Diabetes In Dogs Questions

My yorkshire terrier is diabetic. He requires daily insulin injections. I am anxious to learn more about this disease. (James Vincent - Virginia)

Diabetes in dogs is almost identical to the problem in humans. The only difference is that dogs do not respond to tablets, which are supposed to induce insulin production by the patient's own pancreas.

Sometimes the disease is so mild it can be treated by dietary modifications alone. Insulin's task is to control the glucose level in the blood. If insulin is absent, glucose increases, and it leaks into the urine, damaging the kidneys.