Pets Behaving Strangely? It Could be Diabetes
Mincer, A 7-year-old dog, has developed a white haze in her eyes. She seems to see all right, but her eyes look really weird. She also has this huge appetite, and she eats all her food and tries to steal food from our cats. She even went to the neighbor’s garage and ate their dog’s food out of the bag. When we scolded her, she growled. Is this just old age? She doesn’t seem to be a old girl, but she has really changed.
Mincer shouldn’t be an old girl at the age of 7. But there are several possible problems that could be making her look old, and on the top of this list is diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is not uncommon in dogs and cats, and its symptoms are very similar to those you describe for Mincer.
Many diabetic dogs and cats have an increased appetite, yet some slowly lose weight despite this. Diabetes decreases the ability of all the different body cells to utilize glucose, or sugar. The cells slowly starve for energy. The body senses this and sends a hunger signal to the brain that says more food is needed.
Unfortunately, this response does little to solve the problem. Without the normal function of the pancreas and without enough circulating insulin, all the cells still continue to get less than adequate glucose for energy. Without treatment, the patient cannot improve.
Rapid onset cataracts are also a common symptom in diabetes. They’re a change in the protein structure of the lens in the eye. They make the normally clear lens become opaque. Cataracts can develop for many different reasons, but anytime they occur in younger pets like Mincer, diabetes must be considered as a potential problem. This same phenomena occurs in people as well.
Mincer needs a good evaluation at the vet’s office, including a blood panel and a urinalysis. If not from diabetes, her symptoms may be a sign of a more serious illness that needs quick attention. And by the way, diabetes is a treatable disease in dogs. So, even if she has this problem, she can still live a happy, active life for many more years.
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