Last week I faced one of those occasions where the patient was brought in to the clinic on a makeshift stretcher and in a total state of collapse. This time, it was Blackie.

Blackie is a neutered eight-year-old female Labrador cross with no medical history of note, and yet, that afternoon, she had suddenly collapsed in the farmyard where it lives.

An initial examination revealed no signs of immediate respiratory or circulatory distress, so we took it to the next step and performed some basic blood tests. That’s when we found the blood glucose level to be over three times the acceptable maximum level.

A very high blood glucose level is primarily indicative of diabetes mellitus, also known as sugar diabetes, and it is the same type of disease found in humans when there is an insufficient production of insulin. Just as with humans, in dogs and cats, insulin is produced by the pancreas, a gland located close to the liver in the first loop of the small intestine just after the stomach. Insulin is a hormone and it regulates the blood sugar levels in the body.

Whenever your dog or cat eats, the sugar levels in its bloodstream increase. The pancreas produces and releases insulin which allows the sugar to be absorbed by the cells in their body. Once inside the cells, this sugar is converted into the energy that they need to walk, run, play and generally get on with life. The problems start when the management of this insulin malfunctions in the body. The malfunction is called diabetes, and there are two types.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when there is insufficient insulin being produced in the body of your dog or cat. Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not recognise the quantity of insulin produced and, as a consequence, the body is ‘deceived’ into thinking there is an insufficient amount of glucose in the blood.

Although these phenomena are all hidden away inside the body of your pet, there are three cardinal or initial symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes that could signal that your dog or cat might be unwell.

You will notice an unusual and considerable increase in appetite and thirst. The increase in appetite is medically referred to as polyphagia, whereas the desire for water is known as polydipsia. The increase in appetite and thirst will, in turn, bring about an increase in urination. This is called polyuria.

Irrespective of whether it is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus or a combination of both, the body of your dog or cat will think it is in a state of starvation – even though the blood sugar levels are very high. If left untreated, a progression of serious consequences will start to unfold.

In a misguided effort to acquire the energy it thinks it is lacking, the body will start to consume its own fat and protein resources – a sort of auto-cannibalism. This will bring about a gradual and acute loss of weight. Lethargy, depression and vomiting will follow and, in severe cases, cataracts, seizures, urinary tract infections, and organ failure may occur. In severe untreated cases the outcome is death.

Most cases of diabetes mellitus occur in middle-aged dogs and middle-aged or geriatric cats. In dogs, females are affected twice as much as males, while obese male cats are affected more than females.

Canine breeds such as poodles, dachshunds and beagles appear to be predisposed towards developing diabetes but any breed may be affected and, as we can see in Blackie’s case, mixed breeds are not immune to it. There is no known predisposition towards diabetes according to feline breeds.

If your dog or cat is diagnosed with diabetes, don’t despair. Over the years I have met many a pet owner who initially tells me they will not be able to cope with the daily treatment and then turn out to be excellent carers for their pets.

More importantly, they tend to think that treating their pet would simply extend its life by a couple of months and yet they go on to enjoy their beloved companion for many years – in the process becoming intuitive carers in control of their pet’s disease.

The secret to success is first of all reading up on and understanding this disease. Following your vet’s advice and counsel is paramount as you need to work as a team. Your pet will almost certainly be placed on a low carbohydrate diet, and in less severe forms of diabetes cases, this together with natural loss of weight by virtue of increased exercise might be sufficient remedy. However, more often, diabetes calls for giving your pet an insulin injection once or twice a day according to the severity of the case. As an adjunct to this, you would need to monitor your pet’s blood sugar levels through its urine or blood in the same way that humans monitor their own glucose levels.

Blackie overcame her initial crisis and responded very well to her first few days of insulin injections. Her owner was also very attentive as to what was needed and his love for his dog, I hope, will benefit her throughout her remaining years.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.