Never Withhold Water from Your Diabetic Dog

Likely the whole reason that you found out that your dog is diabetic is because he or she was guzzling water and having accidents in the house. Why do you suppose that they were doing that? They were doing it because their BG (Blood Glucose) was high and they were trying to flush out the extra!

I know that it’s a pain to clean up the puddles everywhere especially when they are almost like syrup because there is so much sugar in the urine. Please know that this is NOT an act of defiance, it is an act of survival on your pups part. When their numbers are high, they will drink water non-stop until it runs out because they are thirsty. Their bodies can’t absorb nutrients or water or anything for that matter when their numbers are too high. They are trying to save themselves so withholding water is the last thing that you want to do.

The good news is that when their numbers come down, the water consumption will slow down as will the accidents in the house. What does this mean for you? It means lots of refills of the water bowl and lots and lots of potty breaks until you get closer to your ideal insulin dose. Please know that they can’t help it and that they should not be punished for these indiscretions. Believe me, they are as unhappy about it as you are if not more so.

A telltale sign that your pup’s BG (Blood Glucose) is too high is that their water consumption will increase again. If you aren’t home testing, this will indicate to you that your pup either has a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) or their sugar is running too high and you need to visit your vet and discuss an insulin dose increase.

Please know that Diabetic Dogs are prone to UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections). This happens because when BG (Blood Glucose) goes above 180, the sugar will spill into their urine. If your pup isn’t drinking enough water or going outside often enough, that sugar is sitting in the bladder and encouraging bacteria to grow. This is yet another reason to not withhold water from your pup. They need to continually flush their system when their numbers are too high. If your dog has a UTI, understand that it can take a lot longer to clear because of the increased sugar in their bladder feeding the bacteria that is causing the infection.

Once you get rid of the UTI, you may want to add a cranberry supplement or D-Mannose to your nightly regimen. Please be certain that there are no sweeteners in any supplements that you use and that you are giving these supplements the very last thing before bed so they sit in the bladder overnight.

If your pup is newly diagnosed and you work outside the home, put down a bunch of water bowls and a bunch of  pee pads before you go to work. Not giving them access to as much water as they need is asking for even more problems in a very short time. There is no scenario where it is appropriate to withhold water from a diabetic dog… not one.

Keep your eyes on this Friday’s post… in honor of all of you “Sugar Mama’s” out there, we will be offering a little incentive to participate in the blog on Friday for Mother’s Day. That’s all I’m going to say… So STAY TUNED! :)

Don’t forget the amazing deal on the  PetTest Diabetes Survival Kit! Just use this code at checkout for an incredible savings!!! You won’t be disappointed!!

DSK190DISCOUNT

There are some new products coming out to make providing for your “Sugar Baby” even easier! Check back often as we will be highlighting those new additions here. <3 

Please “like” this post or say hi in the comments below so that we know that you’re out there!