Your poodle and diabetes

We all know about the killer disease known as diabetes.  In many cases it is manageable but for far too many, it is a deadly disease which claims many lives each and every year.

But, the sad fact is, that many poodles and other dog breeds are at risk just like humans are.  As far as your poodle and diabetes is concerned, it is a disease that is rather common in dogs.  According to the webmd statistics, the most common breeds of dogs that are affected are Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Miniature Schnauzers, Keeshonden, and Poodles, but all breeds of dogs can get diabetes.

Your poodle and diabetes

Poodles can have diabetes, too

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas and it is caused when there is an inadequate production of insulin, which is the job of the islet cells.  Insulin is required for the glucose to pass into cells, where it produces energy for the dog's metabolism.  A deficiency in insulin can result in hyperglycemia, which is high blood sugar.  It is also the cause of glycosuria, or, high urine sugar.  Too much glucose in the urine is the reason your poodle or dog will urinate excessively and also become dehydrated and drink lots of water.
If you suspect a problem with diabetes in your poodle, take it to your vet for blood testing.  Some of the more severe symptoms of advanced diabetes are loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting and even coma.
One of the worst things you can do for your dog is to let it be overfed or gain too much weight.  A poodle's weight should be around 45 to 70 pounds for standard poodles and around 14 to 17 pounds for a miniature poodle.  Overfeeding can lead to an overweight dog, which is a bad state for a dog to be in.  Overweight and obese dogs are much more at risk for diabetes than if they were in the normal weight range.
From Webmd, this is what they had to say about the treatment of diabetes for your poodle:

Dietary control and daily injections of insulin can regulate most diabetic dogs, allowing them to lead active, healthy lives. Oral hypoglycemic agents used for treating diabetes in people have not been effective in dogs, but research is continuing in this area.

Insulin requirements cannot be predicted solely on the basis of the dog’s weight, because the degree of pancreatic failure is different in every dog. The daily insulin dose must be established for each individual. In the newly diagnosed diabetic, insulin therapy is started at home. After a week of treatment, the dog is brought back to the clinic and a blood glucose curve (a series of blood sugar tests drawn over 12 to 24 hours) is obtained to see when the blood glucose peaks and hits its lows. Refinements are then made in the dosage and timing of the injections. How to prepare and inject the insulin will be explained to you by your veterinarian. You may be asked to monitor urine glucose levels by collecting urine samples and using a test strip (a small piece of paper that indicates the glucose levels in urine).

Read from the original article here

When it comes to your poodle and diabetes, diet and nutrition is key, as well as proper food intake.  Too much food and too many treats are not going to be very good for your poodle's health in the long run.
Keep this advice in mind and please share this with others so they can know the dangers of diabetes in poodles as well.