multiple severe complications might appear. Although diabetes is a common and manageable disease, a dog’s life would shorten if neglected.

Are you having a hard time cheering your pup up? Allowing them to wallow in sickness and weakness might worsen their diseases. Maybe getting them a companion would help Doobert would be a good starting point. Doobert is a great organization that helps and supports dogs, be a part of their mission and adopt one.