Diabetes in dogs is very similar to diabetes in humans. It is a metabolic disorder of the pancreas. Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce as much insulin as required to balance the production of glucose. In dogs, the key to treating diabetes is in detecting it early, and with a good combination of diet and exercise.
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Canine Diabetic Foods
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A dog that has diabetes must eat special low-carbohydrate and low-sugar foods. Hill's Science Diet is among canine diabetic foods that are available. This brand, owned by Colgate-Palmolive, has a variety of foods labeled for diabetic dogs. Some brands of Hill's targeted toward diabetic dogs can be bought without a prescription. However, specially formulated therapeutic food called Hill's Prescription might also be an option for your diabetic dog, and this is available by prescription only.
Standards for Food Production
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Colgate-Palmolive says that no fewer than 150 veterinarians are involved in the process of food preparation. Hill's diabetic foods are developed clinically to provide better nutrition to the animals so that diabetic dogs don't gain weight.
The company says its diabetic dog foods, both canned and dry, contain the right balance of fiber and other nutrients to ensure minimal day-to-day variation in blood sugar. Hill's Science Diet also offers tips and nutritional guidelines to dog owners, and calorie-burning and glucose charts to make it easy to monitor dogs on a daily basis.
Buying the Food
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Hill's diabetic products are relatively expensive compared to other dog foods. One way to offset this to buy Science Diet in larger packs or during sale events. The food could also be bought from animal-rights groups, which sometimes sell them at subsidized prices. Your vet might also have Hill's Science diet diabetic food available for sale.
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