Your dog’s blood glucose level could change for several reasons – diet, stress, medications, etc. Moderately elevated blood glucose can be indicative of an infection, hormonal imbalances, or inflammatory conditions. Persistent high glucose levels can mean Diabetes Mellitus.
The normal blood glucose level for a healthy dog falls between 75 mg to 120 mg. Anything above that is considered hyperglycemia. It could be temporary, stress-induced, or a sign of a serious underlying disease like diabetes. It’s more common in female dogs than males, and older dogs rather than younger dogs.
Symptoms of High Blood Sugar in Dogs
The first thing you may notice is your dog’s frequent thirst and need to pee. If your dog’s high blood sugar is temporary you may not notice any symptoms at all. The symptoms below are likely to be seen if your dog’s high blood sugar is the result of a serious disease – see a vet as soon as possible if you see any these symptoms:
– Wounds not healing; infections worsening
– Depression
– Enlarged liver
– Urinary tract or kidney infection
– Bloodshot eyes
– Cataracts
– Extreme fluctuation in weight, gaining or losing
– Obesity
– Hyperactivity
– Excessive thirst or hunger Increased frequency of urination
Causes of High Blood Sugar in Dogs
High blood sugar can indicate one of the following issues:
– Diabetes mellitus, caused by a loss of pancreatic beta cells, which leads to decreased production of insulin, rending the dog unable to process sugar sufficiently.
– Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, which can damage insulin-producing cells, inhibiting the dog’s ability to process sugar sufficiently.
– Hyperandrenocorticism, enlargement of or tumor on the pituitary gland, which causes excess levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, affecting the dog’s metabolic process.
– Dental, kidney or urinary tract infections.
– Reaction to certain medications.
– Having just eaten, or eaten human food with high sugar levels.
– Exertion, excitement, or stress.
Diagnosis of High Blood Sugar in Dogs
The moment your dog shows any of the above symptoms, consult your veterinarian. Discuss any recent infections, changes in diet, or abnormalities with your vet to help them determine the cause of your dog’s high blood sugar. They’ll need to take blood samples for
– a complete blood cell count to check for abnormalities in the red and white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin
– a chemical blood profile to measure blood sugar, proteins and electrolytes
If only your dog’s blood glucose level is abnormal, then your vet may determine that it’s a temporary issue. If not, they will check for pancreatits, diabetes mellitus, and other underlying causes.
Treatment of High Blood Sugar in Dogs
Treatment will vary significantly depending up on the diagnosis.
– Diabetes mellitus will be treated with a combination of insulin and diet modification designed to optimize body weight.
– Pancreatitis will be treated through hospitalization, giving the dog analgesics, anti-inflammatories and intravenous fluids for several days while withholding oral fluids and food in order to allow to pancreas to reset. Low fat nourishing food is now recommended as part of the initial treatment. (It will be gradually re-introduced). Pancreatitis can be life threatening, however most dogs will recover without long-term consequences.
– Hyperandrenocorticism caused by enlargement of the pituitary gland will be treated with one of several drugs designed to lower the body’s production of cortisol. The veterinarian will prescribe the drug that best fits the severity of your dog’s condition. Most cases of hyperandrenocorticism are caused by a pituitary tumor. Fewer are caused by an adrenal gland tumor in which radiation or surgery may be necessary.
– For high blood sugar caused by infection, the infection will be treated on a case-by-case basis, typically with antibiotics.
– For high blood sugar caused by reaction to medication, the use of the medication will be stopped and an appropriate substitute will be found.
– For temporary causes such as just having eaten, having eaten a high-sugar meal, exertion, excitement or stress, no treatment is needed, and the blood sugar will return to normal. In the case of feeding inappropriate food or causing the dog excess stress, take action to ensure this does not happen again.
Recovery of High Blood Sugar in Dogs
A follow-up to monitor blood sugar levels is important, and frequency of follow-ups will depend on the diagnosis. Diabetes mellitus will usually require daily insulin injections and strict dietary changes, limiting sugar intake and feeding high-protein, high-fiber low-fat and low-carb diets. Talk to your vet about the proper level of exercise for your dog to maintain a healthy body weight.
Follow all your vet’s instructions to the letter and monitor your dog’s recovery to stay on top of reoccurance of symptoms or drug side effects.
