{"id":80,"date":"2023-11-03T14:10:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T14:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flowersmillveterinaryhospital.com\/blog\/?p=80"},"modified":"2023-11-04T14:12:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T14:12:14","slug":"the-risk-of-pet-diabetes-know-the-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flowersmillveterinaryhospital.com\/blog\/the-risk-of-pet-diabetes-know-the-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Risk of Pet Diabetes: Know the Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pets can have diabetes just like people can. In fact, it is one of the more common chronic conditions that we diagnose at Flowers Mill Veterinary Hospital<\/a>. There are some things that we can do to prevent pet diabetes, though, and like many diseases, it is typically best managed when identified early. Knowing about pet diabetes warning signs and how to prevent this disease is key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

All About Pet Diabetes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a pet eats, the food is broken down into parts that are usable to the body as energy. Fiber and starches (carbohydrates) are broken down into glucose. Glucose, in turn, is absorbed into the bloodstream to be transferred into cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order for the glucose to move into the body\u2019s cells to be used as energy, a hormone called insulin is needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When there is not enough insulin being made by the pancreas, or when the body\u2019s cells do not respond to a normal amount of insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream. This excess of glucose is diabetes mellitus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pet Diabetes Warning Signs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Any pet who is overweight or obese is at higher risk for development of diabetes due to the effect of excess body weight on the cell\u2019s responsiveness to insulin. At-risk pets may also have high or high-normal blood glucose readings on routine blood screenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When diabetes does occur, there are several notable characteristic signs. Most signs of diabetes in dogs and cats are related to the extra glucose in the blood. Symptoms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n