How to Diagnose Diabetes in Miniature Schnauzers
Monitor increased thirst., Look for frequent urination., Watch for increased hunger., Be aware of weight loss., Check your Schnauzer’s eyes., Notice obesity., Recognize sweet smelling urine or breath., Look for lethargy or depression., Identify any...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Monitor increased thirst.
An early warning sign for canine diabetes is increased thirst.
Watch for your dog to drink more throughout the day or drink more at one time.
Monitor the water bowl to see if it empties faster., Another early warning sign of canine diabetes is frequent urination.
This usually goes hand in hand with the increased thirst, since drinking more can lead to the need to urinate more often.Your dog may have more accidents than usual, or start having accidents in the house when they didn’t before. , Dogs who have diabetes may start to eat more.
This is usually combined with weight loss or no change in weight despite eating more., Weight loss is another early sign of diabetes.
With diabetes, weight loss occurs despite having a normal appetite and eating a usual amount of food.
Sometimes, weight loss occurs with increased eating., Another symptom of diabetes is cataracts.
These appear as cloudy eyes or a film over the eyes.
Cataracts connected with diabetes can even lead to blindness if left untreated.
This is usually a sign of later stage diabetes., Canine obesity can lead to diabetes.
If your Miniature Schnauzer is obese, you should monitor him for diabetes symptoms.If your Schnauzer is obese but not diabetic yet, put him on a diet plan to lower his body weight.
This may help reduce the risk of diabetes. , Because sugar is released through urine when a dog has diabetes, you might smell a slightly sweet smell from your Miniature Schnauzer’s urine.
This might also be on his breath as well.You might notice acetone on your dog’s breath as well.
If you smell this, it’s important to get your dog medical treatment as soon as possible.
It commonly points to diabetes combined with ketoacidosis, which is a severe condition., Diabetes can cause your Miniature Schnauzer to sleep more or become less active due to a decrease in energy.
Depression in a dog can point to diabetes with ketoacidosis, which is much more severe., Your vet will try to identify any concurrent diseases, such as infections, underactive thyroid glands, or Cushing's disease.
These diseases can destabilize diabetes control.Correcting any other health issues is a vital part of diabetes treatment, in order to maximize the body's ability to respond to insulin. , If diabetes is left untreated in a dog, he will eventually develop complications.
These complications include cataracts, vomiting, and other health problems.
The dog may also become ketotic, or toxic as a result of the body breaking down tissue to supply energy for its needs since it cannot soak it up from the bloodstream.If you notice any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet immediately.
Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes, your dog should be monitored closely for these symptoms, especially later in life. , If you notice any of the symptoms for canine diabetes, you should take your dog to the vet immediately.
Left untreated, canine diabetes can cause major problems.
When you take your dog to the vet, your vet will perform an examination.
Your vet will check for cataracts, weight loss, in addition to performing a clinical examination to identify other general health problems which could impact diabetes control using insulin., The most basic test for canine diabetes is often a urine dipstick test.
This looks for the presence of sugar in the urine.A negative test in a dog that is not on insulin therapy means the dog is not likely to have diabetes.
A positive test for glucose makes diabetes a possibility, but care should be taken not to jump to conclusions.
Stress can sometimes cause the body to release adrenaline, which triggers the body to release glucose.
Therefore, it is not safe to diagnose diabetes based solely on a positive urine dipstick test. , In addition to the urine test, the vet will want to run blood tests.
They will want to run a full panel that gives an overall view of organ function along with red and white cell numbers.
This is to screen the dog for other problems which could impact on the diabetes.Part of this panel is a blood glucose measurement.
Just as for the urine dipstick test, a normal result makes diabetes unlikely but a high result could be due to diabetes or could be due to stress. , The vet may want to doublecheck a high blood glucose result to make sure it is not a misleading false positive.
The vet will do this either by running a blood glucose curve or by running a blood fructosamine test.A blood glucose curve involves using a handheld glucometer and pinprick-sized spots of blood.
The vet takes a small drop of blood from the dog once an hour for a number of hours (up to 12) and the reading is plotted against time.
If the glucose levels are constantly raised, this confirms diabetes.
However, if the dog is extremely stressed, it is possible that he will show raised levels for quite some time, in which case a fructosamine test is more helpful.
A blood fructosamine test gives a longer overview of blood sugar levels.
Fructosamine levels are slower to react and take days to weeks to change, so they give an average reading of sugar levels during a two week period.
