Written by: Alexa Waltz

 The diagnosis of canine diabetes can be overwhelming and scary for pet parents. Daily shots? Expensive insulin? Blood glucose testing??? It sounds like a lot, but thankfully pet owners learn quickly what it takes to keep their diabetic dog healthy and happy! You’ll be relieved to know that once some of the details are ironed out, the management of diabetes in dogs can become fairly routine. It does involve a devoted and observant pet parent, as diabetes will always be a serious but manageable health condition for your dog.

The ABCs of Treating Diabetes in Dogs

Did you know that managing diabetes in humans closely resembles our approach to diabetic dogs? Since dogs typically have insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, similar to Type 1 (“juvenile”) diabetes in people, there are many crossovers! Check our other blog post to become familiar with the symptoms of diabetes in dogs . The main differences with diabetes management in people versus dogs are that we do not have to strive for perfection with blood glucose regulation as we do in people, and dogs tend to not develop the other chronic conditions associated with diabetes since people live much longer!

Just as a quick review, when an animal becomes diabetic, the pancreas is no longer able to sense glucose levels in the blood nor secrete insulin. Without insulin, the glucose floating around in the bloodstream is unable to enter and provide energy for cells in the body. Body organs begin to starve due to a lack of usable energy despite the rising glucose levels in the blood. How do you fix that? It’s simple — supply the insulin for them! 

We, as the pet parent, need to step in and take over for that damaged pancreas in order to supply the insulin needed for cells to access that glucose. We also need to monitor the glucose level for highs and lows during a given day since these fluctuations can reach some dangerous thresholds. It is a delicate balance between insulin delivery, food consumption, and exercise to maintain your dog’s glucose in a healthy range 24/7.

Insulin Therapy

Unfortunately, diabetes in dogs is a lifelong disease. Researchers have been studying canine diabetes for decades, and although advancements in treatments and monitoring have fine-tuned some of the clunkier points of living with diabetes, we still do not have a “cure” or a replacement for the pancreas. We are left managing our diabetic dogs with daily insulin injections, typically given twice a day at mealtime. Insulin must be delivered by injections under the skin, and there are no effective diabetes medications that can be given by mouth in our canine patients. By giving injections, the active insulin molecules can find their way into the bloodstream, circulate around the body, and do their job to maintain your dog’s health.

When a dog is initially diagnosed with diabetes, they may be very sick and require several days of hospitalization, especially if they have diabetic ketoacidosis. These dogs need some close monitoring, intravenous fluids (IV), special insulin, and blood glucose monitoring for some time before we can think about starting daily home care. 

However, some dogs are much more fortunate and are not as sick when they are first diagnosed. Dogs that are eating, drinking, and have a reasonable amount of energy may do just fine without hospitalization. Instead, they are healthy enough to start with a maintenance dose of insulin twice daily at home! When your dog is healthy enough to receive treatment at home, your vet will start with a standard dose of insulin that is effective for most dogs and see how it is tolerated by your buddy. Two weeks later, your vet will recheck your dog’s symptoms and consider some glucose monitoring in the clinic (see discussion later). It may take about 6 weeks before the perfect balance of insulin and glucose is reached so being patient, consistent, and observant is essential!

We are so fortunate to have several different safe and effective insulin options available for dogs! Each type of insulin has a slightly different duration of action (how long the insulin lasts) and time to effect (how quickly the insulin kicks in to lower blood sugar levels). The type of insulin that may be best for your dog is determined by financial limitations, desired ease of administration (syringe vs injection pen), and how well your dog’s body responds to it. The most common brands of insulin for dogs are Vetsulin, Novolin-N, Humulin- N, Glargine/Lantus, Detemir/Levemir, and Prozinc. Most of these options are twice-daily dosing using special insulin syringes or a convenient injection pen. Once your dog starts their twice daily insulin dosing, you may see a decrease in their original symptoms immediately, although it could take up to 6 weeks for their bodies to adjust to the insulin injections you are providing.

AskVet Tip: Need some additional coaching for giving those insulin shots or handling the insulin bottles and syringes? Luckily there are lots of accessible resources available to put your fears at ease! Before you and your dog are sent home, your vet will provide a tutorial on how to handle the insulin, syringes, and give injections. If you are overwhelmed and need more support at home, YouTube can come to the rescue! Many veterinarians have made educational videos for pet owners on how to give insulin, basics of handling and storing insulin bottles, as well as some details about blood glucose testing. Your vet staff is happy to go over things as often as you need to as well, so give them a call!

