Diet diabetes in Dogs Poor nutrition contributes to premature aging and degenerative conditions that can lead to the developmentof diabetes in dogs. HERE’S WHY, AND HOW AN ANCESTRAL DIET CAN HELP PREVENT AND MANAGE THIS COMMON DISEASE.

1. Poor nutrition contributes to premature
aging and degenerative conditions that
can lead to the development
of diabetes in dogs.
Our dogs are our “fur babies”. And much like human children,
they can develop “sugar diabetes”, clinically known as Type
I diabetes mellitus. This article looks at diabetes in dogs, and
how diet plays a role in its development and management.
WHAT CAUSES CANINE DIABETES?
Diabetes results from a problem with insulin, a hormone
produced by the pancreas. Insulin is called the hormone
of storage. It enables body cells to take nutrients out of the
bloodstream to be “stored” or used to produce energy. In this
role, insulin enables blood sugar to enter body cells where
organelles called mitochondria “burn” sugar to produce energy.
This biochemical process enables cells to survive, grow, repair
and carry out their normal functions.
So what causes a dog to lose his ability to produce insulin?
Textbooks of veterinary medicine tell us that canine diabetes
is “multifactorial” in origin, involving a range of issues that
can damage the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (the
pancreatic beta cells).
These issues include:
• Genetic predisposition to diabetes
• Pancreatic infections
• Obesity, resulting in insulin resistance
• Pharmaceutical drug damage
• Autoimmune attack on the pancreatic beta cells
• Pancreatitis
• Insulin-antagonistic diseases, which involve the deregulation
of hormones such as glucagon, adrenaline, cortisol and growth
hormone — all of which antagonise the actions of insulin.
In many dogs, Type I diabetes results from an autoimmune
attack on the pancreas. The body uses the immune system to
attack the pancreas and destroy the pancreatic beta cells.
WHAT ABOUT DIET?
Most veterinary textbooks ignore diet as a factor in canine
diabetes. And yet incorrect diet lies behind each and every
one of the health issues leading to diabetes! This brings us
to an important area of understanding. The common feature
in all the issues leading up to diabetes is that they involve
– is there a connection?
HERE’S WHY, AND HOW AN ANCESTRAL DIET CAN HELP
PREVENT AND MANAGE THIS COMMON DISEASE.
Type I diabetes develops when the pancreas loses its
ability to produce insulin; Type II diabetes, also known
as “adult onset diabetes”, occurs when insulin no longer
functions properly.
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FACT:
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2. Animal Wellness 47
bodily degeneration and premature aging. Poor diet results
in premature aging, which in turn causes a range of health
problems that can result in diabetes. This is particularly so
when the dog has a genetic predisposition to diabetes.
From this understanding, what appears to be a complex
condition with many different causes is in fact a disease with one
common problem — the lifetime consumption of a faulty diet.
FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK
If diet is such a vital factor in causing diabetes, there are four
obvious questions we need to ask:
1. Which dietary features result in one or more “diabetes-
causing” factors or diseases?
2. Which would prevent “diabetes-causing” factors or diseases?
3. Which would best enable the management of diabetes,
once it has occurred?
4. Is there a diet that would enable the repair or restoration of
insulin-producing cells in the pancreas?
The good news is that the answers to these questions
are wonderfully straightforward. Animals fed a diet that
closely matches the type of diet eaten by their ancestors
— their evolutionary program of nutrition, the diet their
genes have evolved to require — are least likely to develop
diabetes. Furthermore, this diet is not only the best for
preventing diabetes, but is also best equipped to manage
the disease once it has occurred. It is also the diet most
likely to restore insulin production in the pancreas…if that
is ever a possibility.
“Diabetes” is a term that has its origins in the
“never ending flow” seen when siphoning any liquid
through a tube. It relates to untreated diabetics
who have an insatiable thirst and produce copious
quantities of urine.
“Mellitus” (meaning sweet like honey) derives
from how diabetes was originally diagnosed. The
physician would taste the patient’s urine; if it was
sweet like honey or sugar, the diagnosis was clinched.
Poor nutrition produces premature aging.
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3. Dogs with diabetes have a set of symptoms they share
with humans. These include:
• Enormous thirst
• Frequent and copious urination
• Insatiable appetite (early in the disease)
combined ironically with weight loss
• Fatigue
• A decreased resistance to infections
• Poor ability to repair any physical injury.
Left untreated,
untreated, diabetes will eventually kill
kill the dog.
CARBOHYDRATES ARE A
MAJOR CULPRIT
On the flip side, the type of diet most likely to result in diabetes
has features that depart from the evolutionary ideal in a
number of specific areas. Additionally, the more a lifetime
dietary program departs from that ideal, the more likely it is
that the disease issues leading to canine diabetes will occur.