Therefore, a dog who is stressed at the vets but not diabetic will have normal fructosamine levels, while a diabetic dog will show a high fructosamine reading. , Diet is an important factor in controlling diabetes.
If your dog has diabetes, he should be feed a good-quality protein, along with complex carbohydrates and fiber.
This helps energy release slowly into the bloodstream.You should discuss a diet plan for your dog with your vet.
He can help you come up with an eating plan to treat your dog’s diabetes.Soft or moist foods should be cut out of your dog’s diet.
However, don’t suddenly change your dog’s diet if you have been feeding him soft, moist food.
Talk to your vet before changing your dog’s food.There are prescription diets your dog can go on, but most diabetic dogs can remain on their normal diets with some controlled alterations.
Most do fine on high-quality foods available in stores.Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes, before he gets diabetes, try to not feed your dog a low-fat, low-carb diet, and instead feed him high-fiber dog foods.
This may help prevent diabetes., Your dog should be placed on a regular feeding schedule with meals spaced out over the day.
Feed your dog at the same time every day.
This helps smooth out blood glucose levels.If your dog is on insulin, timing of the meals is extremely important.
If your dog is given insulin once a day, feed the dog ⅔ of his daily food before giving him the insulin shot.
About six to eight hours later, give him the second meal.
If your dog is on two shots a day, give the dog half his food before the morning injection.
About 10 to 12 hours later, give him the second half of his food, just before the second injection.Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to this disease, before he contracts diabetes, try feeding him smaller meals throughout the day to try to prevent diabetes., Dogs with diabetes need to have a regular exercise routine.
This helps to regulate blood glucose levels.
Come up with a regular exercise schedule for your dog, where he exercises at approximately the same time each day for the same amount of time.
This helps regulate energy levels, which can help stabilize glucose levels.The exercise doesn’t have to be anything elaborate.
A regular walking schedule can work for your dog. , The dog will probably need injections of insulin in order to reduce his blood sugar levels.
These are easy to give and your vet will train you up on how to give the injections painlessly, so you are confident to give them at home. -
Step 2: Look for frequent urination.
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Step 3: Watch for increased hunger.
-
Step 4: Be aware of weight loss.
-
Step 5: Check your Schnauzer’s eyes.
-
Step 6: Notice obesity.
-
Step 7: Recognize sweet smelling urine or breath.
-
Step 8: Look for lethargy or depression.
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Step 9: Identify any related illnesses.
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Step 10: Know the risks if diabetes is left untreated.
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Step 11: Take your dog to the vet.
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Step 12: Get a urine test.
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Step 13: Ask for a blood test.
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Step 14: Perform additional tests.
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Step 15: Change your dog’s diet.
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Step 16: Spread out meals.
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Step 17: Create an exercise schedule.
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Step 18: Administer insulin injections.
Detailed Guide
An early warning sign for canine diabetes is increased thirst.
Watch for your dog to drink more throughout the day or drink more at one time.
Monitor the water bowl to see if it empties faster., Another early warning sign of canine diabetes is frequent urination.
This usually goes hand in hand with the increased thirst, since drinking more can lead to the need to urinate more often.Your dog may have more accidents than usual, or start having accidents in the house when they didn’t before. , Dogs who have diabetes may start to eat more.
This is usually combined with weight loss or no change in weight despite eating more., Weight loss is another early sign of diabetes.
With diabetes, weight loss occurs despite having a normal appetite and eating a usual amount of food.
Sometimes, weight loss occurs with increased eating., Another symptom of diabetes is cataracts.
These appear as cloudy eyes or a film over the eyes.
Cataracts connected with diabetes can even lead to blindness if left untreated.
This is usually a sign of later stage diabetes., Canine obesity can lead to diabetes.
If your Miniature Schnauzer is obese, you should monitor him for diabetes symptoms.If your Schnauzer is obese but not diabetic yet, put him on a diet plan to lower his body weight.
This may help reduce the risk of diabetes. , Because sugar is released through urine when a dog has diabetes, you might smell a slightly sweet smell from your Miniature Schnauzer’s urine.
This might also be on his breath as well.You might notice acetone on your dog’s breath as well.
If you smell this, it’s important to get your dog medical treatment as soon as possible.
It commonly points to diabetes combined with ketoacidosis, which is a severe condition., Diabetes can cause your Miniature Schnauzer to sleep more or become less active due to a decrease in energy.
Depression in a dog can point to diabetes with ketoacidosis, which is much more severe., Your vet will try to identify any concurrent diseases, such as infections, underactive thyroid glands, or Cushing's disease.
