Insulin Resistance in Dogs
While insulin therapy can be quite effective in managing diabetes mellitus in dogs by suppressing clinical signs and preventing secondary complications, under certain circumstance some dogs may prove to be resistant to its effects. The causes of such resistance vary.
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Definition
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According to Marvistavet.com, insulin resistance is defined as persistently elevated levels of glucose throughout the day despite the fact that dogs are given three units of insulin per four pounds of body weight or the need to administer one or more units of insulin per pound in order to achieve regulation.
Considerations
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At times, insulin resistance may occur because the insulin is not administered correctly. For instance, the owner may not be dosing the insulin correctly, the injection technique may be faulty, or the insulin vial may not be stored correctly, may be over mixed by shaking or may be expired.
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Diagnosis
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Insulin resistance may be caused at times by phenomena such as a ''rapid insulin metabolism'' in which the insulin quickly wears off or by a phenomena known as ''Somogyi overswing'' which occurs when high doses of insulin are given and the body reacts by further increasing blood-glucose levels. Both phenomena can be diagnosed by having the dog hospitalized for a blood-glucose curve test.
Counter Effects
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The hormone progesterone has the potential for raising blood-sugar levels despite the use of insulin, therefore unaltered female dogs should be spayed in order to obtain a better response to insulin. Stress may also contribute to raising glucose levels, while obesity may reduce the efficacy of insulin.
Other Causes
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Sometimes insulin resistance may be caused by other underlying conditions that require further testing. Other causes for insulin resistance may be Cushing's disease, high levels of lipids in the blood, the overproduction of growth hormones from the pituitary gland, the administration of certain drugs or the development of insulin antibodies
Warning
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Treatment options to counteract insulin resistance vary and depend on the underlying cause. In some cases, finding an underlying cause may be quite difficult and a referral to a veterinarian specializing in internal medicine may be helpful in complicated cases.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jose Roberto V. Moraes
