Canine Diabetes Prevention - Changing Habits

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 22 December, 2022

Canine diabetes prevention is important because it could become a life-threatening condition, especially if you don’t detect it in time. Currently, there’s no cure for this disease, so the best course of action is to prevent it.

The origin of this problem resides in the deficient or non-existent production of insulin. Decreased levels of this hormone result in hyperglycemia – an excessive increase in blood sugar levels. The opposite can also occur. That is, low levels or total lack of glucose in the bloodstream are also symptoms of diabetes.

This usually happens because the insulin produced by the pancreas is unable to energize the tissue cells. This due to glucose intolerance.

The risk factors that lead to the appearance of this disease in dogs are the same as in humans:

• A poor diet high in carbs.
• Little or no physical activity.
• High consumption of sweet things.

Measures to prevent diabetes

Most of the measures you can take to reduce the risks of diabetes are simple. As in humans, these are the most elementary norms of common sense.

You should respect a dog’s nutritional needs. It isn’t enough to suppress treats and sugars from your dog’s diet in order to prevent diabetes. Animals need to ingest high doses of animal protein because they’re carnivorous.

Yes, there are times when it’s hard to acquire natural food of animal origin. Still, keep these in mind when you select processed dog food:

• The package should say “made with fresh meat” or something along those lines. On the contrary, foods that claim to be made with “dried” meat or chicken don’t guarantee the quality of the base ingredient. In fact, it’s very likely that they’re mainly waste that wasn’t fit for human consumption.
• The same principle occurs with fruit and vegetables: the label should say “fresh and/or whole.”
• Dogs don’t need to have cereals in their diet. So, a good portion of dog food should only have a minimum amount of them.

Canine diabetes prevention is just a matter of changing habits

Centuries of domestic life have changed dogs’ eating habits. They, like humans, are now omnivorous (as in we both can eat most things). Additionally, dogs have progressively modified their ways, decreasing or completely eliminating the daily time they devote to physical activity (through no fault of their own). It’s these habits that increase their chances of becoming diabetic.

From ancient times all the way to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the vast majority of dogs had to “earn a living” by doing hard labor. Most of them fulfilled specific tasks, such as shepherding or guarding properties, among others.

When cans became “unemployed,” they stopped exercising regularly. In fact, the only ones who remain active are those train for service, policing, and search and rescue work.

Canine diabetes prevention

You must give your dog opportunities to stay active in order to prevent diabetes. All animals require some sort of daily exercise routine. It’s not enough to just take them for a walk around the block twice a day so they can do their business.

Even though the demand for physical exercise is different from dog to dog, all of them burn excess glucose and fat when they’re active.

Rewarding the good habits of pets with treats is a bad habit. These kinds of food only provide excess sugar and saturated fat. If you truly want to give them a treat then give them fresh fruit or vegetables or pieces of meat.

Being overweight is one of the most dramatic risk factors in the onset of diabetes. It’s usually derived from poor diet, excess blood sugar, and fat accumulation.

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