Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease…….it affects just about every system in a mammal’s body.  And in dogs, with rare exception, it is preventable.  So when we mention that your dog or cat is overweight and really needs to start a diet, we aren’t just nagging.  We really are trying to improve your pet’s health and avoid serious consequences, like diabetes.

Today we diagnosed a sweet 11 year old Labrador with diabetes mellitus.  If he had gone undiagnosed and untreated for much longer, it likely would have killed him.  Fortunately, his family cares about this guy and got him in for an exam as soon as they realized he was losing weight rapidly, drinking more water and was no longer able to make it through the night without having to go outside.  They are now committed to a strict feeding and insulin regime,  will bring him in for follow up testing, and are willing to adjust their schedules to his for the remainder of his life.

Diabetes is manageable but it isn’t very fun.  It is in everyone’s best interest to avoid it, in most cases prevented with a diet that started 2 years ago instead of today.