Diet

Changing your dog’s diet to a high fiber/low carbohydrate dog food is another approach that may stabilize daily glucose levels and insulin needs. A high fiber diet will slow glucose absorption in the intestines allowing for a steadier level of glucose available over a longer period of time. Your vet may recommend prescription diets like Royal Canin Glycobalance, and Hill’s Metabolic or W/D. Even if you do not choose to change your diabetic dog’s diet, it is essential to pick a dog food and feed a consistent volume twice a day without much variation or excessive treats – both which may spike blood glucose levels. It is recommended to give insulin while your pup is eating or soon after, and consistency in the timing of injections is key!

AskVet Tip: Although you do need to keep your diabetic dog’s diet as steady as possible, it does not mean you need to sacrifice treats forever! A daily small midday snack that is less than 10% of the total daily caloric intake may be tolerated by your pup! Some healthy options include apples, carrots, green beans, sweet potato, small lean chicken and protein pieces. Be sure to discuss your dog’s diet and treats with your vet.

Exercise

Another pillar of good diabetes management for dogs is keeping up with moderate and regular daily activity and maintaining your pup in an overall good body condition. Overexertion could result in very low blood glucose levels (due to the extra energy needed during exercise), so try to keep the activity level as regular as possible and monitor your dog closely on days that he has completed more activity than usual. Consult with your veterinarian for any special changes needed should an increase in exercise be desired (hikes, beach days, agility classes, etc). Along with a regular diet, consistent exercise will help keep their glucose and insulin balance steady and more predictable! 

Treat Concurrent Diseases

Since diabetes mostly affects senior dogs, there is a good chance they are experiencing some other health issues too. Through additional lab testing, your vet will check for evidence of Cushing’s disease, low thyroid, kidney disease, periodontal disease, pancreatitis, and urinary tract infections, just to be sure none of these common conditions are interfering with glucose control. The presence of several medical conditions at the same time will definitely complicate diabetes management and likely require close monitoring for all medications needed to stabilize each health condition as best as possible.

AskVet Tip: A severe health condition called “diabetic ketoacidosis” is a life-threatening condition that sometimes occurs in dogs just before they are formally diagnosed with diabetes. This condition develops due to the presence of the acidic byproducts of fat breakdown for energy due to the lack of insulin and accessible glucose. This condition will require several days of hospitalization, IV fluids and electrolyte corrections, and emergency care before they can be stabilized and started on maintenance insulin. Once they are eating, drinking, and feeling good again, they can start regular diabetes management and be sent home with you!

Monitoring Diabetes

When your dog is diagnosed with diabetes, next comes the commitment from the pet parent to closely monitor her response to insulin for the length of her life. Unlike in human diabetes control, we do not strive for perfection with dogs! We try to maintain a blood glucose within a reasonable range, and most of all try to eliminate the symptoms you were seeing when your dog was first diagnosed.

Goal #1: Reduce the Symptoms

The easiest and most reliable way to gauge the overall glucose control in your diabetic dog is observing the return of water consumption and urination to a normal level! They should also have a steady appetite, feel good, and have some energy. A well-controlled diabetic dog will gain weight and muscle mass in the weeks/months following the introduction of insulin.

AskVet Tip: A great way to monitor dogs at home is to keep a journal for urination, water consumption, appetite, insulin, and weight (when possible). This will help you detect big and little changes in your pup and provide an easy way for you and your vet to monitor how your diabetes management is going at home!

Even after your pup seems well-regulated, always be on the lookout for changes in urination and drinking habits. Changes from the norm may indicate that your pup needs an adjustment to the insulin dosage or possibly the development of another problem (such as a urinary tract infection). A recheck with your vet is appropriate if you notice any sudden increase in your diabetic dog’s thirst and urination.

Glucose Curves at the Vet Clinic

The “glucose curve” is a traditional method of blood glucose testing that your veterinarian may recommend in order to see a day-long snapshot of the response to your dog’s current dose of insulin. The glucose curve uses serial blood samples taken from your dog every two hours to see how high your dog’s glucose levels go before the insulin takes effect and starts lowering it, how low the glucose goes when responding to the dose of insulin, and how long the insulin dose works to lower blood sugar levels. Random individual “spot” glucose checks throughout the day have some value, but are not good indicators of overall glucose control. Glucose levels are always in flux depending on the time of day, the insulin activity, digestion of food, and physical activity. Fine-tuning insulin dosing is best determined by glucose monitoring and observing physical signs that your dog is showing. It is common for your vet to start your pup at one insulin dose and then increase or decrease it a few weeks later after glucose levels are measured. 

