What Is Diabetes Mellitus In Dogs
This is the most common type of diabetes in dogs.
What is diabetes mellitus in dogs. The condition is treatable and need not shorten the animal s life span or interfere with quality of life. Diabetes results from either a lack of insulin or an inability of the. Diabetes most commonly occurs in middle age to older dogs and cats but occasionally occurs in young animals. Diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes is a disorder in which the body is unable to make use of sugars and starches in a normal way.
Insulin is required for the body to efficiently use sugars fats and proteins. Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas doesn t produce enough insulin. This type of diabetes usually results from the destruction of most or all of the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. A key element in the proper use of sugar and starches is the hormone insulin which is secreted by special cells beta cells in the pancreas.
Some dog breeds are predisposed to chronic pancreatitis and diabetes including keeshonds and samoyeds. In dogs diabetes mellitus is usually insulin dependent diabetes mellitus also called type 1 diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the beta cells of the endocrine pancreas either stop producing insulin or can no longer produce it in enough quantity for the body s needs. As the name implies dogs with this type of diabetes require insulin injections to stabilize blood sugar levels.
In dogs type i diabetes is caused by the destruction of insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Type i diabetes mellitus sometimes also called insulin dependent diabetes mellitus results from total or near complete destruction of the insulin producing beta cells. Although diabetes in pets is sometimes classified as type i or ii the difference between the types is less clear in pets than it is in humans. As in people diabetes is a very common chronic disease in dogs and cats.
Type i occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin and type ii occurs when the body can not respond normally to the amount of insulin made by the pancreas. As the name implies dogs with this type of diabetes require insulin injections to stabilize blood sugar. In some pets there is a genetic predisposition to diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder of carbohydrate metabolism due to relative or absolute insulin deficiency.
Diabetes mellitus occurs on pets when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin to control blood sugar or when the cells of the body become insensitive to insulin. These cells die as a result of inflammation of the pancreas known as pancreatitis.