Pets and Diabetes

It’s something we don’t talk about often here, but our pets can get diabetes just like us. As someone that gives myself multiple shots a day, I can’t imagine having to do that with my dog as well. But it does happen. As this article states, many pet owners are diabetics themselves and understand about the disease when it comes to treating their pet.

I think I would probably have much more sympathy for a dog that has diabetes now that I’m diabetic too, wouldn’t you?

The same article says, “If left untreated (diabetes) can cause our four-legged friends to lose weight, vomit, become weak and lethargic, or even go blind – and in extreme cases, die.”

Who would want that for our pet?

Sometimes, however, I think we take better care of our pets than we do ourselves. We don’t want our beloved dog who relies on us for care to suffer. We’d make sure they get their shots, eat right, and exercise so they could have a better quality of life. But do we always do this for ourselves?

We should. But it’s human nature to care about others, including animals, first . We diabetics have to imagine ourselves as a being that needs care, and we have to be the one that provides that care. It’s natural to care about others, including our pets, but let’s give ourselves the same amount of love and concern.