Are insulin injections the only answer for your diabetic dog?

There are natural ways to treat and help your diabetic dog but the fact still remains, if they need insulin, then insulin they must have. But even if this is the only answer you can still considerably reduce the amount of insulin to be administered along with improving your dog’s health and wellbeing.

Diet.

It goes without saying that sugar needs to be reduced or cut out completely. But although it is pretty easy to recognize sugar or glucose within foodstuffs, it isn’t so obvious to recognize the other big culprit for diabetic mayhem – carbohydrates. Most dry dog foods, including the prescription diets your vet sells, are predominately made from grains. The problem with grains is that they’re usually very high in carbohydrates, which you and your dog’s body quickly turns into glucose thus producing a spike in blood sugar levels.

If you think of the principle of the Atkins diet with the cutting out of carbs, you can begin to understand what happens when you or your dog consumes carbs. Carbs = sugar = weight gain (sometimes diabetes). Both simple and complex carbs produce glucose but they are released into the blood stream at different speeds. Simple being quick, complex being slow. Generally they are OK for your energy levels but the over-consumption of carbs has probably been the leading cause of obesity and diabetes in both humans and dogs. In times gone by before the modern medical marvels of treating diabetes if someone became diabetic it was unlikely they would live past 30. But the doctors of old recommended a diet of protein and fat with no carbs or sugar (fruit), perhaps you could say those doctors of a couple of hundred years ago began the Atkins diet! The best way to regulate the glucose being released into the bloodstream is to prolong the digestion process with a diet higher in protein and fat. In the case of your diabetic dog perhaps try a good quality canned food or better still a homemade diet.


Exercise.

Any good diabetic will tell you that exercise does wonders for their condition. Getting the blood pumping helps shift that excess weight and helps regulate your blood sugar levels. The fatter you are, the more difficult it is to keep good sugar levels and control. Diabetes is all about good control. The only thing to be mindful of is that exercise will burn your sugar up so beware of the hypo. The same applies to your dog, give him as much exercise as possible but have something on hand should he show symptoms of a hypo. With this in mind perhaps you should work out an exercise plan with your vet.

Your vet will tell you that consistency is the key and will probably suggest that you exercise your pet at the same time every day keeping the sessions the same length without being over-vigorous; you do not want your dog getting out of breath as he could be on the way to having a hypo. If your dog goes dizzy or weak or starts to act in an unusual way, give him something sweet and get to the vet quickly.

Natural Remedies

Many studies have shown that certain herbs, vitamins, nutrients and minerals can be helpful in regulating blood glucose levels in a diabetic dog. These include:

Fenugreek: helps to slow down carbohydrate absorption and may stimulate insulin production.

Astragalus: is often used in Chinese Medicine. Clinical research has proven its effectiveness to regulate glucose levels and it can also prevent or slow the formation of cataracts, which are almost a guaranteed effect of canine diabetes.

Goat’s rue can lower glucose levels without causing hypoglycaemia (hypo) and may also reduce your dog’s risk of cataracts, and may also prevent kidney damage.

Bilberry is another cataract preventing favourite with herbalists with some even believing Bilberry can reverse them.

Chromium is an essential mineral for glucose regulation in the blood. Popular with humans in supplement form, it is also an excellent product for your diabetic dog. It can prevent insulin resistance, which is usually a precursor of type 2 diabetes which is the most common form of this disease among canines and humans.

All the above are fine to use along with insulin but some owners wish to pursue this herbal direction to a point where their pet is no longer insulin dependent. This is a great goal but consult with your vet before making any major changes. Remember mainstream vets are not champions of any alternative remedies or medicines, so make sure your vet is forward rather than backward thinking.

Diabetes is a horrible aging disease but with good blood sugar control for you or your dog it will mean a virtually normal and happy existence.

Good luck!

Is there anything good about smoking?

I think in terms of health we would all agree the answer is NO! It is a smelly, unsociable, dirty habit that has absolutely no benefits whatsoever. Well, pure nicotine does actually have a role to play in anti-aging medicine believe it or not, but I am talking about cigarettes which are full of some of the nastiest poisons known to man. You can’t even use the immature argument that smoking makes you look cool anymore, maybe up to 25 years ago but now it is definitely un-cool. Smokers have become society’s inconvenience publically and a drain on medical resources. Smoking is a purely selfish and destructively pointless past-time that is incredibly costly to your health and to your wallet. My simple message is don’t start or if you have succumbed to this hideous habit – give up! Everyone will thank you for it.

Rant over.

Most people realize that smoking is linked to many cancers and cardiovascular diseases and conditions, but do you know what smoking does to your eyes? Researchers at The Duke University Medical Center have concluded that the tar in cigarettes has a big impact on the retina, leaving deposits and thickening it. Smoking narrows blood vessels which reduces blood flow to the eye. Two of the major problems with diabetes is diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy which are caused by poor circulation due to too much sugar in the blood stream. The blood vessels are weakened and break, bleed or contribute to a lack of sensitivity in the extremities. If you are diabetic smoker you are massively increasing an existing problem and definitely asking for serious eye health issues.

Smoking increases the production of free radicals while at the same time reducing the positive effect of antioxidants. Smoking causes cellular damage and affects the aqueous and the tissue around the eye and retina and it reduces the macular pigment that acts to protect the eyes from UV radiation.

Smoking is the greatest contributor to age-related macular degeneration and it ‘encourages’ cataract formation, glaucoma, Graves ophthalmopathy and as mentioned above, diabetic retinopathy. But these eye diseases will not be limited to the smokers themselves but also to anyone in regular contact with cigarette smoke enjoying the wonders of passive or second-hand smoking!

Stub it out – your smoke is getting in our eyes!