Diabetes Test for Dogs

Diabetes is a serious condition that can affect almost any canine and substantially affect its health in a negative way if not treated properly. Diabetes diagnosis tests for dogs are readily available through veterinarian offices. A dog's owner can perform maintenance blood glucose tests at home, in addition to being available to test at a veterinarian's office if at-home testing is not convenient or easy.

  1. Diagnosis Testing

    • Having your pet tested for diabetes will occur at a veterinarian's office where the vet will perform a blood and/or urine test that will indicate an animal's resistance or lack of the production of the hormone insulin. If your dog's pancreas is not producing enough insulin, there will be a sustained indication of high levels of blood glucose. This test is called an A1c, and it typically measures the percentage of blood glucose levels over a two to three month period. The urine test, which is less accurate than the A1c blood test, will test for signs of ketones, which are an indication of continuous high blood sugar.

    Post-Diagnosis

    • After positive diagnosis of diabetes a veterinarian will prescribe either oral medication and/or insulin shots if the dog's pancreas is not producing any insulin, which is similar treatment as with humans and Type 1 and 2 diabetes. Depending on the severity of the dog's diabetes, regular blood glucose testing may be necessary to ensure accurate treatment of the dog's condition. Daily glucose testing will be required if the dog is on insulin therapy to maintain normal levels of glucose and to avoid dangerous episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia--high and low blood sugar.

    Considerations

    • At-home blood glucose testing can be a difficult task to complete as there are many outside factors that influence a dog's blood glucose levels. Stress, heat, exercise, dietary habits, illness and normal daily actions are all events that can affect blood glucose levels. This constant swing in numbers can make at-home blood testing very difficult because you will need to keep a constant eye on the physical indications of high or low blood sugar as well.

    Meters

    • At-home blood glucose hand-held testing monitors are often referred to as meters or glucometers. Using a meter at home with your diabetic dog can be an easier and cheaper method for monitoring your pet's blood sugar. Meters for testing are made by various manufacturers, such as: Accu-Check, One Touch and FreeStyle. These companies also produce testing strips that gather a small drop of blood into the tip of the strip, which is then read by the machine and translated into a number. This number is the level of glucose in the blood stream and is measured by mg/dL.

    Testing Methods

    • Testing your canine's blood glucose to monitor its diabetes can be quite tricky. Depending on your dog's tolerance to pain and its behavior when testing, gathering a droplet of blood can be simple or quite an event. Typically the method of testing your dog's glucose levels is to first use a lanceting device to gather a droplet of blood from either your dog's ear, tail, lip or paw. The location of the blood sample will depend on what your dog will allow. A test strip is then inserted into the meter, and then you will collect the blood droplet by allowing the end of the test strip to suck up the blood through its tip. The meter will then read the glucose level in about five seconds and inform you of your dog's need for treatment if necessary.