AskVet Tip: What does the actual glucose curve entail? After feeding your dog her usual morning meal and giving the usual insulin dose, you will drop her off at your vet clinic for the day. They will collect a tiny blood sample at drop-off and every two hours to measure glucose levels on a glucometer for a 8 hour period of time. The highs and lows may be within a healthy range or may call for the insulin dose to be altered. Any changes in the dose of insulin should be followed two weeks later by glucose monitoring just to recheck those highs and lows.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices

More recently, veterinarians adapted the “continuous glucose monitoring” (CGM) devices from the human world to the animal! Using implantable devices like the Abbott “Freestyle Libre” and Medtronic “iPro2” gives pet parents an option to skip the glucose curve in the vet clinic and monitor glucose levels over a period of days, in the comfort of their own homes. This eliminates the labor-intensive glucose curve, decreases stress for your dog, and gives a great picture of the daily variation of glucose control in real life. Using an app and smartphone, pet parents can see real-time blood glucose levels, and share the results to be analyzed by the veterinarian.

What is the process involved for using this monitor? Typically, your vet will write a prescription for you to pick up a device at a human pharmacy at the cost of around $50-$80. Bring the device in for an appointment with your dog. Your vet will shave a small area of fur from your dog’s chest or back area and implant the sensor probe into the skin as securely as possible. The device will take glucose measurements every minute and record them into a rolling log, available to your veterinarian via the cloud. The device app enables you to scan the sensor, and both you and your vet can access glucose readings as long as the sensor is in place!  

Although this has proven as a wonderfully accurate and convenient way to measure blood glucose over a period of time there are some downfalls of the CGMs … one of these is that they are made for human skin and not haired skin! They sometimes do not stick as well or last long on animal skin due to body movements and anatomical features. Vets desire to get at least 1-2 days of readings before it falls off! This can be avoided with some glue applied to the device, dressing your dog in a  t-shirt or sweater to help the sensor stay in place, and also by keeping movement and activities controlled in the hopes that it does not dislodge prematurely! If the CGM device is a good option for your dog, your vet will likely want to use this method for checking glucose control instead of the glucose curve.

Home Glucose Testing

At-home spot checks for glucose testing can be a useful tool so it is good for pet parents to have the ability to check glucose at home! Veterinarians recommend the purchase of an Alpha-Trak2 monitor and test strips for dogs and cats, along with some small lancets (needles) and a spring-loaded device to puncture the skin for a blood sample. It is recommended to take a small blood sample at about 4 hours after the insulin dose, and again at 8 hours, to see what the lowest and highest glucose levels may reach. Also, if your dog is showing signs of hypoglycemia (see discussion below) you can use this device to decide if your dog is dangerously low and needs a snack or some sugar. At home, we do not want the glucose reading to ever go much below 100, as that could lead to hypoglycemia. If you are getting extremely low readings or high readings (400-500+) at home, a recheck with your vet is recommended.

AskVet Tip: How do you get a blood sample at home?!?!?! YouTube to the rescue! There are many videos made by veterinarians and vet techs showing how to painlessly get a nice bleb of blood and run it on your glucometer at home. Some great sites to collect blood on dogs are the ear flap, paw pad, or even on the gums inside the mouth. Use the spring-loaded lancet device and hold it flat against the skin, and press the button for a quick poke. Gently squeeze around the area and a small bleb of blood will form, perfect for the glucose strip!

Home Urine Test Strips (Ketones and Glucose)

Another at-home screening test that pet parents may want to use are urine glucose and ketone test strips. These can help owners monitor levels of glucose and ketones in the urine and may provide some information about overall diabetes control. These have some value, but since the blood glucose levels do fluctuate throughout the day it can be difficult to provide detailed information with just these test strips. The presence of ketones, or an increase in glucose detected could indicate an insulin dosing issue and should be followed up with a visit to the vet.

Routine Follow Up Care

Like we discussed earlier, taking care of your diabetic dog is a long-term commitment – both for their daily care as well as a financial commitment for treatment and follow-ups. It is important that any insulin dose change is followed by a two week recheck, and most veterinarians will also recommend general follow-up appointments every 6-12 months thereafter. At these appointments, your dog will be assessed for weight gain or loss, appetite, the control of symptoms like drinking and urinating, and some baseline blood and urine testing will be performed. A fructosamine test may be helpful too, in that it gives a sense of the average blood glucose over the previous couple of weeks. Urine cultures (growing bacteria from a urine sample) are also an important aspect of monitoring diabetics … bacteria love to grow in urine with glucose present! It is also important to keep teeth clean as well as monitor vision for the formation of diabetic cataracts within the lenses.

Complications of Diabetes in Dogs

Unfortunately, even the most excellent glucose control and insulin dosing does not guarantee that your dog will be free of complications nor struggle with their diabetes from time to time. Always keep an eye on their appetite, urine habits, water consumption, mood, and activity level for subtle changes needing to be checked out. Any diabetic dog that is vomiting, not eating or having diarrhea should be more urgently seen by their vet. Insulin dosing is highly dependent on food intake and digestion! For insulin-dependent dogs, efforts to remedy health issues should be taken as soon as possible, so call your vet right away.

