Milka had been drinking a bit more water than usual for the past week so I took him to the vet for some tests. Turns out that he is diabetic. I wasn’t even aware that dogs could get diabetes. The vet says I caught it really early, which is good. It’s type 1, and was genetic, so he was pre-disposed to getting it.
I have started giving Milka twice daily insulin injections. It’s a pretty small syringe/needle so it doesn’t hurt him at all. That or he’s really brave! He’s also on a strict diet – unfortunately, he’ll be eating the same high fibre, low calorie food for the rest of his life and will only be allowed very limited amount of treats. No more cheese, apple or banana – his favorite foods. The disease is very similar to diabetes in people.
When the vet first told me about this it seemed pretty upsetting, but now that I know that this won’t affect his life expectancy and the daily injections aren’t painful, it’s not a big deal at all.
Many thanks to the staff at the Granville Island Vet Hospital for being so patient and informative.
Was sorry to hear Milka is diabetic, but as you stated once you get used to everything, its not so bad. Princess went for her yearly shots and the vet almost killed her with a treat. Got stuck in her throat, took over an hour for her to through it up, she’s ok now.