It often surprises dog owners just how much a like dogs and humans can be; they share many degenerative problems, especially as they creep into older age. Such a problem might be diabetes.

Much like in humans, there are two types of dog diabetes. Type I, or insipidus. This starts early in the canine's life and is often called juvenile dog diabetes, characterized by a lack of the anti-diuretic hormone vasopressin. Vasopressin controls the kidney's absorption of water.

Diabetes mellitus is Type II and the most common, affecting one in every 500 dogs. It is when the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates how much glucose, or sugar, is in the system. Without insulin the sugars build up in the bloodstream and spill over into the urine, whereas it would normally enter the tissues of the body and provide energy to muscles. This is why diabetic dogs and people are often lethargic and lack energy to move. The excess sugars can lead to a host of problems like blindness, kidney, heart and liver disease, slower healing, cataracts, dehydration, malnutrition and increased or recurrent infections.

Diabetes is a very serious illness that can lead ultimately to death if left untreated, but treated diabetes is manageable and need not affect the dog's quality of life or longevity. It's not just that older dogs are more prone to diabetes but also larger dogs over smaller breeds; female dogs and those overweight are at higher risk, too. It is also considered an autoimmune deficiency that can be hereditary.

Symptoms of Diabetes
There are certainly some telltale warning signs to look out for concerning whether or not your dog might have this disease. Lethargy and general muscle weakness, signs of pain in the belly region, cataracts in the eyes, sudden weight loss, increased thirst, more frequent urination, and muscle atrophy or wasting are all symptoms that should have you rushing Scooter to the vet for testing.

There are certain risk factors that may incline you to keep an eye on Scooter. Aside from genetic predisposition and obesity already mentioned, dogs on cortisone treatments, dogs with a poor diet consisting of high carbohydrate kibble, pregnant dogs (called gestational diabetes. This may vanish once she has given birth but needs to be monitored while she is pregnant), and female dogs who suffer from several cycles of diestrus in one breeding season are all at higher risk.

Options for Treatment
There are several options available for treatment of a dog diagnosed with Type II diabetes: a specialized and balanced diet, homeopathic supplements and insulin shots or a mix of these. In dogs, almost every case will require insulin injections once or twice a day for life and there is no way around this. Herbal or homeopathic remedies are used in conjunction with insulin for further relief of symptoms. The pancreas may eventually resume some kind of glucose production but diabetes will not be completely cured. If herbal supplements are employed with insulin, the blood sugar levels of the dog will need careful monitoring and insulin levels may need to be adjusted; the less insulin-dependent your dog can become the better. It may be possible to remove him from insulin all together.

• Karela: an herb that can help stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin useable by the body. It is known to repair certain abnormalities of a dog's digestive tract and improve food absorption in the stomach.
• Cinnamon: known for its exceptional properties in humans for diabetic control, it also works sprinkled lightly over dog food and mixed in well. Do not use additional sweeteners with the cinnamon. It substitutes insulin in the blood.
• Gurmar: another herb that stimulates the pancreas into insulin production and aids in repairing urinary problems. It's believed gurmar optimizes blood sugar levels.
• Bejak: helps reduce sugar in the bloodstream and helps sustain normal functions especially where urination is concerned.
• Vinegar: this wonder cure works on dogs, too. Add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to your dog's water and it should boost the benefits of medical treatments. Use it regularly for best results.
• Billberry: believed to increase insulin production while lowering blood sugar levels. Also known to improve circulation and helps promote wound recovery.
• Galega Officinalis: this herb is known to relieve diabetic symptoms and decrease insulin resistance, thereby assisting in maintenance of blood sugar levels.

Your veterinarian will prescribe the right time to inject insulin and may also recommend a completely different diet for Scooter based on test results, usually moving towards a high protein, low carb and moderate fats diet. Speak to your vet before adding any herbal remedies to the program and take care to keep everything regular and on a schedule. Include exercise in your regime and if your dog is overweight, seek to get him back to healthier levels. With proper attention, Scooter will be around a long time, happy and active.