Diabetes in Pets
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Diabetics are particularly prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs) because hyperglycemia[1] causes sugar to spill into the urine, and that sugary urine, while still in the body, becomes friendly to bacterial cultures. Since another symptom of hyperglycemia is excess urination, all the tissues of the urinary tract are being frequently bathed with this sugary bacterial culture[2].

Urinary tract infections[3] can also cause polydipsia and polyuria.

In addition, a UTI can be a complication to diabetes since infections tend to cause hyperglycemia; hypoglycemia is also possible when dealing with infections[4][5].

The bacteria can migrate from the bladder to the kidneys causing Kidney infection if bladder infections are left untreated[6] The best prevention for this vicious circle is regulating blood glucose as best you can and treating the UTI when it becomes apparent. This is usually done with antibiotics.

Recurring UTIs in diabetic cats can often be a sign of poor regulation[7].

UTI's can often be hidden[8] (called occult infections), with no clinical signs and normal-looking urinalysis results. Urine culture may help detect these hidden infections[9]. Some dogs have chronic urinary tract infections with no evidence of it in their blood glucose levels[10].

Recurring urinary tract infections may be the first 'alert' regarding an underlying disease or condition. The 2003 study link below of 100 dogs who had various recurrent urinary tract infections found that 71 of them had other diseases or conditions which would make them more prone to having UTIs. Those who had their predisposing disorder(s) AND their urinary infections treated were much less likely to suffer recurrences of their urinary problems than those whose UTIs alone were treated[11][12].


Need discussion of symptoms, treatment, and the effect of a UTI diet on a diabetic diet.

Further Reading[]

Wikicat3



Wikidog3

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References[]

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