Diabetic Dogs & Sleep Habits
Dogs can get diabetes just like humans. Diabetes affects a dog's ability to make and properly process insulin and regulate blood sugar. Like humans, this disease affects sleep habits and often changing sleep habits help owners first pinpoint a health problem.
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Unhealthy Sleep
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A healthy dog sleeps at least 10 to 16 hours per day, according to holistic veterinary practice owner, Dr. Pollen. Dogs sleeping less than 10 or greater than 16 hours per day have a greater risk of developing diabetes. Like humans sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours, they are 3 times more likely to develop diabetes, says Pollen.
Symptoms
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Excessive sleepiness or lethargy also represents a symptom of diabetes. Other signs include excessive thirst and hunger coupled with weight loss. As the diabetes progresses without treatment, the dog turns depressed, loses his appetite and vomits, according to the Dog Owner's Guide.
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Treatment
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Once a dog is diagnosed with diabetes, many receive insulin injections. Some shots last between 1 to 4 hours, while others last a day or longer. Depending on the dog, some do better with the short term injections which act much more quickly and with more power. Dog owners and veterinarians must work together to decide the best treatment option for the dog.
Caution
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Sometimes the insulin medication actually causes excess sleepiness. This happens when an owner accidentally gives her dog two doses and the dog gets hypoglycemic. First, the dog acts extremely hungry and then very lethargic, says the website Canine Diabetes.
Other Causes
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Other things cause hypoglycemia in insulin treated dogs. It doesn't always happen due to an overdose. A dog who doesn't eat in the morning or one who exercises too long could also show signs of severe sleepiness and lethargy, says Canine Diabetes.
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References
- Photo Credit pretty sleepy image by John Sfondilias from Fotolia.com