The following are some common medical conditions related to diabetes:

– Hypoglycemia, blood sugar too low You may observe your dog walking wobbly, acting depressed or tired, vomiting, not responding to you like normal, or they may have a seizure if their blood sugar falls too low (usually due to lack of eating or the insulin dose being too high). This is an emergency! Immediately apply honey, karo corn syrup, maple syrup, or sugar water on their gums (do not make them drink anything as they may not be able to swallow). Seek veterinary care immediately.

– Cataracts The lens is located inside the eyeball and high glucose levels will cause cataracts to form and your dog’s vision to be impaired. This can be very painful and will need some treatment and monitoring as well.

– Urinary Tract Infections Bacteria love to grow in urine with glucose in it! Urinary tract infections are uncomfortable and can also lead to bladder stone formation. Routine urine tests and cultures are recommended to be sure to avoid these issues.

– Polyneuropathy Some diabetic dogs may develop weakness and difficulty walking

– Kidney Failure Prolonged hyperglycemia (high glucose in the blood) can damage the fragile nephrons in the kidney leading to chronic kidney failure.

– Difficult Regulation/Hyperglycemia Some dogs are very difficult to regulate with insulin and may continue to have hyperglycemia. Changing dosing and trying different types of insulins can help some dogs find what works best for them. Dogs with multiple disease conditions will have a more difficult time regulating their glucose.

– Ketoacidosis Dogs with undiagnosed diabetes, known diabetics with poor glucose control, or ineffective insulin delivery may experience diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis occurs when the tissues are starving for glucose, but insulin is not available to facilitate getting it into cells. The body begins to break down fat as the ketone bodies can be used as an alternative fuel source. Unfortunately, over time the metabolites are harmful to the body and the dog will get very very sick. They will need immediate treatment and hospitalization with IV fluids to reverse dehydration and insulin to get glucose into the cells.

Prognosis

Dogs respond to diabetes and treatment in their own special way. Some are not very sick at the outset and quickly become managed with insulin and diet. Others are very sick when they are first diagnosed, and unfortunately, some are very difficult to control with insulin too. Your dog’s journey with diabetes will be her own and as her pet parent, just do your best to feed a constant diet, give insulin consistently, keep a journal for daily habits, maintain the necessary follow-up appointments, and consult with your vet when you notice anything concerning. Your dog can live a good quality and long life even with diabetes!

For questions and further discussion on diabetes in dogs, your AskVet veterinarians are here to help! If you have any questions about your dog’s medical condition or are wondering whether your dog’s symptoms are an urgent issue, then all you have to do is AskVet. We are here 24/7 to help you and your dog!

Written by:

Alexa Waltz, DVM

Dr. Waltz was raised near the beaches of Southern California but has spent her adult life living all over the beautiful United States while serving in the military and as a military spouse. She left California for the first time to pursue a career as a veterinarian at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She was accepted into the US Army Health Professionals Scholarship Program during vet school and upon graduation spent her military years as a veterinarian in San Diego working for the US Marine Corps and US Navy Military Working Dog programs as well as caring for pets of service members. After her military service, she became a civilian veterinarian and continued as a small animal general practitioner at clinics in California, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Maryland. Dr Waltz loves to see her “in person” patients just as much as communicating with and assisting pet parents virtually on AskVet. Dr Waltz is also a Mom to 3 humans, 2 guinea pigs, and 1 Australian Shepherd and in her spare time she loves traveling, adventures, exercising, and doing just about anything out in nature!

Written by: Alexa Waltz

The kidneys are extremely important players in the game of keeping the bodies of humans and animals healthy. Like humans, dogs are born with two kidneys that are primarily responsible for excreting wastes and toxins from the bloodstream and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balances within the body. Kidney disease goes by many other names like “renal failure”, “renal insufficiency”, “kidney damage”, “kidney insufficiency”, “kidney injury”, and “kidney failure”. All of these names imply that the kidneys are struggling to carry out their normal functions to some degree. Kidney disease can also be further described as “acute” (happening suddenly or quickly) or “chronic” (happening slowly over time).

So many questions revolve around the diagnosis of kidney failure in dogs, and it can be very scary and confusing for pet parents. How can I tell if my dog has kidney disease? What would cause my dog’s kidneys to fail? How does kidney disease affect the long-term health of my dog? Recognizing what the kidneys do for the body is key to understanding, diagnosing, and treating kidney disease.   

What Do the Kidneys Do?

