Monitoring

Your veterinarian may ask you to track signs of diabetes in your dog.

This gives an indication of how your dog is doing. A dog that is doing well should have few or no signs of diabetes and should drink the same amount of water as a non-diabetic dog on a similar diet. Based on the results that you have recorded your veterinarian might decide to investigate further and adjust your dog’s insulin dose.

Do not increase the dose of insulin without first consulting your veterinarian.

Monitoring your dog’s progress is important to managing diabetes. It can be done in several ways:

Depending on the signs your pet is showing, you might record

You might also consider weighing your dog once a week or a few times a month.

Signs

There are several signs of diabetes that are useful in monitoring your dog’s progress and easy to record

• Measuring water intake is a simple and easy way to assess how blood glucose changes during insulin treatment – diabetic dogs drink less when their blood glucose is below the “glucose threshold” of the kidneys.
• It is also possible to count the number of times your dog needs to urinate or whether your dog wakes you up at night because he or she needs to go out (nocturia).
• An activity and behavior tracker can help you stay informed about what your dog is doing and how much energy your dog is expending.
• A connected pet door can help you stay informed about how often your dog goes out and for how long
• Other signs, such as appetite, weight, body condition and attitude – which signal how happy your dog is – are important in monitoring the health and well-being of your diabetic dog.

Urine Glucose and Ketones

Measuring glucose and ketones (which are produced when the body burns fat instead of glucose for energy) in your dog’s urine can be used to help assess your dog’s progress.  

Learn More About Measuring Glucose & Ketones

Glucose

Glucose (in blood or interstitial fluid) can be measured to assess the effects of an insulin dose or doses. This can be done using a continuous glucose monitor (a small monitor implanted under the skin for up to 2 weeks) or by measuring glucose using a handheld glucometer, which only needs a drop of blood, several times a day. 

Learn More About Measuring Blood Glucose

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It may be necessary for your veterinarian to hospitalize your dog for further investigation, particularly if the signs of diabetes are not improving or are worsening. This is not limited to the time of diagnosis and can occur at any point during the life of a diabetic. Consult your veterinary team if your dog experiences a recurrence of diabetes signs or significant changes in weight (loss or gain) or you are worried at any time during treatment.