Introduction
Many people believe that only human is at risk of catching diabetes, but that is a misconception. Indeed, animals can get the same diseases as the human, and diabetes is one of them. Keep reading to learn more about dog diabetes – its types, causes, symptoms, preventions and treatments – as well as which foods are right for diabetic dogs.

What Do You Know About Dog Diabetes?
Types of Diabetes
Diabetesis a complex disease caused by a metabolic disorder that brings about high blood sugar level, resulting in hyperglycemia. If it is untreated, itcan cause a lot of complicated health problems having bad effects on the nervous system, heart and blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys.
In general, there are two types of diabetes:
Type 1: The pancreas is unable to produce and secrete insulin. This type of diabetes is very common in pets.
Type 2: The pancreas producing insulin is impaired, which makes it unable to meet the body's hormone requirements. This type of diabetes usually occurs in overweight or obese dogs.
Causes
The main cause of diabetes is the improper lifestyle, including too-sweet diets and the deficiency of exercise. In other words, you will be likely to get diabetes (type 2) if you are overweight, obese or not physically active. Besides, genetic predisposition and diseases such as pancreatic and liver disorders could be common causes of diabetes.
Symptom Signs
Signs of diabetes usually appear in animals at the age of 5, and female tends to show these symptomsearlier than males. The clinical symptoms of the disease are usually noticeable such as drinking much water and urinating a lot, eating more and becoming obese, less active, sleeping more and becoming lazy, being the trembling body and having many abnormal behaviors and changing the taste.
Besides, the disease goes into more severe stages with signs including:
To prevent diabetes in pets, you need to pay more attention to the issues of caring for animals. Especially, the diet must be scientific and safe. You should apply a low-fat diet with plenty of fiber to build a regular and healthy eating schedule every day. Dogs should be physically active and do exercises to avoid the risk of being overweight or obese.
Treatment
Diabetes can be treated. Pets that are detected early and treated properly can become healthy without having to shorten their guaranteed lifespan and quality of life. However, the treatment may take a long time, even for a lifetime.
The goal of the treatment is to restore the normal quality of life to the pet by keeping the blood glucose level at a normal level of 65-120 mg/dl and blocking the signs of diabetes without causing low hypoglycemia.
Also, note that the treatment depends on the current condition of the disease and the specific characteristics of each type of animal. In general, current treatments include insulin therapy (insulin injection, etc.), regular exercise (30 minutes every day) and appropriate diet (eating low-fat foods and high-fiber foods, consuming 225 ml of water each day, etc.)
How to Choose the Best Food for Diabetic Dog
The key to keeping a healthy diabetic pet is changing its diet. You need to check the nutrient list to ensure that you do not feed your pets anything having an adverse effect on their health.Diabetic dogs are often threatened by obesity and elevated glucose levels, so you need to adjust your diet properly. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Low-Calorie Diet
Firstly, you have to understand and grasp his symptoms (appetite, weight, water consumption, urine, etc.) and provide a suitable diet for him. You should maintain every day and change over every month.
Moreover, you need to watch your dog’s daily activity and calorie intake to avoid gaining weight.This is important in case he has type 2 of diabetes due to obesity. If necessary,change the portion consumed in the diet.
It is essential to bring your pooches to a vet in order to check on stable calorie consumption. In most cases, you will have to cut down the calorie content in their diet by removing high-calorieingredients or using low-calorie dog foods. The goal of balancing their daily activities and calorie consumption helps to create the appropriate deficit to lose weight.
High-Fiber Diet
Fiber is found a lot in squash, oats, sweet potatoes and many other vegetables. It is essential because it plays an important role in digestion. Once consumed, it makes the body expand. Consequently, pets will feel fuller for longer periods without the need for extra calories. Fiber also helps to slow down the release of glucose in the blood, helping the body maintain energy for a long time and have plenty of time to process it.
A high-fiber diet helps your pets to be more easily digested by the small amount of sugar in the fiber, which also supports to stimulate insulin secretion. Making too much insulin at one time will lead to dangerous spikes, and fiber will help to adjust your pet’s blood sugar level safely.
Low-Fat Diet
Fatis a healthy ingredient in many pet products. However, it can be detrimental to the one with diabetes as it contains more calories than other ingredients. This calorie density can cause weight gain without making your dog feel satisfied.
In addition, fat usually has higher levels of glucose. Too much of it can cause hyperglycemia and dangerous side effects.
Low-Glycemic Index
The glycemic index refers to the rate in which food is converted to glucose. It is often shown as a number. A low figure says that it takes longer to convert and process the food. Different ingredients have different glycemic indexes.
Many manufacturers point out the overall rating. Diabetic dogs must have a low glycemic index to stay healthy. You should avoid adding any additional sugar to their diet but accompany ingredients that can be easily processed during the day.
Low-Carb Diet
Carbohydrates are most commonly found in dog foods. They come in a variety of forms and offer many benefits depending on specific kinds of carbohydrate.
It should be noted that not all carbohydrates are produced in the same way. Complex carbohydrates process much slower in the body and contain the essential nutrients and vitamins for the storage and supply of energy. You can find them in sweet potatoes, peas, brown rice, and more.
Single carbs can be dangerous for a diabetic dog. They’re available in corn and soy with the high amount of sugar processed relatively quickly after consumption. They are known to cause fatal glucose spikes.