Everyone knows at least one important thing about the kidneys: they make urine! The kidneys are made up of millions of little tiny cellular units called nephrons. As blood flows through the kidneys, each nephron is designed to regulate what stays in and what is filtered out of the blood and into the urine – be it waste products from metabolism, toxins, electrolytes, and water. The healthy nephron uses a system of highly specialized cellular channels, pumps, gates, gradients, sensors, receptors, and hormones to filter unnecessary materials from the blood without losing what is valuable – it is really an incredible process! For example, during times of dehydration in dogs, healthy kidneys will conserve water in the bloodstream and produce very concentrated urine (a dark yellow color) and in times of hydration, they will excrete that excess fluid and make a very dilute urine (a light yellow/clear color).

However, the kidneys do much more than just make pee! In fact, the healthy function of other organs hinges on the kidneys keeping everything balanced. Here is a brief summary of how the kidneys are incredible workhorses for the body:

–   Maintain blood pressure

–   Filter wastes and toxins

–   Conserve or excrete water

–   Regulate blood electrolyte and mineral levels (especially sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium)

–   Synthesize erythropoietin to stimulate red blood cell production

–   Conserve important blood proteins

–   Maintain blood pH balance

How Do Kidneys Become Damaged?

Being the fragile filter of the body, unfortunately, the kidneys are in a highly vulnerable position and can be damaged by a variety of different types of medical problems. Here is a list of the most common causes of acute (sudden) and chronic (slowly over time) kidney failure:

–   Ingesting Toxins (grapes, antifreeze, over-the-counter human NSAIDS like Ibuprofen)

–  Infections and Inflammation (Lyme disease, leptospirosis, pancreatitis)

–   Dehydration, Heatstroke

–   Aging (kidneys “wear out” over time)

–   High blood pressure

–   Kidney stones

–   Diabetes (Link: diabetes)

–  Periodontal disease (Link: periodontal disease)

–   Genetic and developmental abnormalities

–   Cancer

The kidneys have significant reserve and are excellent at compensating, even as some nephrons wear out or become damaged and nonfunctional. In fact, changes in your dog’s lab work won’t be apparent until at least 2/3 of those millions of nephrons become compromised! Unfortunately, when damaged beyond repair, the kidney is an organ that does not regenerate itself. This is why it’s essential to start treatment for kidney disease and investigate the underlying cause of kidney damage as soon as a problem is detected.

Acute Renal Failure happens very quickly – usually over a matter of hours to days — with the sudden loss of kidney function. Infections, toxin ingestion, and severe dehydration/heat stroke are often causes of acute renal failure. With appropriate emergency treatment, acute kidney failure may be reversible! Aggressive treatment may help the kidneys regain some or all of their function again depending on the cause and the treatment received. Without treatment, acute renal failure can be fatal.  

Chronic Renal Disease, or chronic renal failure, is a more gradual process taking place over months and years. This means that over a long period of time at least ⅔ of the kidney’s nephrons have become damaged beyond repair. The kidney loses the ability to filter waste products, concentrate the urine, regulate blood pressure, balance electrolytes and minerals, and stimulate the production of red blood cells. They may also be leaking protein into the urine because those specialized filters just do not work anymore. Kidney function greatly affects other organs too, like the heart, GI tract, and eyes, so depending on the actions taken to support the failing kidneys, dogs can have a variety of concurrent issues arise. 

How Can We Tell if the Kidneys Are Damaged?

Physical Symptoms

Refilling that water bowl more than normal? If your dog is drinking more and in turn having to pee more, this is a commonly recognized symptom of chronic kidney disease. Increased thirst and urination closely resemble the symptoms of diabetes as well, which is another serious health condition. Along with changes in water consumption and urination, keep an eye out for weight loss, decreased appetite, low energy, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea too.

AskVet Tip: Acute kidney failure can cause your dog to feel very sick and also suddenly decrease its urine production. This happens because the kidney tissue has been so severely injured that the kidneys have basically “closed up shop” and are not working at all! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation that needs immediate emergency care. Chronic end-stage kidney failure, when the kidneys have very little functional capacity left, may be accompanied by bad/sweet breath and vomiting blood or black flecks of digested blood. This is due to the buildup of harmful toxins in the bloodstream that cause ulcers in the mouth, stomach, and intestines. Your dog also may have lost a significant amount of weight and may not be eating much at all.

Blood and Urine Testing, Imaging, and Blood Pressure Readings

Sometimes kidney insufficiency is detected on lab work well before any of the above physical signs develop, and early detection is a great thing! This is one of the many reasons that a blood test and urine test are recommended routinely for dogs and cats even if they are not showing signs of being sick – to catch diseases early in their progression! This way, we can initiate some protective treatment early to preserve kidney function for as long as possible.

