I am Babatunde Abdulhafeez by name, a veterinary medical student in my final year. I was introduced to steemit by 
That is what i do with my leisure time. Being a vet student, I will be writing a lot on animals and any related topics.
So today I have decided to include a little piece of that in my introduction to this platform.
Follow me as I guide you through diabetes in animal.
Diabetes in animal
Diabetes is a condition in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood.
Diabetes is a condition that is popular in man but little do we know it exist in animals too especially our lovely pets. Diabetes can either be diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus.
The main difference between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus is diabetes mellitus has to do majorly with glucose level while diabetes insipidus doesn't.
Diabetes insipidus has to do majorly with defect in antiduiretic hormone. Robust emphasis of this article will be laid on diabetes mellitus because majority of the clinical case common to man and animal is related to glucose level.
Proper functioning of the brain depend on adequate plasma glucose concentration, this means that glucose is needed for proper functioning of brain and all other tissue in the body.
Blood glucose is the sugar level in the body of the animal. Now let's talk about diabetes mellitus. Condition that has been responsible for the death of both men and our precious pets. Can we see it is important to educate our self about it.
Diabetes mellitus
Its a chronic condition that affect the ability of the body to break down the energy in food. Its a lifelong condition. There is type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). It will be further discuss below.
As I have said earlier diabetes mellitus is a type of diabetes in animal as well and it is a disorder in blood glucose level regulation leading to presence of glucose in urine.
It is usually due to disorder in insulin which is basically the hormone that regulate blood glucose level. The following are some of the factors that increase the blood glucose level in animal..
- digestion and absorption which occur 2-4hrs postprandial( after taking in food) in simple stomach animals( this are animal like dog, cat, rabbit and man. Ruminant animals like cattle have 4 stomach compartment) whereas little or no increase occur in ruminants animal because they are first converted to volatile fatty acid.
Digestion and absorption means when food is ingested and its breaks down the end product is glucose.
So when food is taken it is a form of glucose source thereby increasing the body glucose level then. This doesn't necessary depict diabetes, with time it is later reduced back to normal
- liver formation of glycogen, formation of glucagon which is stimulated by response to hyperglycemia( meaning high level of glucose in the blood) cathecolamines increase glycogenolysis( breaks down of glycogen to form glucose again).
This occur mostly in diabetes because there is high glucose in the body but the body cells are not recognizing that. There leading to more glucose to be produced.
- interference with insulin mediated uptake by liver. This also causes diabetes as well.
Diabetes mellitus result when renal threshold for glucose is exceeded( this means that the level of glucose in the blood is too high so it is sipping inside urine).
Blood glucose level beyond which blood glucose appear in urine. Also note that in some condition its occur at less than renal threshold such as in condition like individual idiosyncracy, neonatal animals and as well as pregnancy.
In dogs renal threshold is 10-12mmol/litres
Horse 10-11mmol/L
Cow 5.4- 5.7mmol/L
Hyperglycemia a sign of Diabetes mellitus
Now let discuss hyperglycemia(increase in blood glucose). It occur due to the following: postprandial, release of insulin exceptionally, increase glucocorticoid( some particular hormones), diabetes mellitus, drug induced, tumor.
Insulin is basically the hormone that regulate blood glucose and its release is stimulated by glucose level in the body, amino acid, GIT hormone , such as gastrin, epinephrine.
Hormones of importance in diabetes mellitus
why is this hormone called insulin exceptionally important?
This is because insulin is the only hormone in the body that help to lower blood glucose level when its high(hyperglycemia). Its lowers it by converting it to storage forms like glycogen and triglyceride.
Diabetes mellitus ( insulin deficiency) this is impaired. Net effect of insulin is lowering blood glucose level. Its promotes its utilization and storage.
Some hormones acts antagonistically to insulin which include
Glucagon: secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas. Its release is stimulated by blood glucose level markedly inhibiting glucagon secretion. It is the most potent that enhance increase blood glucose
epinephrine: it is also an hormone that is produced by the adrenal gland that help to increase the level of glucose in the body when its low
growth hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormome.
In lieu to shield more light on diabetes mellitus.
It is a metabolic disorder which impedes normal metabolism of biochemical glucose. It is mainly characterise by hyperglycemia that leads to several long term complications.
It is broadly classified into 2 group
Insulin- dependent and non insulin dependents diabetes mellitus.
Also their is the gestational type but of less importance.
Insulin dependent: it refer to as type 1 diabetes, it is characterise by almost total deficiency of insulin due to destruction of beta cells( like I said above alpha cells in pancreas produce glucagon) of pancreas. Beta cells destruction may be caused by drugs, viruses or autoimmunity.
Due to certain genetic variation, the beta cells are recognized as non self and they are
destroyed by immune mediated injury.
The pancreas fails to produce insulin in response to glucose ingestion. So when glucose is high in circulation the renal threshold like i have said earlier is exceeded and this causes glucose to be found in urine. Also it also causes blindess as well.
Non-insulin dependents: also called type 2 diabetes, it is due to genetic and environmental effects. It is due to defect in insulin receptors on the insulin responsive cells. The animal may be either normal or even increased insulin level. It is common in obese animals
Metabolic changes in diabetes mellitus
Hyperglycemia due to reduce glucose uptake by tissue
Glucose toxicity. It causes osmotic effect/ hypertonic effects which simply involves the drainage of water from cells to extracellular fluids. This leads to blindness commonly seen in chronic diabetic patient
Ketoacidosis: it is simply the presence of
high ketone bodies in the body.
Hypertriglyceridemia it is high triglyceride in body circulations.
Diabetes mellitus symptoms in pet
Symptoms in pets can include:
Weight loss, often despite an increased appetite
Excessive thirst and urination
Breakdown of body fat and development of ketacidosis
Lower appetite
Pungent breath with a chemical smell
Complications associated with diabetes
Also there is presence of glucose in urine which is hallmark.
Dr anthony Ishak, a veterinarian at blue pearl veterinary partner in Tamp said
diabetes isnt always preventable unfortunately, some dogs are going to get diabetes no matter what you do.
Some precautions like the following can be taken to help in prevention.
- Cut sugar and refined carbs from the diet.
- work out regularly together with your pet.
- drink water regularly
- Follow very low carb diet
Source of glucose to the body?
Dietary source
when you eat daily it serves as source of glucose to your body as well as animal because it the end product of carbohydrates.
Gluconeogenesis
it is biochemical breakdown of amino acid to glucose when the body is in need of glucose for normal body functioning
Finally let me brief you on diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus
diabetes insipidus this disease is that in which the secretion of or response to the pituitary hormone vasopressin is impaired, resulting in the production of very large quantities of dilute urine, often with dehydration and insatiable thirst.
The body makes a substance called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). It’s produced in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland. It tells the kidneys to hold onto water, which makes urine more concentrated. It has nothing to do with blood glucose level.
I hope we've learnt one or two things about diabetes. Thanks for staying glue guys
References
Nelson, L. D., Michel C. M., Lehinger principles of biochemistry (fourth edition)
Webmd - diabetes guild
Loseweight
Diabetes.Co.uk - Diabetes and pet
Petmedicine - 6 Ways To Prevent Diabetes in Dogs
Diabetes journals:gestational diabetes mellitus