Feeding your dog alone is not proof that you’re giving the exact care that it needs. A dog, like a human being, needs essential vitamins and minerals to be strong. They also need attention and proper care. And, like any other human being, dogs can get sick too, and they may require special treatment. Dogs can acquire diseases like any other human being. These diseases include heart disease, cancer and even type 1 and type 2 diabetes. That’s right… There are diabetic dogs, and these dogs need diabetic dog food just like a person with diabetes that needs to eat a low sugar diet.
Canin diabetes, as it is in humans, have two types – diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. These are endocrine diseases that result from defects in the system that produces hormones. Diabetes insipidus is caused by a lack of antidiuretic hormone that controls water resorption in the kidneys. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus is brought about by a deficiency of insulin, the hormone that plays in glucose metabolism in the body. Diabetes mellitus also has 2 types: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is a congenital defect, while Type 2 is a life style disease among dogs. There is another type of diabetes that only happens during canine pregnancy – gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes only occurs in female dogs during pregnancy that is characterized by high blood glucose level during their gestational period.
Type 2 diabetes in dogs, as mentioned, is a lifestyle disease. Minimal nutritional value, high level of sodium in food and inactivity in dogs are the factors that most likely lead to canine diabetes mellitus. Treatment for type 2 diabetes may vary, but a proper diet and exercise is essential in controlling the disease.
How to choose the right diabetic dog food for your dog
1.) All natural diet – Dogs, before humans tried to breed them, have a diet of raw meat, degenerated vegetables and animal eggs. These “scraps” are a part of their normal diet. When human’s introduced modern dog food manufacturing methods, these have brought about a big change in dogs lifestyles. A natural diet like sardines would provide them with beneficial fatty acids that provide protection against diabetes.Also, adding royal jelly and propolis to the dog’s diet would be helpful.
2.) Stay away from dry dog foods – Dry dog food is made up of carbohydrates and do not have enough moisture to keep your dog’s kidneys healthy. Dry dog food for diabetic dogs should be added with additional, preferably moist, food that are rich in protein and essential fatty acids.
3.) Low Sodium – In choosing the right diabetic dietary dog food, you should look for canned ones that are high in protein and low in Sodium and carbohydrates. It should also be organic and toxin free as dogs with diabetes have a decreased liver function, and an affected immune system that are unable to filter out the additives that are usually found in processed diabetic food.
As in humans, dogs are currently undergoing big lifestyle changes. And these lifestyle changes bring about various diseases such as diabetes and heart conditions. Being a dog’s best friend requires you to go back in track and live a healthy lifestyle, so that the changes in you would be passed on to your dog. If you eat healthy, then your dog with diabetes should eat healthy diabetic dog food too. And if you exercise, bring him with you. Your dog won’t bite, I promise.