1. Begins to drink alot and increased urinating.  My could not drink enough water and as soon as he had consumed water, he would be urinating almost straight away.  He also started to stay outside at night as was unable to control his bladder - you may have noticed a 'few accidents' inside or on their bedding. Be aware on the combination of symptoms and not just think that the dog is drinking alot as it is summer and they are hot.

2. Weight Loss.  Do they seem hungry all the time? Has your dog become very insistent with food and searching for their meal a couple of hours before meal time?  My boy would be nudging me with his nose anytime that I was in the kitchen which was his way of saying "I'm starving".

3.  Lack of energy and interest in usual habits and just wanting to sleep a lot of the time.  Does your dog seem dis-interested in walking and getting about doing all the doggy things like sniffing and wandering.

Diabetes is caused by a deficiency of insulin which is the hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar into the cells and tissues of the body.  There is no cure.  If your dog is between 5-7, on the overweight side and is displaying some of the above symptoms, a trip to the Vet for a simple blood glucose test will determine your dog's blood sugar levels.  It's pretty much the same process for diagnosis for dogs as it is for humans. 

If your dog is a diabetic it will mean a change in feeding routines for you and your dog and could even entail a complete dietary change which will include nutrition high in fibre and protein.  Our Vet worked closely with us to stabilise the diabetes which included showing us how to inject the insulin, education on nutrition for the dog and most of all the importance of keeping a strict routine once stabilised - this includes daily exercise routine.  Humans with diabetes can test themselves five or six times a day to monitor their level - with dogs, once the routine for meals and exercise are set, stick to this otherwise the resulting effect is that your dog will suffer.

Once you get your dog home you can monitor the blood glucose levels with the same glucose testing meter that humans use, so anytime your dog looks a bit flat, you can test them straight away.  Keeping a chart and monitoring the date, time of day and blood sugar level is important.

As Samson has Sebaceous Adenitis, we also make comments if there is any other change in his habits (as a result of this disease) so you can see if there is a correlation between the blood sugar results and anything else that may be going on for eg. you may have tried a slight change in diet.

The best advice that I can give you to work closely with your Vet and continue to provide love and attention and special care to your dog at this time.

Helen Taylor is the proud parent of Samson the Samoyed, diagnosed Diabetic after a bout of Pancreatitis and Samson also has the incurable disorder Sebaceous Adenitis. Read more about the progress of Samson at http://www.the-answer-is-here.com