Diabetic Dogs

Diabetes in Dogs – Diabetes mellitus – from the Greek meaning “Fountain of Sweetness”

Diabetes is the name given to pets or people who have a deficiency of the pancreatic hormone called insulin. The pancreas is part of the digestive system and insulin which is produced in the pancreas is to transport sugar out of the blood and into the cells where it used as energy. Diabetes arises when there is not enough insulin being produced by the pancreas and the sugar in the form of glucose accumulates in the blood. When the body gets overloaded with sugar it passes into the urine. The relationship between the heart and kidneys is broken down and the upper half of the body overheats and the lower half gets too cold – Excess drinking and urination results.

The standard medical approach is to prescribe insulin on a daily basis to regulate and stabiles the blood sugar levels in the body – this is Not a cure but rather an ongoing treatment. From a holistic perspective the pancreas should actually be encouraged to start producing enough of the insulin itself.

There are 2 types of diabetes – Type 1 where the body simply cannot produce insulin. Type 2 is the more common diabetes and is where the pancreas and its insulin producing properties become restricted and inefficient. Type 2 diabetes is the one we are more concerned with in terms of our dogs and cats.

So why does the pancreas stop producing insulin in the first place. Diet is the key to this problem? Sugar -. The body needs it and but when we refine it! Whether it is called Fructose, Sucrose, dextrose, glucose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup, sugar beet pulp, golden syrup, molasses, honey and treacle - too much of it in the wrong form is dangerous. It is also very addictive! It passes so quickly into the system it shocks the stomach and the pancreas – it very quickly becomes acidic and helps to consume the minerals. Calcium is lost from the system and the digestive system becomes weak. In large amounts it leads to obesity, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, heart disease immune deficiency and so on!!

Prevention as always is the best approach but generally dog or cat owners don’t pay enough attention until it is too late. Only when the vet informs them of the problem do the owners start to research the issue on the internet or whatever other source of information. One of the problems of the internet is the amount of ‘misinformation’ that is available.
So how do we prevent diabetes? With type 2 diabetes insulin is produced but utilisation in the cells is restricted. This arises because of diets rich in fats/oils. Simple sugars (refined sugars) also cause this to happen because in excess they convert to fat in the body. So prevention is about be careful about the level of fat in the diet, the inclusion of many refined grains and products like sugar beet pulp. In fact, from experience, sugar beet pulp is often included in many high fat diets because excess fat is very damp forming in the body whereas sugar beet pulp is very drying – allowing what I would term force feeding of high fat.

Prevention is as stated not always an option, so how do we address the problem and encourage your dog or cat’s pancreas to produce enough insulin? There are a number of approaches but the most obvious is diet. Many vets will try to get you to feed a veterinary only diet but my experience is that these diets use low quality ingredients for fibre such as peanut hulls which have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever and should in my opinion be avoided at all costs.

Action Plan.

Firstly, if you dog or cat is being prescribed insulin, talk to your vet about what you propose to do. The approach I am about to suggest could reduce the need for insulin and lead to LOW blood sugar which is itself a dangerous and life threatening condition.

Diet –
Firstly, plan on feeding your dog or cat 4 – 6 times per day. Smaller, more frequent meals, reduces the potential of sugar surges.
Use high quality whole grains. Let me explain why – Fibre contained in the bran of whole foods slows down the digestive process therefore limiting the absorption of glucose. More importantly, when we use whole grains, the body converts the sugar from them at a very slow rate – it feeds the glucose into the bloodstream for delivery to the cells at the rate of 1 or 2 calories per minute. This, when compared to refined grains which convert the sugar at the rate of about 30 calories per minute, is much easier and does not ‘shock’ the system. Thus use whole grains like Brown rice, millet, oats (limit the amount of oats to about 10% of the diet) . Also, the minerals such as chromium, zinc and manganese have been identified as controlling blood sugar levels – Refined foods are know to lack these minerals and thus depriving the body of the means to help control the problem.

To maximise mineral absorption in the body use chlorophyll loaded foods such as Spirulina, chlorella and green vegetables like spinach and green beans. Chlorophyll rich foods helps with cell renewal and assists with rebuilding a damaged pancreas . Also these food are very alkaline forming in the body and diabetes, like many other degenerative diseases, involves acid body fluids.

Herbs and supplements.

A combination of Gymnema, bilberry and corn silk works very well.
Gymnema - is known in Ayurvedic medicine as the “sugar killer” for its ability to numb the taste of sugar. Results from studies in animals suggest that Gymnema may work in several ways to help control both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The acids contained in Gymnema seems to decrease the amounts of sugar that are absorbed from foods. As a result, blood sugar levels may not increase as much after meals. Also, Gymnema may promote the production of insulin by the body. It may make body cells more responsive to the insulin that is available, and may even prompt the pancreas to develop more beta cells – the source of insulin. Gymnema has demonstrated to bring down blood glucose and raises serum insulin levels, recorded during an oral glucose tolerance test in diabetic animals and healthy human volunteers

Bilberry - Bilberries have traditionally been used to control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Corn Silk - Corn Silk is used in TCM to lower blood sugar levels, acting as a cholagogue ( an agent that promotes the flow of bile into the intestine, especially as a result of contraction of the gallbladder) and diuretic (a substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.)

Foods to avoid
As already mentioned sugars come in many forms and names. High protein and high fats should be avoided at all costs . It has been suggested that high fats diet might help diabetes but they also cause liver stagnation therefore making pancreatic secretions such as insulin less effective.

Last but not least – exercise helps to stimulate and improve circulation which tends to be poor in diabetics, it also lowers blood sugar levels and thereby reduces the need for insulin.

Health Conditions

Diabetic Dogs

Diabetes in Dogs – Diabetes mellitus – from the Greek meaning “Fountain of Sweetness”