What to Feed a Diabetic Dog That Won’t Eat

What to Feed a Diabetic Dog That Won’t Eat. If your diabetic dog will not eat, then this is not something that you can ignore. This condition is known as inappetence. Most diabetic canines are given shots of insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels, but if your pet has not eaten anything administering this insulin can be extremely dangerous. It is not advisable to administer insulin injection if your canine has not eaten his food. This article will give in-depth information on what to do and what to feed your diabetic pet that won’t eat.

If your pup won’t eat, feed him/her with low carbohydrate treats mixed in his normal meal. Such threats include tuna juice or tuna, baby food, or roasted pork. In the serious cases of refusing to eat, give him higher carbohydrates that he finds palatable. However, you must consider the effect of these meals on insulin dosage as well as timing.

Understanding Insulin Injection and Diabetic dogs

If your doggy is diabetic, just like us humans, insulin shots are a must. Insulin injections regulate the blood sugar levels in your pooch thus being very vital at treating your pet. This must be combined with a proper diet and ensure your cur is exercising. However, if your dog has not eaten, it can not be given an insulin injection since this is very risky. As mentioned above, insulin is meant to regulate glucose levels and if given to a pet with an empty stomach, it can cause hypoglycemia very fast.

What to feed a diabetic dog that won’t eat?

If your cur is ignoring his food or he seems uninterested, then you should try to mix a little amount of wet canned cuisine into his dry food. Ensure that every piece of his dry foodstuff is coated with the wet canned food and if he agrees to consume this meal, then administer the insulin injection. To entice your doggy to devour, follow the following steps:

• Stir a tablespoon or two of canned food into your pooch’s regular meal.
• Scatter scrambled eggs or shredded chicken into kibble.
• Add a full tablespoon of low-sodium chicken broth into the dry cuisine. Ensure that the broths do not have any onions since they are toxic.

For a diabetic dog, treats between the meals are still okay, but they are not necessary and it would be best if you stick with the normal meals with no treats. Homemade dry meat, snap peas, carrots, and canned pumpkins are better options.

Reasons why your diabetic dog won’t eat

Below are some of the reasons for inappetence:

Maybe nothing is wrong

It might just be a temporary bout of inappetence meaning that your fido is not hungry. If it is just a single missed meal and there is no history of inappetence, it should not cause concern about an underlying problem. However, if this problem continues for a day or precisely twelve hours, then it should be addressed.

Medical problems including upset stomach

If your puppy is not feeling well, it will not consume. A common symptom that it will show is nausea and it often leads to loss of appetite. Your pet might also be suffering from a urinary tract infection. If the pet is consuming little and prefers one side of its mouth, he/she might be having a dental infection and you should consult a vet to check whether it is a dental issue or something else.

New food

If you are a pet owner, then you should know that your pet will not accept new foodstuff immediately. Therefore, if you are transitioning from old to a new food, then you should introduce the new edibles slowly and gradually by mixing the new food with the old meal, increasing the proportion of the new cuisine with time.

At times the manufacturers of your pet’s food might change the ingredients in the edibles without issuing a notice about the change on the label. So, if your pet fails to consume the stuff that it had eaten previously very well, it would be wise if you checked the ingredients. Again, it can be the consistency of the producers in processing your dog’s edibles

Low or high bg’s to get them eating

Most times, the newly diagnosed cur’s blood glucose level can be quite high and your pup might not be interested in the food that you are giving him/her especially if you are changing the diet due to diabetes. It would be better if you let your fido eat what he/she likes so that you can administer the insulin shot in full dose as instructed by the veterinarian. Therefore, put the diet on hold.

How to treat a diabetic dog that won’t eat

Your dog’s failure to eat might be caused by antibiotics, and if so, add a probiotic such as Culturelle that is available in most if not all vitamin stores. This will reduce diarrhea. In the case where your pup is vomiting because of antibiotics, you can treat him/her with Pepcid AC-plain famotidine.

Tips to manage your diabetic dog’s diet

Your doggy is diabetic, do not worry with good care and the needed companion, he/she can lead a long and healthy life.

Food

After visiting your veterinarian, they will determine the number of calories that your canine requires every day based on their activity level and weight. When you know that, keep a close eye on what your dog eats and how much. The best food is one with higher fiber and low fats. Low fats have fewer calories while fiber slows down the amount of glucose entering into their bloodstream and also helps them feel full. Together this diet will assist your dog to lose weight by eating less.

Walk your dog

Your canine needs regular exercise to lose weight and in turn, lower blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is crucial to have your pet exercise for the same time duration and with the same intensity. A vigorous or unusually long workout can cause your dog’s blood sugar levels to drop too low.

Timing

Balancing insulin and food can prove to be challenging since the body is constantly processing insulin and food between meals and injections. Most if not all dogs do well on a regular schedule of around 2-3 meals a day. Injections should be administered after every 12 hours, but it is nice to consult your vet.

In conclusion

If you give your dog the needed care and companionship, you are sure that you will live with him for a long time. If your cur won’t eat, try the method discussed in this article and he might finally eat. After reading through the article you now know the reasons why your pup won’t eat and some additional information about your diabetic pet.