If you suspect your dog may be showing signs of kidney disease, your vet will perform a physical exam first, looking for signs of dehydration, checking bladder size, heart and respiratory rate, etc. Next, they will likely recommend a urinalysis (urine test) and blood testing as this is the best way to check on how her internal organs are functioning. The urine tests will show if there is infection or inflammation present, if the kidneys are concentrating the urine appropriately, and if there is any other evidence of kidney damage in the urine sample. The blood tests will have several kidney function markers (BUN, Creatinine, SDMA) that become elevated when nephrons are damaged and not filtering correctly. Protein levels, blood electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and mineral levels of calcium and phosphorus are also important in determining the degree of kidney damage. Anemia, or low red blood cell count, is an important observation too. Additional testing to further examine aspects of the blood or urine may also be recommended for your dog depending on the screening test results. X-rays and ultrasound of the kidneys and abdominal organs also help to examine the kidney size and appearance, check for stones in the urinary tract, visualize tumors, and scan for abnormalities in other organs. 

Lastly, measuring a dog’s blood pressure is also very important. Kidney disease can cause high blood pressure AND high blood pressure can further damage the kidneys! It is essential to obtain as much information as possible in order to tailor your dog’s treatments to preserve kidney function. 

AskVet Tip: Kidney disease is graded on a scale from 1-4, 1 being mild and 4 being severe disease. The results of diagnostic testing help to put the puzzle pieces together and determine the stage of kidney disease. At that time, the doctor and pet parent discuss the prognosis, treatments, and long-term expectations together. 

What About Long-Term Health?

The diagnosis of kidney disease does not necessarily mean doom and gloom for your dog! Your dog’s journey with kidney disease highly depends on the stage, initial cause, degree of damage, progression, and treatments. If the issue is detected very early and protective measures are put in place, it is possible for dogs to stabilize and live for many years without showing outward signs of having an issue.

It is important that dogs diagnosed with kidney disease follow up with their veterinarian every 6-12 months as recommended. This allows their vet to keep a close eye on any progression of kidney damage, and to determine when to tweak your dog’s therapy or add further treatments. It is very possible for dogs with kidney disease to live happy and comfortable lives!

Our AskVet Veterinarians are available to discuss all of your pet’s needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether you have an immediate need or are looking to improve your pet’s overall wellbeing, just sign into your account, and one of our friendly and knowledgeable veterinary experts will attend to your needs, no appointment required!

Written by:

Alexa Waltz, DVM

Dr. Waltz was raised near the beaches of Southern California but has spent her adult life living all over the beautiful United States while serving in the military and as a military spouse. She left California for the first time to pursue a career as a veterinarian at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She was accepted into the US Army Health Professionals Scholarship Program during vet school and upon graduation spent her military years as a veterinarian in San Diego working for the US Marine Corps and US Navy Military Working Dog programs as well as caring for pets of service members. After her military service, she became a civilian veterinarian and continued as a small animal general practitioner at clinics in California, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Maryland. Dr Waltz loves to see her “in person” patients just as much as communicating with and assisting pet parents virtually on AskVet. Dr Waltz is also a Mom to 3 humans, 2 guinea pigs, and 1 Australian Shepherd and in her spare time she loves traveling, adventures, exercising, and doing just about anything out in nature!

If your pet is experiencing symptoms like separation anxiety, arthritis pain, vomiting, or allergies, you may be wondering about “alternative” treatments for your pet. The most effective and well-studied holistic therapy for pets is acupuncture – which can improve your pet’s quality of life and overall health!

Many pet owners have questions about acupuncture. What is it? How does it work? Is there any scientific benefit to acupuncture? What is involved in a typical acupuncture session?

Read on for answers to all of these questions.

History of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of five parts of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The practice of acupuncture on people and horses began approximately 3,000 years ago in China. Treating pet dogs and cats with acupuncture began approximately 100 years ago – which is still much longer than we have been using many of our Western therapies!

Interest in acupuncture (both human and veterinary) in the United States grew significantly in the 1970s, spurring the National Institute of Health (NIH) to sponsor research into the benefits of human acupuncture. Ultimately, the NIH released a consensus statement highlighting the promising future of acupuncture use in human medicine.

What Is Acupuncture?

Simply put, acupuncture is the insertion of tiny, thin needles into specific points on the body called “acupoints.” These acupoints are related to each other and connected by Meridians or Channels, which are located under the skin. These points are thought to be areas that, when punctured, relieve stress or pain.

