My dog has diabetes and is declining. What urgent advice do I need?

Question

My dog recently got blood work done and the Dr left a message saying that my dog has diabetes. He has been very lethargic, not wanting to eat much, urinating a lot and doesn't want to do anything but sleep. The Dr hasn'y gotten back to me to discuss treatment and I am worried about my dog who seems to be declining daily. Any advice on what I need to do to address his diabetes now? He is a 9 year old American Bulldog who weighs 107lbs. Pet's info: Dog | American Bulldog | Male | 107 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Abel has diabetes! Abel will need to be started on insulin, which will need to come from your vet. If Abel has been lethargic and not eating much, my recommendation would be to have him hospitalized at the vet as soon as possible to get his blood sugar under control, so I'd call them right away and see how quickly he can be seen again - even if the vet isn't free to talk to you when you call, I'd recommend you ask the front desk how quickly Abel can be seen. Untreated diabetes can definitely make a pet become much more sick very quickly, so now that you know it's diabetes I would get Abel rechecked. That way when you bring Abel in, you can talk further about the diabetes diagnosis, and your vet can help you become comfortable with measuring and giving the insulin. When I diagnose new diabetic animals, I usually have the owner practice giving injections of saline to their pet in the hospital so we know they will be comfortable with drawing up the correct dose of insulin and giving injections at home. Your vet will also likely want you to start Abel on a prescription diet formulated to help maintain a more steady blood sugar. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!

My dog has diabetes and is declining. What urgent advice do I need?

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