Dr. Lee is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, New York State Veterinary Medical Society, and the Veterinary Medical Association on NYC. Her professional interests include dermatology, dentistry, and internal medicine. During her leisure time, she spends time with her two cats, Matti and Brinley, who she rescued while living in St. Kitts. Dr. Lee has gained national attention for her expertise and care with pets. She has been a pet expert for ABC News Worldwide; she is the Wal-Mart veterinarian (http://www.youtube.com/user/PetAdviceSeries), and has written articles for Good Housekeeping and other national magazines. 
  
Diabetes in Dogs
Diabetes Mellitus, commonly called sugar diabetes by many people, is a common disease in human and veterinary medicine. It is characterized by insulin deficiency or dysfunction that results in increase glucose (sugar) concentration in the blood and urine. There are three different types in animals. 
1.       Type 1 is the most commonly found in dogs; it is comparable to insulin dependent diabetes in humans- aka they require insulin administration.
2.       Type 2 is found in cats and is similar to non-insulin dependent diabetes in humans. This can sometimes be managed by diet and/or oral medications. This type can go into remission.
3.       Type 3 is less common and is due to other hormones interfering with the action of insulin, ie pregnancy. 
What are the symptoms of Diabetes in dogs?
1.       Excessive water consumption
2.       Excessive urination
3.       Increased appetite with weight loss
4.       Dehydration
Sometimes Diabetes can be seen with other illnesses like urinary tract infections, etc. 
 
How is Diabetes diagnosed?
Diabetes is usually diagnosed off the presence of the above symptoms and documentation (aka blood work and urinalysis) of high blood glucose and urine glucose.   
Will my dog get cataracts?
Some dogs that don't have their Diabetes regulated on insulin and diet can form cataracts. These are usually permanent, but a board-certified ophthalmologist can perform surgery and remove them.  
Will the Diabetes go away?
If the diabetes is due to oral or injectible steroid use, then perhaps the diabetes will disappear, otherwise it is a life-long condition. The condition can be managed usually quite effectively with good communication between the owners and the veterinarians. 

What happens after diagnosis?
After diagnosis of diabetes with blood and urine results, your veterinarian will pick the best insulin and teach you and your family how to administer it properly. Remember, never reuse syringes and do not throw them in the trash can. Your veterinarian will have you come back with your dog in a few weeks to recheck the urine and blood work to see how "regulated" your dog is on the insulin. In most cases besides the insulin administrations, your veterinarian will want you to monitor urine glucose and ketones by purchasing Keto-Diastix and testing the urine initially on a daily basis.
What is a hypoglycemic event?

A hypoglycemic even is when your pet receives too much insulin and the blood glucose or sugar dips too low. Signs include weakness, collapse, lack of appetite, etc. If you notice this, please use honey or Karo syrup on your pet's gums to increase their blood glucose and call your veterinarian immediately. If you think you gave too much insulin, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

 

VETSULIN UPDATE
Vetsulin is a type of insulin that unfortunately is no longer being manufactured. There are a few independent pharmacies that are now manufacturing this insulin to within 97-99% accuracy of the original Vetsulin.  If your pet was previously well-regulated on Vetsulin, once you switch from the original product to the new preparation, some animals will become unregulated- please keep this in mind.  If your dog is on Vetsulin, please contact your veterinarian to decide whether or not to stay on Vetsulin and get it from a new source or to change over to another insulin preparation.  Make sure you give your  veterinarian a few  days to call pharmacies in the area to get the insulin prepared before you run out of it.