Brush up on dental care
PAMPERED PETS
Search for “PDSA Dental Care For Dogs” or you can visit pets.webmd. com for more tips.
QWe have a male 10-year-old chihuahua on insulin injections for diabetes. He is very active but slightly underweight, and gradually losing more. How can we get him to put on weight without upsetting his blood glucose levels?
AWell done for managing your dog’s diabetes to date. Even in diabetic people there are problems in compliance and to get good control in dogs requires a lot of attention to detail plus regular check-ups.
Measuring your dog’s weight is sensible and you should obviously continue to do so.
There are several reasons why your dog might be losing weight.
It could be that his diabetes isn’t as well controlled as you might hope. Weight loss is common in diabetic dogs, and is one of the early signs of something being amiss.
There is a blood test that gives a good idea of how well it has been controlled in the previous two to three weeks.
Assuming good diabetic control, the next step would be to investigate possible early underlying diseases that could cause weight loss.
Liver or kidney problems, for example, are not uncommon at his age, and would require blood and urine tests. An early diagnosis and treatment is always best and cost effective.
Until your dog’s weight loss has been investigated I don’t advise changing the diet or insulin dose.
You also say you are reluctant to “bother a vet”, but I would recommend a veterinary check up, including a full physical examination and any further investigation suggested by them.