Diagnosis of diabetes in dogs

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

Signs of diabetes mellitus

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

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

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by your veterinary surgeon

The above signs 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 sampling

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 sampling

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 and/or your dog’s body is "resistant" to the insulin its pancreas is producing. Your dog is therefore suffering 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 diabetes mellitus.