Canine diabetes mellitus requires lifelong insulin therapy and dietary management. With appropriate care, diabetic dogs can maintain excellent quality of life for years.
Uncontrolled diabetes causes suffering from persistent hyperglycaemia — excessive thirst, urination, hunger despite weight loss, and eventual cataract formation causing blindness. Diabetic cataracts develop within months in many dogs and cause sudden blindness if untreated. Ketoacidosis — a life-threatening complication — causes vomiting, weakness, and metabolic acidosis. With appropriate management, diabetic dogs can achieve excellent quality of life for years. The twice-daily injection requirement is manageable for most owners, and most dogs accept injections readily. The welfare challenge lies in achieving stable control — blood glucose swings cause intermittent illness — which requires careful diet standardisation, consistent feeding times, and regular monitoring.