When looking for dog foods, you should pay attention to the quality of the carbs and the overall formula. If the first ingredient on the list is a carbohydrate, that food will not be good for the diabetic one. On the other hand, complex carbohydrate is usually found in the further down part of the list.
Wholesome Ingredients
You should not choose the products that contain artificial ingredients because chemical additives, colorants and by-products harm the body rather than being good. On the other hand, wholesome ingredients– the natural sources of various nutrients– are safe andavailable in many natural dog foods out there.
Additionally, the protein formula is considered to be the first identified component. They can contain everything from beef, chicken, turkey, duck, fish, and more to develop lean muscles and strong joints.
Fruits
A considerable combination of fruits and vegetables is suggested. Good vegetables can provide your dog with critical nutrients and vitamins to help him growand keep him stay healthy. Many fruits with antioxidants support to improve the immune system as well.
Our Reviews of Best Foods for Diabetic Dog
1. Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Merrick with grain-free recipes is the best option when it comes to real deboned meat as the first ingredient for your diabetic friend. This one is also ideal for all ages and breeds of dogs with an emphasis on naturally abundant nutrients to promote the overall health.
The food contains various high-quality nutrients on Earth without grain ingredients (corn, wheat, soy, gluten). Moreover, this is very suitable for diabetic dogs because it holds a great deal of fiber content in farm-fresh fruits and vegetables such as peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, etc.
Additionally, deboned real Texas Beef is the superior component with 70% of meat sourced ingredients. It not only helps your dog improve and keep lean muscles but also supports joint health with the finest glucosamine.
We recommend Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food for pets with diabetes to prevent any grain sensitivities and allergies. Also, it supports gastrointestinal health, easier digestion, healthy skin and coat (with omega fatty acids), and much more.
Pros
Cons
2. All Natural Diabetic Dog Treats
Many customers move to this product after knowing their dog has recently diagnosed with diabetes and has to eat an appropriate diet. Many of them aresurprised when seeing how great the food is, and some of them use this treatment every day.
It might be difficult to find out a right product without impacting on the glucose level because many of them always contain less or more sugar.With All Natural Diabetic Dog Treats, you will no longer bother about that! The product is made from all herbal-basedingredients to cut down the amount of sugar and reduce the metabolism rate in order to control insulin needs better.
Of course, you still need a balanced combination of exercise, regular care and proper diet in your dog’s cure. Like others, the food has no added sugar, additives, dyes, chemicals and by-products to guarantee the optimal safety.
Pros
Cons
3. Instinct Original Small Breed Grain Free Chicken Meal
The product has plenty of high-quality ingredients. The balanced level of calories, protein and fat makes it appropriate for the lifestyle of diabetic dogs. Besides, your dog can get a great coat thanks to the appearance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in its component.
Each kibble is safely formulated in natural nutrients, including real chickens, fishes, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. One more plus point, the small kibble size perfectly suits for the mouths of small dogbreeds, and many dogs seem to be fascinated by the food’s flavor as well.
Like other products, this one contains no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, fillers, artificial colors or preservatives to limit some bad impacts on the dog’s body. Moreover, its probiotics have responsibility for simple digestion and antioxidants for immune system’s well-being. All of them – when combined in a single diet – will help the pup build a happy life and energetic lifestyle.
Pros
Cons
4. Wellness CORE Natural Reduced Fat Grain Free Dry Dog
This is one of the priorities for my dog. It smells wonderful, and he can't help eating although he is a picky eater. When knowing that he catch diabetes, I search more information and realize the best for him is a high-protein, low-carb and low-fat food. So, his glucose can be regulated for a short time.
At the core of every delicious bite is a careful blend of balanced natural components for nutritional meals. High protein and lower fat content coming from real turkey, chicken, salmon oil helps to manage the balanced weight and improve the overall health.
Meat has the largest quantity in this product. Moreover, the special recipe with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants andprobiotics helps to improve the dog’s immune system, skin and coat, while fibers enhance intestinal issues and overall digestibility. Each ingredient contains a large number of necessary nutrients with no grain, corn, soy or by-products.
Pros
Cons
5. Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Recipe Dry Dog Food
If you are seeking for a high-quality dry food for your diabetic pet, don’t miss this Whole Earth Farms. The manufacturer claims that they take the best ingredients on Earth before mixing them into a superior product, great for dogs of all ages and breeds.
With various sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, it gives your dog more than just healthy meals. There are pork, beef and lamb in the ingredient list. For extra sources of vitamin, dried blueberries, rosemary, thyme and sage will give your dog the best of all worlds.
All of these ingredients contribute to helping diabetic dogs control the glucose level to fight against diabetes. Also, the food contains very low content of fat and sugar. Last but not least, it hasno corn, soy, wheat, by-products and additives to ensure acompletely safe formula.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
If you are applying a healthy diet packed with rich content of fiber, protein, minerals, antioxidants from good meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables to your dog, you are taking a critical step in helping him regulate the weight andblood sugar level, which is really crucial in treating diabetes.
All of the products I have reviewed offer this great benefit. Whichever you choose, you’re on the track of getting the best food for diabetic dogs.
Personally, I think All Natural Diabetic Dog Treats is the leading product because it’s made from 100% herbal-basedingredients which do a great job in cutting down the amount of sugar and controllingthe level of insulin.
What is your choice? Let’s us know by leaving your comment below. Thank you for reading!
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