Diabetic dog: 5 tips to feed him well

Did you discover that your dog was diabetic? Do not panic, with good care, your companion can lead a long life (almost) normal. The first thing to do? Strictly control your diet.

1. A diet rich in fiber

The regulation of blood sugar (that is, blood sugar) is the key to controlling diabetes. Thus, a diabetic dog must benefit from a diet low in fast sugars to avoid increasing its blood sugar level. Sweet treats or high-fat foods should be banned from your dog's diet.


Use high fiber foods, especially if your dog is overweight, as they slow down the entry of glucose into the blood and help your dog feel full. Also bet on slow carbohydrates, such as cereal flakes or boiled or puffed rice, as they allow for progressive digestion. In addition, you will need to increase the amount of cellulose and protein in your diet and replace the fatty acids you need with sunflower or rapeseed oil.

Note that if all this seems obscure to you, there are foods specially designed for diabetic dogs!

2. Regular schedules


Beyond the food composition that you give to your dog, the meal routine is especially important. Indeed, it is necessary that your dog is fed every day at the same time. He must feed when his insulin peak is at its highest. Once your dog has eaten, his blood sugar will increase. Insulin will then help maintain glucose levels at a normal level.


If your dog gets a daily dose of insulin, his first meal should be given before the morning insulin injection. You can give him his second meal 6 to 8 hours later. If your dog gets two doses of insulin a day, you will need to give him two meals of equal size, spaced 10 to 12 hours, at the time of insulin injections (or just before).

It is essential to never give insulin to a dog with an empty stomach, it could make him sick!

3. A strict control of calories

It is important that each meal given to your dog contain the same ingredients, and therefore the same energy intake. The number of calories to be given each day to your dog must therefore be strictly monitored. This number must be adapted to its weight and level of activity and determined upstream with the veterinarian.

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4. Water at will

A diabetic dog tends to drink more than a healthy dog. In fact, the fibers contained in greater quantity in its diet absorb water from the body. To avoid dehydration, always make available to your pet a bowl of fresh water, at any time of day and night.


5. Weight loss

If your dog is overweight, it is essential that he loses a few pounds in order to help his cells make better use of insulin, that is, to make it easier to turn food into energy. Lose weight will also help your dog to lower his blood sugar level. In addition, weight loss can reduce your dog's insulin requirements.

But be careful, as for his diet, physical exercise must be regular, that is to say, the same duration and the same intensity each day. A sports session that is too long or too intense could lead to an excessive drop in blood sugar.