Diagnosis of canine diabetes

The clinical signs of diabetes suggest that your dog might have diabetes mellitus. As other diseases can cause the same signs as canine diabetes, your veterinary surgeon will do some tests on your dog to confirm the diagnosis.

Signs of canine diabetes

If any of the following apply to your dog, consult your veterinary surgeon:

1. Drinks a lot of water (polydipsia)
2. Urinates frequently (polyuria)
3. Is always hungry (polyphagia)
4. Has lost weight despite eating more

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by your veterinary surgeon

The above signs or symptoms are suggestive of diabetes mellitus, but they are also seen in other diseases. For this reason your dog needs to be examined thoroughly by your veterinary surgeon.

Urine samples

Your veterinary surgeon may first examine a urine sample to determine if there is glucose in the urine and/or a urinary tract infection.

Blood samples

To confirm the diagnosis, your veterinary surgeon will take a blood sample and determine the glucose (sugar) level in your dog’s blood.

If the blood glucose concentration is consistently higher than normal, it may indicate that your dog’s pancreas is not secreting (enough) insulin. Alternatively, it may indicate that your dog’s body is "resistant" to the insulin it’s pancreas is producing. In both cases, your dog suffers from diabetes mellitus.

General examination

Your veterinary surgeon will also check your dog’s general health status (to rule out the presence of other diseases and/or infections.) This is very important, as infections and some diseases can be obstacles to the treatment of canine diabetes.