Pets and Diabetes

In a report published in the December 23, 2000, issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom write that hypoglycemia is one of the complications of diabetes most feared by patients. They point out, "Intensive research has been devoted to the development of hypoglycemia alarms."

8 comments - Jul 31, 2008 -

Eight-year-old Olivia Miller asked for a Chihuahua for Christmas, but what she received was far more precious than just any pet. That's because Olivia and her new little dog both have diabetes and today they comfort and encourage each other through the rigors of dealing with the disease.

2 comments - Jan 27, 2008 -

It's well known that dogs can somehow sniff low blood sugars. Many people credit their dogs with waking them up when they were dangerously low. How the dogs do it has been a mystery, but now there's evidence that they may be sniffing methyl nitrates on their owners' breath.

1 comment - Nov 18, 2007 -

A dense ten-page report in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, complete with pie graphs and complex tables, analyzed 14,000 United Kingdom cats (all covered by health insurance, no less) to discover the following: If your cat looks like a bowling ball, it's three times more likely to get type 2 diabetes than your skinny cat.

2 comments - Aug 30, 2007 -

In the article about diabetes in birds (“Treating Diabetes In Birds”), the question about blindness caught my attention. Our budgie has diabetes symptoms: continuous thirst, heavy urination, chubby body, and can't fly anymore. He has become partially blind.

0 comments - Apr 9, 2007 -

Researchers working in the Immunology Laboratory for Kidney Transplants at the University of California Davis have kept a diabetic dog off of insulin for three years. The researchers removed the beagle's pancreas to give it diabetes, then injected it with healthy islet cells ten days later. The dog has been designated with a number rather than a name to prevent the lab technicians from becoming emotionally attached.

0 comments - Nov 1, 1996 -

Dogs and cats aren't the only pets that can develop diabetes. Birds are also prone to developing the disease, and for many bird lovers, controlling their pet's diabetes has become a part of their life.

1 comment - Feb 1, 1993 -

Giving Your Pet Insulin. What is an animal's regimen of insulin injections like? The best case scenario would be giving an injection once a day, and its a simple subcutaneous injection. We use disposable ultra-sharp needles just like they use in human medicine. We prescribe the same ones from the pharmacies. Most animals will take a daily injection, or even a twice-daily injection, without any complaint.

0 comments - Feb 1, 1993 -

Diabetes in cats, dogs, and even birds is not uncommon, and as in humans, it can be controlled once it is diagnosed. The basic rule is that any animal with a pancreas has the potential for contracting the disease, and that includes most household pets. Common symptoms to look for are very similar to those found in humans: increased thirst, urination, and weight loss.

5 comments - Feb 1, 1993 -