Taking care of pets diagnosed with diabetes can be a challenge. In this post, the Coops and Cages content curator, Jordan Walker, shares valuable information on pet care and diet modification for dogs with diabetes.

You might want to give your pet everything they want especially when it comes to food; but when your dog has diabetes, that may no longer be the case.

Although diabetes may not be treated completely, there are some things that you can do to manage the condition effectively, so that your pet dog can be healthy and enjoy a normal life.

Give Your Pet a Reduced Quantity of Food

While some diseases can be managed with complementary therapies, diabetes can be managed with the help of diet modification. Weight control is of utmost importance for diabetic dogs because obesity is one of the most common causes for complications.

The specific amount of calories to be taken by your dog is being determined by the veterinarian based on its size, weight and usual activity. Once the normal caloric intake is identified, you need to monitor what your dog eats based on what’s recommended for him. Veterinary nutritionists can also recommend prescription food and recipes specifically formulated for dogs with diabetes.

You can start giving your pet moderate amount of digestible proteins such as lamb, chicken meat, corn gluten, or soya bean meals alternately. If you used to feed your pet a lot for each meal, you may as well gradually decrease this in each meal served until the recommended serving is reached.

Feed Your Dog with a High Fibre and Low Fat Diet

Good choice for diabetic diet in dogs consists of moderate fat, high protein from meat, with carbohydrate restriction. Because fatty food can further worsen your dog’s current condition, always make it a point to remove visible fat from the food you serve.

A high fibre diet which includes vegetables (snap peas, carrots), and a small slice of fruit (banana or melon) is also advised because fibre has the ability to slow down the movement of sugar into the blood. Since fibre has the ability to take water from your pet’s body, it is also important to make your dog drink plenty of water daily.

Create a Scheduled Meal for Your Dog

It is also recommended to feed your dog following a schedule, or at specific times daily. At least two or three meals a day on a regular schedule is best, as this could effectively be the basis for timing insulin injections. Giving random treats may not be helpful as this may cause spikes in the blood sugar which may not be controlled by insulin.

Modify Your Pet’s Diet Based on His Insulin Requirements

On regular days with regular activities, you can feed him consistent amount of food based on his caloric and insulin requirements, at consistent times.

If you plan to walk your dog and teach him some tricks, and you’re worried that your pet may not have enough energy from food after a day of planned activities, giving him some treats are fine as long as they are low in carbohydrates and sugar.

While it is true that taking care of a dog with diabetes can take a lot of work and may require patience, the entire experience can also be as rewarding knowing that you’re doing the right thing in order for your pet to stay healthy.

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Author: Jordan Walker
Jordan likes to write many pet related blogs, and is also the lead content curator for Coops and Cages. His passion for animals is only matched by his love for ‘attempting’ to play the guitar. Catch him on Google+ or Twitter: @CoopsAndCages.