Alek G.
04/02/2022
French Bulldogs are maybe cute and cuddly but they can be prone to many health problems. One of the most serious ones is canine diabetes. The best way you could deal with this issue would simply prevent it from getting worse by managing your French bulldog’s diet and blood sugar levels. Let’s find out symptoms and what is causing diabetes in French Bulldogs!
Canine diabetes usually occurs in senior and pregnant Frenchies, but it’s not unusual to happen in younger dogs too. If detected early, this condition is easy to manage with the help of your vet. Besides switching to a special diet, a French bulldog with diabetes should also get enough exercise and proper monitoring.
Frenchies with diabetes can’t use the glucose normally in their bodies. Since glucose is the main source of energy in our bodies, it should be controlled by the hormone insulin. The pancreas produces insulin when the food passes through the intestines during digestion.
Sugars are absorbed by cells in your intestines and used to make glucose, which is then transported throughout the rest of your body. Insulin allows this process to happen because it helps move nutrients from one place (eating) where they’re needed into another( tissues).
Insulin enables sugars that were eaten earlier on during digestion to get absorbed into our bloodstream so we can carry them around with us until their final destination – all different types or organs within our entire bodies! Hyperglycemia is an excess of glucose in the blood. When this happens, it can lead to hyperinsulinemia and eventually diabetes if left untreated or unmanaged for too long.
In diabetics, regardless of where their sugar comes from or how much is in circulation, there isn’t enough glucose transported into cells. As a result, the body’s tissues become starved for energy and start breaking down faster than they should- leading to serious complications like heart disease.
Diabetes is a serious illness that can strike any dog or cat, but it mostly occurs in dogs aged 4-14 years. The condition seems most common among females as well. Two times more than males are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (a form of high blood sugar).
Overweight French bulldogs are at a higher risk to suffer from diabetes. Dogs with overactivity of the adrenal gland, hyperthyroidism, long usage of corticosteroids, as well as repeated urinary infections represent only some of the triggers of this condition.
The early signs of diabetes in your pet are easy to miss. If any of these symptoms appear then take immediate action before things get worse. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the better chance they have of living longer and healthier.
These are some of the most common symptoms of diabetes in French bulldogs:
Besides observing the symptoms your dog shows, your vet will also perform blood and urine testing. By diagnosing diabetes in your Frenchie, your vet will prescribe the initial dose of insulin. It can only be injected into your dog’s skin and your vet will teach you how to do it. Giving injections to your Frenchie is not painful because the needle is very small. Besides insulin injections, your Frenchie will need to switch to a different diet. In most cases, the BARF diet seems like the best choice because it’s low in carbohydrates.
To successfully treat diabetes in your Frenchie, you’ll have to regularly perform blood and urine tests, provide your dog with a lot of activities, and monitor his weight. French bulldog’s weight plays an important role in keeping this condition under control.
Type 1- This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed at a Frenchie’s early age.
Type 2- Occurs in dogs of all ages. When dogs can’t regulate their blood sugar properly, this type of diabetes can be especially dangerous if not detected on time.
Insulin is a life-saving medication for diabetes in French bulldogs, but it can also have some side effects. As you may know already, if your pet has been taking insulin regularly then there are usually no signs of an “overdose” until they stop using their injections or sublingually tablets – at which point we will see tremors/seizures etc… If these symptoms occur soon after ending treatments please contact your vet immediately.
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