Several methods are used to stimulate these points:

• Dry needle: This is the use of needle insertion alone, which is the most common form of stimulation.
• Electroacupuncture: This is when the needle is attached to an electrical lead that provides a mild current to further stimulate the meridians.
• Aquapuncture: This is the injection of a liquid (usually vitamin B12) under the skin into the point.
• Moxibustion: This is when you burn the herb Artemesia above the needles to warm them, which provides additional healing properties described in TCM.

Alternative Therapies: How To Get Started

Similar to Conventional Medicine, the success of any Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) treatment plan lies in the correct diagnosis. While your family veterinarian may have diagnosed your pet with “arthritis” or “intervertebral disc disease,” a TCVM diagnosis will be based on a more complex classification that includes any outward symptoms.

A TCVM vet might gather information from the animal’s habits, pulse, tongue color, pressure points, and many more physical changes in order to determine a diagnosis. This is called the Bian Zheng or pattern diagnosis. This may explain why one patient responds to conventional treatment while another pet with the exact same symptoms and disease does not!

Based on assessment of your pet’s diagnosis, your TCVM veterinarian then selects “points” for treatment. Some points have local effects – for example, in treating pain related to a torn cruciate ligament in the knee, the acupuncturist may select a specific point named ST35, which is located at the knee next to the tendon of the knee cap. Other points are distant from the site of disease and are selected based on relation to the Meridian that the problem lies along or a relationship with the organ system involved.

Some acupuncture points have specific actions and can be used as symptomatic treatments as well. For example, the acupoint GV14 located where the neck meets the torso on the top of the back is useful for reducing fever.

A nearby acupoint is used to help stop coughing. One of the most studied points is PC6, located on the inner forelimb above the wrist, which is very effective at preventing nausea. (You may be familiar with the wristbands that help with motion sickness in people!)

How Does Acupuncture Work?

The short answer is: there is no short answer! In general, when we discuss how TCVM works, there are two explanations: Western and Eastern.

Eastern

The Eastern explanation is rooted in several principles. The most basic principle is something that may sound familiar: Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang represent the naturally occurring dichotomy in nature. Hot and Cold, Man and Woman, Day and Night, Excess and Deficiency are some examples you may be familiar with, but there are infinitely more!

Each half of a dichotomy is the polar opposite of the other, but one half cannot exist without its opposite. We only know what cold is because we’ve experienced hot, for example! Likewise, there is no night without day. What’s more: nothing is ever 100% Yin or 100% Yang.

Under this philosophy, the interactions and flow between Yin and Yang create harmony and health. Disease then occurs during periods of disharmony.

Another basic principle is the Five Treasures Theory. The Five Treasures are Jing (or congenital essence — basically DNA), Shen (the mind/spirit/psyche), Body Fluid (tears, urine, sweat, saliva, intestinal fluid, etc.), Blood, and lastly, Qi.

You can think of Qi as the electrochemical communications throughout the cells of your body. Qi is what gives life to our bodies, and where there is no Qi, there is no life. No, we’re not discussing philosophy — Qi directly refers to that intangible bioelectric force that animates living beings.

Qi flows through the Meridians in TCVM. Disease or pain occurs when Qi cannot flow properly. Think of when you have a pinched nerve: Your leg becomes painful, tingly, and you can’t move it as well. Alleviating this pinching can then allow your body to restore itself to a state of health. Something similar happens when the flow of Qi is restored.

Western

In Western Medicine, we tend to rely on a process called evidence-based medicine that seeks to prove theories through research. Fortunately, there have been numerous studies proving the effects of acupuncture.

Through this scientific research, we are learning that there are many complex biological mechanisms of action to explain the beneficial effects we see from acupuncture. Acupuncture stimulates a series of interactions between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.

It has been proven to :

• Increase blood flow
• Reduce inflammation
• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve muscle relaxation
• Stimulate nerves
• Release stem cells
• Stimulate endogenous opioids (natural painkillers)
• Release serotonin (the “feel good” hormone)

Because of this research, Western science has validated the use of acupuncture as a beneficial treatment for many different types of medical conditions.

What Can Acupuncture Do for Pets?

Treatment with acupuncture can be performed for virtually any disease! The most well-supported and well-known uses of acupuncture are for pain management and pain relief.

This alternative therapy can help to regulate nervous systems and the musculoskeletal system. Acupuncture can be used to treat skin conditions such as acral lick granulomas, reduce anxieties and other behavioral problems, relieve pain from hip dysplasia, gastrointestinal tract disorders like IBD and vomiting, kidney disease, and cancer.

