Free Diabetic Supplies

Most of us usually think in terms of diabetes as a “human” disease.  While it is true that diabetes is more prevalent in humans than in animals and diabetes treatment is geared toward humans, there are animals that develop diabetes as well.

Diabetes in animals is not new.  Pets can develop diabetes for many reasons including diet, age and genetics.  When a pet develops diabetes many of the symptoms can be the same as the symptoms that humans display.

They can be lethargic, gain or lose weight, be extremely thirsty and have to urinate frequently.  There is treatment available for pets with diabetes, including insulin injections.

One of the main reasons that pets can develop diabetes is through diet.  It is important to check labels of pet food to make sure that they are healthy and not full of fillers or empty calories, carbs and sugars.  To save money, many producers of pet food use as little healthy food as possible and put flavor additives and starches into the food to make up for the lack of nutrition.

This is not to say that all pet foods are not nutritious.  Many have whole grains combined with meat and meat products in them, as well as vegetables.  Some feature beef, vegetables and rice, for instance, and are balanced and healthy.  It is the foods that don’t feature the whole food, but only include substitutes that can do damage, in a very similar way that snack foods and empty carbs can do damage to humans.

Another culprit in pet diabetes can be table scraps.  It is sometimes hard to resist giving your beagle, Alfred, the leftovers or even a smidge of your food.  It is important, however, that you do not allow Alfred to have a ton of mashed potatoes or bread or dessert.  They will do to Alfred what they would do to you.  If you are going to give your pet scraps, make sure they are wholesome meat and veggies, make sure they are balanced out with a meal of their own pet food, and never, ever give dogs chocolate because it could kill them.  They cannot digest it properly and it could lead to their death.

Your pet can live a long and healthy life and may or may not develop diabetes.  The risk of diabetes decreases if your pet stays on a healthy diet and stays active.  With all the pet products available today, it is easy to proper food and other essential supplies.  If you are unsure about what is healthy for your pet or unsure as to whether your pet may be developing diabetes, ask your vet and check with your local pet store.  A little research will go a long way toward keeping your pet healthy.