When you have a diabetic dog there will naturally need to be a change in your routine. First of all you will need to check blood sugar levels and give daily insulin injections Your vet or vet nurse will normally shown you how to do this. Then you will then need to pay attention to your dog's diet and see that he or she gets regular exercise.

All these daily tasks need to be kept on a regular schedule. For most people this is not too difficult but if routine is not your thing then it may be a little harder to adjust. However the benefits of a good routine will show in the health and the longer life you will be giving your pet.

Monitoring Blood Sugar

Testing for blood sugar levels in dogs is usually done using a glucometer or glucose monitoring kit. These are simple enough to use and come at various prices to suit your needs. You merely need a drop of blood to test each day. You can use glucometers made for humans or specialised ones for pets. There is one available from Bayer that connects directly to your computer for instant access to all the vital information.

Administering Insulin

Part of dealing with dog diabetes is the need to give regular daily injections. Your vet or vet nurse will have shown you how to do it but when you get home it may not be so easy on your own. Some dogs do not object too much but other do. Lets face it, an injection is not really something to look forward to is it?

Meal times are a good time to inject your dog. There is also a little trick you can use if you are in difficulty. That is to prepare a favourite treat beforehand and let him know you have it. When your diabetic dog knows that immediately after the injection he will be getting a treat he will soon become used to it. A little bribery and corruption before meal time, I know but it gives everyone a peaceful life!

Feed A Healthy Diet

Your goal with your diabetic dog is to control the blood sugar levels. Diet a very important role in achieving this. So many bought foods contain sugar in various forms that it can be a little tricky to start with. A high fibre diet that is low in carbohydrates and fats is recommended to reach the right balance. As I said before, meals and injection times should be regular as possible.

Regular Exercise Is Most Beneficial

Your dog is going to need regular exercise. The emphasis her is on the word "regular". This is more important for a diabetic dog if you want to get most benefit from that exercise. While out and about particularly you should watch for any symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This may come in the form of being unresponsive or unusually slow to react to your call for example.

Confusion, dizziness, lack of bladder control and vomiting are other more severe symptoms which may warrant a visit to your vet. For this reason it is a good idea to keep some form of easily absorbed sugar in your pocket. Honey or corn syrup is useful because you can rub it into the gums and quickly restore the blood sugar levels.

If you have concerns about dog diabetes you can read about the symptoms, diet, management and more from the Vet Nurse by clicking this link: http://vetnurse.org/diabetes/diabetes-and-dogs.

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