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

This site was inspired by our dog Chris, who was diagnosed with diabetes in September 2003. Chris never did anything by "the book" so he was one of the challenging cases. But through home testing his blood sugar and learning as much as we could about how insulin and food interact, we found a system that worked for him.

Interested in how Chris traveled 2,400 miles round trip while blind and diabetic? Look here.

Chris passed way in August 2008 at 14, an advanced age for a dog his size and especially for a dog with a severe prediabetes heart condition and eventually cancer. Diabetes never held Chris back and did not shorten his lifespan. It truly was the least of his problems.

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.

Insulin

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 insulin 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.

Testing your dog's blood sugar at home

Handheld meters like the OneTouch Ultra and AlphaTrak allow you to test your dog's blood sugar at home.

To see how to collect the tiny sample of blood needed to do this testing, please see our page of video and picture tutorials: www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html.

Many of these videos are posted at our YouTube Channel.

Balancing your dog's food and insulin for best regulation

With insulin injections (of NPH, Vetsulin, Levemir), you are replacing a very sensitive body system that adjusts the amount of insulin available moment by moment with an artificial system that provides a few injections of insulin a day and meals that deliver sugar into the bloodstream as they are digested.

And it works a lot better than it probably ought to...

So insulin and food are an issue of balance. Kind of like a race... a relay race really, because there is constant processing of the food and the insulin throughout the period of time between meals and injections. The finish line is the bloodstream.

Click here to learn more about getting the best regulation of your dog's blood sugar through attention to food and insulin.

Detailed information on caring for your diabetic dog

Monitoring your dog's regulation

Learn to test your dog's blood sugar

How food and insulin work together to create blood sugar

Information on insulins available for your dog

Dangers of low blood sugar

Dangers of high blood sugar

Potential for honeymooning

Rebound high blood sugar

Links to more information on diabetes and related topics

Additional Information on Diabetes in Dogs

Dogs with Diabetes wiki

Vetsulin interactive website for owners

Petdiabetes.org

Whole Dog Journal Canine Diabetes

American Animal Hospital Association Managing Diabetes

VCA animal hospitals Pet Diabetes

Dr. Peterson, Vet. Endocrinologist regarding diabetes

K9diabetes.com on Facebook

We post periodic updates on diabetes in dogs at our Facebook page

K9diabetes.com Forum

Join our forum community for support

K9diabetes.com on Facebook

We post periodic updates on diabetes in dogs at our Facebook page

K9diabetes.com FORUM

Join our forum community for support

Detailed information on caring for your diabetic dog

Monitoring your dog's regulation

How food and insulin work together to create blood sugar

Learn to test your dog's blood sugar

Dangers of low blood sugar

Dangers of high blood sugar

Potential for honeymooning

Rebound high blood sugar

Links to other sites on diabetes and related topics

Additional Information on Diabetes in Dogs

Dogs with Diabetes wiki

Vetsulin interactive website for owners

Petdiabetes.org

Whole Dog Journal Canine Diabetes

American Animal Hospital Association Managing Diabetes

VCA animal hospitals Pet Diabetes

Dr. Peterson, Vet. Endocrinologist regarding diabetes

NOTICE: The content on this site is provided for informational and educational purposes only. While we make every effort to present information that is accurate and reliable, the views expressed here are not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a licensed veterinarian. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice concerning the medical condition or treatment of your dog and before administering any medication or pursuing any course of treatment that you may read about on this site.