Canine diabetes results when your Schnauzer's body is unable to regulate its blood sugar levels due to an insulin deficiency. Insulin is the hormone the body produces to regulate blood sugar levels. It plays a crucial role in the body’s ability to use and store glucose.
Here's a simple explanation of how it works:
When your Miniature Schnauzer eats, his dog food is converted to glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy to all the cells in your Miniature Schnauzer's body. Insulin is produced by the pancreas to allow the cells to receive the glucose from the blood so your Miniature Schnauzer's body can use it.
If the pancreas fail to produce insulin, glucose remains in your Miniature Schnauzer's bloodstream. Now your Miniature Schnauzer's body cells are not receiving any glucose, so they send signals to your Miniature Schnauzer's liver to step in and start producing some.
The pancreas is located within the upper abdominal cavity tucked closely to stomach and small intestines.
It is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes and producing hormones such as insulin and glucagon.
So, your Miniature Schnauzer's liver begins producing glucose (called glycogen). Glycogen is then released and now your Miniature Schnauzer is receiving even more glucose in its blood.
As a result, blood glucose levels rise even higher and which causes a whole host of problems to begin occurring in your Miniature Schnauzer. It is therefore super important to keep your dog's blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Being aware of the warning signs of canine diabetes is very important because if left untreated, it can lead to many serious health conditions including blindness, coma and death!
Important: The symptoms of this disease can be very subtle at first, and sometimes go undetected until the dog is in the advanced stages.
High blood sugar levels are noted by these warning signals:
A diagnosis can be confirmed by your vet doing a simple blood test and urine analysis of your Miniature Schnauzer. If there are high amounts of glucose in either test, diabetes is likely.
Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, your vet will determine the best course of treatment for your Miniature Schnauzer.
The treatment goals for the disease are to return your Miniature Schnauzer back to normal health and prevent any of the the complications that can arise from high glucose levels in the blood.
Knowing that Miniature Schnauzers are prone to this disease, feeding smaller more frequent meals during the day, may help regulate insulin levels and help prevent the onset of this disease. A healthy diet consisting of low-fat and low carbs with high-fiber foods is often best suited to keep blood sugar levels stable, along with regular exercise.
Diabetes is as manageable in dogs, as it is in humans.
Through proper treatment, which will probably include insulin injections, a special diet and exercise regimen, your Miniature Schnauzer can live a very long life.
-A natural remedy to help maintain normal insulin levels and blood sugar (glucose) ranges in dogs and cats
Knowledge Share... If you found this article helpful and informative please share it with your dog-loving friends by clicking on one of the share links at the top right or bottom of this page (like facebook or twitter). It could just save their life!
DOG HEALTH SERIES
•Schnauzer Checkup Chart
•Dog Pain Symptoms
• Dog Allergies
•First Aid for Dogs
•CPR for Dogs
•Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs