Diabetes in dogs requires daily insulin injections and careful dietary management. With appropriate care, diabetic dogs can maintain good quality of life for years.
Diabetes mellitus causes genuine welfare harm in unmanaged dogs. Chronically elevated blood glucose causes progressive damage to the eyes (cataracts causing blindness), kidneys, and nerves. Dogs with uncontrolled diabetes feel persistently unwell - polyuria, polydipsia, and weakness are constant companions. Diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe complication of poorly managed diabetes, causes vomiting, lethargy, and rapid deterioration requiring intensive care. However, well-managed diabetic dogs can have excellent quality of life for years - the twice-daily injection routine is manageable for most owners, and stable glucose control allows dogs to feel well and remain active. The welfare investment in learning proper diabetes management pays dividends in years of good-quality life for affected dogs.