It seems like every time you turn around, you hear something about herbs for dogs or natural remedies for dogs. If you have a diabetic dog, you're probably wondering if there's a natural way to treat diabetes in dogs. Is insulin the only answer? Read on to learn more.
Diet For A Diabetic Dog
Obviously, you need to cut out any food that's high in sugar. But that's not as easy as it sounds, as sugar isn't the only problem. Did you know that most dry dog foods, including the prescription diets your vet sells, are made mostly from grains?
What's wrong with that? The problem with grains is that they've very high in carbohydrates, which your pet's body breaks down quickly into glucose. This glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream all at once, cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
Proteins and fats are also broken down into glucose, but the digestion process takes longer. This means that glucose is released into the blood over a longer period of time, which helps to regulate blood glucose levels. This is why you'll want to switch your dog over to either a high-quality canned food, or start feeding her a homemade diet.
What About Exercise?
Exercise is a great natural way to regulate glucose levels in the blood. However, you need to be careful when exercising a diabetic pet, as hypoglycemia can result if the exercise is too vigorous.
Talk to your vet about setting up an exercise program for your pet with canine diabetes. He or she will tell you that consistency is the key:
Exercise your pet at the same time every day.
Keep the exercise sessions the same length every day.
Start out slowly if you've both been couch potatoes.
Avoid vigorous exercise that gets your pet out of breath. Walking and swimming are recommended.
If your pet starts getting dizzy or weak, she could be going into hypoglycemia. Always have a little Karo syrup with you so you can rub it on her gums. Take her to the vet right away if this happens.
Can Natural Remedies For Dogs Be Helpful?
Studies have shown that many herbs can be helpful in regulating blood glucose levels in a diabetic dog.
Fenugreek helps to slow down carbohydrate absorption, and may stimulate insulin production.
Astragalus is an old stand-by in Chinese traditional medicine. Research has proven its effectiveness in regulating glucose levels. It can also prevent or slow the formation of cataracts, which are common in canines with diabetes, as well as boosting your pet's immune system.
Goat's rue can lower glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia. It's another herb that may reduce your pet's risk of cataracts, and may also prevent kidney damage.
Bilberry is thought to prevent cataracts, and many herbalists believe this herb can even help to reverse them.
The mineral chromium is also essential for regulating the amount of glucose in the blood. It can also prevent insulin resistance, which is usually a precursor of type 2 diabetes. This is the most common form of this disease among canines.
You may be interested in trying a remedy that contains all these ingredients. They're safe to use along with the insulin you give your pet. In fact, many pet owners have been able to reduce their pet's dependence on insulin by using herbal pet remedies. Always talk to your vet before making any changes to your pet's treatment plan.
You'll want to learn more about how natural remedies for dogs may help treat canine diabetes. This may be an effective way to manage this disease in your pet.
No comments:
Post a Comment