These diseases can destabilize diabetes control.Correcting any other health issues is a vital part of diabetes treatment, in order to maximize the body's ability to respond to insulin. , If diabetes is left untreated in a dog, he will eventually develop complications.
These complications include cataracts, vomiting, and other health problems.
The dog may also become ketotic, or toxic as a result of the body breaking down tissue to supply energy for its needs since it cannot soak it up from the bloodstream.If you notice any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet immediately.
Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes, your dog should be monitored closely for these symptoms, especially later in life. , If you notice any of the symptoms for canine diabetes, you should take your dog to the vet immediately.
Left untreated, canine diabetes can cause major problems.
When you take your dog to the vet, your vet will perform an examination.
Your vet will check for cataracts, weight loss, in addition to performing a clinical examination to identify other general health problems which could impact diabetes control using insulin., The most basic test for canine diabetes is often a urine dipstick test.
This looks for the presence of sugar in the urine.A negative test in a dog that is not on insulin therapy means the dog is not likely to have diabetes.
A positive test for glucose makes diabetes a possibility, but care should be taken not to jump to conclusions.
Stress can sometimes cause the body to release adrenaline, which triggers the body to release glucose.
Therefore, it is not safe to diagnose diabetes based solely on a positive urine dipstick test. , In addition to the urine test, the vet will want to run blood tests.
They will want to run a full panel that gives an overall view of organ function along with red and white cell numbers.
This is to screen the dog for other problems which could impact on the diabetes.Part of this panel is a blood glucose measurement.
Just as for the urine dipstick test, a normal result makes diabetes unlikely but a high result could be due to diabetes or could be due to stress. , The vet may want to doublecheck a high blood glucose result to make sure it is not a misleading false positive.
The vet will do this either by running a blood glucose curve or by running a blood fructosamine test.A blood glucose curve involves using a handheld glucometer and pinprick-sized spots of blood.
The vet takes a small drop of blood from the dog once an hour for a number of hours (up to 12) and the reading is plotted against time.
If the glucose levels are constantly raised, this confirms diabetes.
However, if the dog is extremely stressed, it is possible that he will show raised levels for quite some time, in which case a fructosamine test is more helpful.
A blood fructosamine test gives a longer overview of blood sugar levels.
Fructosamine levels are slower to react and take days to weeks to change, so they give an average reading of sugar levels during a two week period.
Therefore, a dog who is stressed at the vets but not diabetic will have normal fructosamine levels, while a diabetic dog will show a high fructosamine reading. , Diet is an important factor in controlling diabetes.
If your dog has diabetes, he should be feed a good-quality protein, along with complex carbohydrates and fiber.
This helps energy release slowly into the bloodstream.You should discuss a diet plan for your dog with your vet.
He can help you come up with an eating plan to treat your dog’s diabetes.Soft or moist foods should be cut out of your dog’s diet.
However, don’t suddenly change your dog’s diet if you have been feeding him soft, moist food.
Talk to your vet before changing your dog’s food.There are prescription diets your dog can go on, but most diabetic dogs can remain on their normal diets with some controlled alterations.
Most do fine on high-quality foods available in stores.Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes, before he gets diabetes, try to not feed your dog a low-fat, low-carb diet, and instead feed him high-fiber dog foods.
This may help prevent diabetes., Your dog should be placed on a regular feeding schedule with meals spaced out over the day.
Feed your dog at the same time every day.
This helps smooth out blood glucose levels.If your dog is on insulin, timing of the meals is extremely important.
If your dog is given insulin once a day, feed the dog ⅔ of his daily food before giving him the insulin shot.
About six to eight hours later, give him the second meal.
If your dog is on two shots a day, give the dog half his food before the morning injection.
About 10 to 12 hours later, give him the second half of his food, just before the second injection.Since Miniature Schnauzers are prone to this disease, before he contracts diabetes, try feeding him smaller meals throughout the day to try to prevent diabetes., Dogs with diabetes need to have a regular exercise routine.
This helps to regulate blood glucose levels.
Come up with a regular exercise schedule for your dog, where he exercises at approximately the same time each day for the same amount of time.
This helps regulate energy levels, which can help stabilize glucose levels.The exercise doesn’t have to be anything elaborate.
A regular walking schedule can work for your dog. , The dog will probably need injections of insulin in order to reduce his blood sugar levels.
These are easy to give and your vet will train you up on how to give the injections painlessly, so you are confident to give them at home.
About the Author
Judith Simmons
A passionate writer with expertise in lifestyle topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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