Additionally, acupuncture can be done concurrently with the conventional therapies for all of these diseases so our pets can benefit from both Western and Eastern Medicine to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Conditions That Could Benefit From Acupuncture

There are some conditions that are used more frequently than others when it comes to pet acupuncture. If your dog suffers from the following, they might be a good candidate to try acupuncture treatment:

• Arthritis: Acupuncture helps your dog’s body to release endorphins which can alleviate pain from arthritis. Depending on how well this pain relieving technique works for your dog, your DVM might take them off some pain medications.
• Cancer: Acupuncture stimulates blood flow and naturally improves the body’s ability to heal itself. This can help alleviate pain from cancer treatment or medications used to treat unwanted symptoms.
• Degenerative Joint Disease: If your pet is beginning to struggle with joint mobility, acupuncture might help to support flexibility and decrease tension to help them move better.
• Trauma: If your dog is suffering from pain caused by some sort of trauma, acupuncture can be used to pinpoint the spots that hurt and try to help alleviate chronic pain.
• Metabolic Diseases: Acupuncture is known to help regulate the endocrine system and relieve oxidative stress. This can help to increase blood circulation and help eliminate toxins inside the body.

Before you decide to move forward with acupuncture for your pet, you should always consult with their licensed veterinarian to discuss the benefits and any potential side effects (though there aren’t really any).

Is Acupuncture Safe?

Acupuncture is considered very safe! There are virtually no side effects when acupuncture is performed by a trained professional. The needles are extremely thin (typically smaller than the needles used to give vaccines), sterile, and single-use only for your pet’s comfort and safety.

Some animals notice the prick as the needle is inserted, but most do not mind the process. In fact, quite a few even fall asleep during an acupuncture session! Some animals experience fatigue the day of or the day after their acupuncture treatment, but otherwise, no significant side effects have been detected after years of study.

Do All Veterinarians Perform Acupuncture?

Veterinarians can become trained and certified in acupuncture through several schools, including Chi University, CuraCore, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), and the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI). The classes can take anywhere from months to years to complete. In addition to acupuncture, some veterinarians become certified in herbal medicine, Tui-Na, and Chinese food therapy to help their patients heal.

If you think your pet may benefit from animal acupuncture therapy, discuss this with your family veterinarian! Since not all veterinarians are trained in veterinary acupuncture treatment, your family veterinarian may refer you to a local practitioner who offers this treatment.

You can also look up practitioners on the websites of the individual acupuncture schools:

Chi University: https://www.tcvm.net/

CuraCore: https://curacore.org/vet/find-a-practitioner/

IVAS: https://www.ivas.org/vets/

CRI: https://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html

What To Expect From the Procedure

Before you can be treated with acupuncture, your veterinarian will discuss your treatment options before recommending you to a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist with training in TCVM. Any information that is beneficial to understanding your pet’s issue will be sent over to the acupuncturist before the consultation, and during the consultation, any concerns should be voiced.

At the consultation, your dog might undergo blood work, lab testing, and x-rays to determine where the issue is. Once the acupuncturist has determined what the issue is and where the best points to be punctured are, you can go forward with the treatment. These sessions will last anywhere between 20 minutes and one hour.

While your dog might notice the prick of the needle as it’s being inserted, afterward, it can be fairly relaxing. Some animals even fall asleep during the procedure, which is totally okay. It should be a relaxing and comforting experience.

After the procedure is over, your dog might be a little sore and tired. You will want to allow them to rest up and drink plenty of water for the next day. Every dog is different and will be treated specifically based on their needs.

Some dogs might need several treatments a week or just a few a month to help keep them feeling healthy and happy. This is something that your acupuncturist will be able to discuss with you before starting the treatment.

Get to the Point With AskVet

No one expects you to be an expert when it comes to acupuncture, let alone for your pet (unless you literally are one). It can be scary to think about sticking needles into your beloved pup, but it’s painless and does a lot of good for your pet’s health and wellness.

Acupuncture is often where people end up when other pain medications and treatment methods aren’t relieving their pet as much as they hoped for. It’s not a “last ditch effort,” but it might not be the first thing you think of. In fact, you might want to bring it up with your vet at your next check-up.

If you have more questions about pet acupuncture, consider signing up with AskVet. Here, pet parents have 24/7 access to Certified Pet Lifestyle Coaches™, who can provide you with answers to any questions you might have – related to acupuncture or not. With this kind of access, you don’t have to worry when you have a question in the middle of the night.

AskVet’s goal is to provide you with quality care and answers so that you don’t have to spend any more time worrying about your pet than you already have. Plus, we don’t just have answers for cats and dogs — we include care for all (ranging from hamsters to snakes). Join for just $9.99/month and feel a sense of ease the next time you need some reassurance.

Sources:

An Historical Review and Perspective on the Impact of Acupuncture on U.S. Medicine and Society | NCBI

About – Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine | Chi University

Effect Of Acupuncture On Pain And Quality Of Life In Canine Neurological And Musculoskeletal Diseases | NCBI