Is diabetes serious in dogs? – Animals health

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease characterized by increased blood glucose. In this sense, it can appear in both dogs and cats, being more frequent in bitches from the age of 7, according to the veterinarian Mireia García Roselló, professor in the Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery at CEU Cardenal Herrera University. As the expert clarifies, in veterinary there are two types. On the one hand, type I diabetes, which is caused by a deficiency in insulin synthesis secondary to the destruction of pancreatic β cells, and on the other, type II diabetes. In the second case, it is due to tissue resistance to it; There are a number of risk factors: concomitant endocrine diseases (Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism), bacterial infections, administration of drugs (cyclosporine, glucocorticoids…) and obesity. Gestational diabetes and that associated with right-handedness are also described. Regarding the diagnosis, García Roselló points out, it is carried out through a good anamnesis and clinical history, a thorough physical examination and the performance of complementary tests. Likewise, dogs with diabetes mellitus are characterized by complying with the “4P”: polydipsia (they ingest more water); polyuria (urinate more); weightloss; ypolyphagia (increased appetite). “When diabetes mellitus is suspected, a complete blood test should be performed. The most common finding is an increase in fasting glucose above 200 mg/dl. The measurement of serum fructosamine is also very useful, since it is a glycosylated serum protein whose elevated concentration indicates persistent hyperglycemia during the 2 weeks prior to the analysis”, points out the university professor. In addition, it is common to observe elevations in cholesterol, triglycerides and liver enzymes due to the metabolism of lipids in the liver secondary to the lack of glucose. Urinalysis also helps diagnosis, he remarks, because in a diabetic patient there is glycosuria (presence of glucose in the urine), although urine density may be normal (due to the presence of glucose in the urine) or decreased by polyuria/ polydipsia “It is important to carry out a study of the sediment and a urine culture and antibiogram, since diabetic patients are predisposed to urinary tract infections,” she recommends. A DIABETIC DOG IS IN DANGER The most serious complication of diabetes mellitus, points out the veterinarian, is ketoacidosis, because, if it appears, the animal manifests anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, weakness, hypothermia and coma. Ketoacidosis is characterized by the presence of ketone bodies in the blood and is the result of a response to a lack of glucose, since the body obtains the energy it needs from the ketone bodies produced by the liver after lipolysis of fatty acids. In the case of type I diabetes mellitus, treatment consists of administering exogenous insulin. There are several types of insulin on the market, one of the most used being, according to García Roselló, the one known by the name of Caninsulin, from MSD Animal Health. In the treatment of diabetes mellitus, the role of the owner is fundamental because, in addition to administering insulin subcutaneously at home, he must be very attentive to the appearance of complications associated with therapy; the most important is hypoglycemia, emphasizes the veterinarian. CAN THE DOG WITH DIABETES MELLITUS BECOME BLIND? Approximately 8 out of 10 dogs with diabetes mellitus develop cataracts, according to García Roselló. These cataracts are characterized by very rapid development (intumescent) that is often accompanied by rupture of the lens capsule. “This fact gives rise to a large intraocular inflammation (uveitis) and if they are not intervened in time, serious sequelae can appear that impede vision and can cause pain,” he emphasizes. Bilateral intumescent cataract in a 9-year-old Dachshund diagnosed with diabetes mellitus The treatment of cataracts, once the patient has been stabilized from diabetes mellitus, is surgical. It consists of performing a phacoemulsification of the cataract and subsequently inserting an artificial lens into the lens sac. Before surgery, it is essential to carry out a complete ophthalmological examination that includes the determination of the tear, by means of the Schirmer Test, the measurement of intraocular pressure with tonometry, the performance of fluorescein staining to rule out the presence of ulcers and the assessment of the anterior segment with the slit lamp. “Frequently, the cataract does not allow a correct examination of the eye fundus, so it is necessary to perform an ocular ultrasound and an electroretinography to guarantee that the retina works correctly”, concludes the veterinarian. Bilateral intumescent cataract in a 9-year-old Dachshund diagnosed with diabetes mellitus