A dog or cat diagnosed with diabetes will be a high-maintenance pet.

Extra Time and Care Needed
The diabetic animal will require a consistent schedule, daily insulin injections and careful monitoring.

Dietary needs are stringent and must be followed closely.

Anyone caring for your pet must be willing and able to follow your instructions exactly.

If you are committed to caring for your animal and able to do all of the above, then you can expect him to live a fairly normal and comfortable life.

Change in Routine not Recommended
Consistency is vitally important in the care of a diabetic pet.

Insulin injections need to be given on schedule, diet should be consistent both in number of calories and when fed; exercise should be daily and of the same level of exertion.

Insulin Requirements Tied to Diet
Diet and insulin needs are closely related. The timing of each is dependent on the other, and the amount of insulin needed may vary depending on how much and what the animal eats.

Your vet will determine the proper type, dosage and timing of insulin. Cats may need to be hospitalized initially in order to determine these factors.

Usually it is recommended that dogs receive their insulin about fifteen minutes after eating. This assures that glucose will be available when insulin levels peak and reduces the chances that the dog will vomit after the injection.

In most cases it will be best to feed anywhere from two to five small meals daily.

Raw foods are best, but certain canned foods can be used; follow your veterinarian's recommendations.

Never feed the semi-moist commercial foods, as these are very high in sugars.

If preparing your own pet food, the following foods are considered particularly beneficial to the diabetic animal: brown rice, oats, millet, cornmeal, rye, green beans, blueberries, cinnamon, winter squash, carrots, raw milk or yogurt, dandelion greens, alfalfa sprouts, corn, parsley and garlic.

Supplements Help Regulate Blood Sugar
The main goal of the diabetic diet is to reduce the stress on the pancreas. This can be brought about with a low sugar, low fat diet.

Supplementing with chromium and vitamins E and C will also help regulate insulin levels. Nutritional yeast is a good source of chromium, and most animals love the taste of it.

Cinnamon has been shown to help regulate blood sugar in humans, as have blueberries. A number of herbs also help keep blood sugar in check.

Giving Injections Takes Practice, Patience
Giving the insulin injections may be the most trying aspect of this disease.

It will probably be harder on you then the animal, most dogs and cats easily get used to the injections.

Try to make it a calm and pleasant experience by coupling it with some quiet petting or grooming or other activity that your pet enjoys.

Instructions, tips and photos on giving insulin are available at the ...site.

Different Types of Insulin
It is important to know the duration of the type of insulin you are using. There are benefits and draw-backs to each.

Short-term insulin lasts twelve hours or less. This type of injection allows for some flexibility in the timing of injections.

On the other hand, if you have an erratic schedule or may sometimes get home late, it might be difficult for you to follow a strict injection schedule.

Also, if injections are delayed or given early, feeding times must be adjusted as well.

Long acting insulin lasts twelve hours or more.

If an injection is given early, it may overlap with the previous injection and cause a dip in glucose levels.

A delayed injection may cause a problem when the next injection is given if you were to immediately resume your regular schedule.

Be sure to discuss these possibilities with your vet ahead of time, so you will know how to compensate for changes in injection times.

Monitoring May be Required
You may need to learn to monitor your pet's glucose levels. This is not difficult, though the monitors used for humans are not always accurate for pets. This is because the cell size of animal and human blood differs, and the test strips are calibrated for human cells.

Certain monitors are easier to use for pets than others, but most of the newest models will probably work.

There is a glucose monitor made specifically for pets, which can be purchased online at www.animaldiabetes.com. This site also has instructions with photos to help you learn to do the testing.

Excercise and Reduce Stress
Exercise is important no matter what the age of your pet. It should be geared to the physical condition of the animal.

The most important factor to remember is that it must be consistent. Exercise affects insulin use, and varying the intensity or duration (or skipping it entirely) may change the amount of insulin required.

Keeping stress to a minimum will also help your pet keep her insulin levels on an even keel. Know what your pet's stressors are and strive to eliminate or reduce them.

Using calming herbs (i.e. chamomile, passionflower, catnip) or flower essences may also help.

Worth the Challenge
Living with a diabetic pet will have it's challenges, but in the long run should be no more difficult than living it with yourself or another member of your family.

By following the proper diet, injection schedule and having regular checkups at the vet, your dog or cat should live a long and happy life.

Related Articles: Diabetes in Dogs

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