Diets for Diabetic Dogs

Diabetes is a chronic condition caused by a deficiency of insulin in the body. Insulin is a hormone and without it the body struggles to metabolize sugar. Both humans and dogs can suffer from diabetes and it is not un-common in either.

There are 2 types of diabetes that dogs suffer from. The first type is caused when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and needs injections to keep levels high. Usually this type of diabetes is caused by the destruction of the cells in the pancreas. The second type of diabetes is caused when the body does produce enough insulin but something else in the body prevents it from being made use of. This is rare however whereas the first type is not.

Diabetes is most likely to occur in female dogs between ages 7 and 9 although juvenile diabetes can occur in dogs under one year old. If your dog has diabetes, a specially designed diabetic dog food can be a great help in controlling it and keeping problems at bay. After a meal is eaten and digested, glucose is released into the bloodstream. The type of food that has been eaten has a big impact on how this release is made. If a meal is eaten that has a high sugar content, the release of glucose into the bloodstream is quick and sudden, whereas a meal made up of complex carbohydrates (including starch and fibre) ensures the glucose is released in a more controlled way.

This is far better for a dog suffering from diabetes. There are a good number of diabetic dog food diets available. Each dog pet food designed for diabetes will be low in fat, high in fibre and contain lots of complex carbohydrates. If you want to find out more about dog pet food designed for diabetes or would like to try a diabetic dog food, talk to your vet or buy online at an online pet store.

If any of you have information about dealing with diabetic dogs or providing the right food to control the condition, please let us know.

Worming your pets

Worming tablets must be administered to your pets on a regular basis, as the presence of worms in your pet can be very destructive and detrimental to their health. Worms are internal parasites that if left untreated can cause serious illness and even death.

There are a few different varieties of worm that can affect a dog or cat. Roundworms live in the small intestine as well as the blood vessels and sometimes even the respiratory tract. They are particularly harmful to puppies and they feed on the contents of the stomach. Infected puppies and dogs can contract hepatitis, pneumonia, obstruction to the gut and sometimes suffer from fits. They can even travel to humans and in some cases have been known to cause disease.

Tapeworms are another problem. If a dog is dragging its bottom then it is likely they are suffering from tapeworms and should be wormed immediately. Although tapeworms don’t cause serious illness and don’t travel to humans generally from pets, they do cause irritation and itchiness to your pet. That is why regular worming tablets are still very important.

Dog wormers like drontal worming tablets are inexpensive and available either at an online pet pharmacy, from the local veterinarian or even at some supermarkets and chemists.

Regular worming of around once every 3 months is the optimum approach to worming both cats and dogs. Worming tablets kill anything currently present within a cat or dog but reinfection is likely. Kittens and puppies should be wormed at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and then every 3 months after that.

Drontal worming tablets are effective at killing the parasites and removing all worms. Other actions that owners can take is disposing of all animal droppings quickly, controlling fleas on your pets, cleaning all bedding and food bowls regularly and avoiding being licked by your pet.

Have any of our readers got any advice on dealing with fleas and worms? Are there any particular products you can recommend? Send in your comments below.

Where to buy pet medication

Owning pets is certainly a wonderful experience, but as many owners will tell you can also be a rather expensive experience. Owners want the very best for their furry friends but this often conflicts with the other desire to keep costs to a minimum. Pet medications, toys and supplies for our pets can all add up considerable over time, but there are ways to keep costs down.

When you buy pet medication or other supplies from your vet directly, you often pay a premium on the products. You can buy pet medicine online however and because of dramatically lower overheads the prices are dramatically reduced too. If an urgent situation arises of course you must head straight to your local vet, but for routine supplements or medicines that your pet needs, why not take advantage the savings and discounts to be found online?

Online pet pharmacies are a growing phenomenon and it is now very common for pet owners to purchase their flea treatments, worming tablets, pet food and health supplements online. Not only does it save money, but it also saves time as the pet meds are posted straight to your door. There is often a greater choice of products available too, and a host of cheaper generic (rather than branded) products on offer enabling yet further savings to be made.

Buying pet medication online as well as other routine treatments is a popular and growing trend. So long as you are purchasing your pet medication from a trusted source, there are very few risks involved. At Viovet you can purchase everything from dog food, accessories and worming tablets to health supplements and medications for illness. We have a team of staff on hand during the day to answer your questions and offer advice so you know you are in safe hands.

Have any of you bought your pet medications online? Have you found it be a good experience or do you prefer doing it another way? Send in all you comments below.