Take a deep breath. Diabetes in dogs is almost always manageable and, with good care and monitoring, your dog can live a normal, healthy lifespan.

Chris was diagnosed more than 4 years ago, at the age of 9. He's now approaching 14 and has a whole bunch of health problems. Diabetes isn't one of them. He's been on a good routine for his diabetes for a couple of years so his care for diabetes is on cruise control.

Chris

It can take a few months to get to "cruise control" so don't worry if your dog isn't instantly regulated. At the same time, good regulation is invaluable to your dog's health and well-being so it's worth pursuing.

The main adjustment you will need to make is to get into a routine of feeding your dog at the same time very day, usually two meals and injections a day 12 hours apart.

Every dog is different. The trick is to find out what works best for your dog. You and your vet can vary the kind of insulin, diet, and timing of meals and injections to find the right combination.

And remember, diabetes is something people manage every day for themselves. It's actually easier with a dog in that you have a lot of control over what they eat! So managing your dog's diabetes does not have to be a mystery. You can learn to manage your dog's treatment and monitoring.

What's "regulated"?

Insulins and foods

Treatment and monitoring

Videos of home blood glucose testing

Dealing with low blood sugar

Stories of dogs living with diabetes

K9diabetes Forum – A place to share information with others and answers to common questions about treating diabetes.

Manual for treating K9diabetes by manufacturer of Vetsulin insulin plus an interactive website for owners

Tips on how/where to inject

Pet diabetes wiki

Petdiabetes.org

Merck Veterinary Manual - Diabetes

Determining when to give Vetsulin twice a day

Comprehensive List of Links

Haggis