The most damaging feature of a diet that predisposes a
dog to diabetes is the use of soluble carbohydrates as the
principal source of energy. This means any diet based on
grains, or carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, is more
likely to produce diabetes, as opposed to a diet where fat
and proteins supply the bulk of dietary energy.
It works this way. Carbohydrate-heavy diets cause a rapid
rise in blood sugar. When these foods are consumed over
a lifetime, the resulting continued elevation in blood sugar
has a number of unfortunate consequences, as follows:
1. Constantly high blood glucose results in the need for
constantly high insulin production. This places an excessive
strain on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, which
can result — ultimately — in the exhaustion and eventual
death of the pancreatic beta cells.
2. Constantly high blood sugar results in the production of
damaging molecules called “advanced glycosylated end
products” or AGEs. These AGEs accelerate the aging
process throughout the body, including damage to the
immune system.
3. Constantly high blood sugar together with resulting high
blood insulin result in massive levels of bodily inflammation.
And inflammation is the major factor driving the whole
range of degenerative disease processes that lie behind aging
and the development of diabetes.
ADDITIONAL DIETARY PROBLEMS
Further damaging dietary features also contribute to diabetes:
• Cooking both destroys some nutrients and makes
others unavailable.
• Excessive levels of Omega-6 oils and low levels of Omega-3s
drive inflammation
• A lack of protective nutrients such as antioxidants will
negatively impact health.
• Poor quality proteins result in a lack of immune competence.
EVOLUTIONARY PROGRAM OF
NUTRITION
From my perspective as a veterinarian with over 40 years
of experience treating dogs with diabetes, the diet that best
prevents, treats and manages this disease — and the one most
likely to restore health to the pancreas — is the diet dogs
evolved to require.
This evolutionary program of nutrition is, in principle, very
simple to prepare and feed. It goes under a number of names
such as the “BARF” (Bones and Raw Food) diet, the “raw whole
food” diet and so on. This diet uses fats and proteins as its
principal energy sources and is based on the use of raw meaty
bones, together with organ meats, vegetables and fruit. To this
is added a range of other healthy foods such as eggs, fermented
foods, kelp and so on. You can find more details about this
nutritional program at drianbillinghurst.com.
Diabetes is common in dogs. However, a nutritional approach
that avoids poor quality ingredients and soluble carbs, and that
most closely mimics the ancestral diet our canines evolved to
eat, can help prevent the inflammation and other degenerative
health issues that lead to the development of this disease.
Poor quality ingredients, high levels of soluble
carbohydrates, and cooking that destroys nutrients
are the most damaging dietary factors when it
comes to the development of diabetes.
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FOR YOUR DOG OR CAT’S GUT PROBLEMS
D gs
Cats
Gastrointestinal upset, chronic reflux or diarrhea,
bloody stools, and inflammatory bowel disease. These
are some of the most common gut health problems
seen in veterinary offices and on social media sites for
dog and cat care. Unfortunately, many animals suffer
for months or years with chronic problems while their
caregivers become more and more frustrated with
the lack of solutions. Whether your dog or cat has
occasional or ongoing issues, many natural remedies
can help heal his gut and decrease symptoms.
SIGNS OF GUT PROBLEMS
The gut partners with the immune system. When the
gut is unhealthy, the immune system cannot function
properly. More obvious signs of gut health disturbance
can include loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody
or mucoid stools, and weight loss.
What may be harder to diagnose is leaky gut syndrome.
This problem occurs when the cells lining the digestive
tract become inflamed and swollen. When these cells
swell, the junctions between them open, allowing particles
of undigested food, infectious organisms, chemicals, and
toxins to enter the bloodstream from the bowels. This can
lead to allergies, chronic ear infections, food sensitivities,
autoimmune disease, behavior disorders, and chronic
inflammation throughout the body.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to
start repairing and rebuilding your dog or cat’s gut to
improve his overall health.
Natural remedies
From diarrhea to appetite
loss, gut problems are
common in dogs and
cats. Here are some
natural remedies that ease
symptoms and help heal
the digestive tract.

5. 20 Animal Wellness
NEED TO KNOW
Most bad breath in
dogs is caused by
periodontal disease
— but that’s not
always the case.
Here’s a look at the
other causes, along
with some holistic
remedies for
chronic bad breath.
By Laurie Riihimaki
et’s face it, dog breath is not always
pleasant. While bad odors are
often caused by periodontal disease,
that’s not the only potential reason for
stinky breath. Other causes range from
diet to kidney disease to tumors, so
it’s important to notice any changes in
your dog’s breath, and have him or her
checked over by a veterinarian as soon
as possible.
WHAT CAN CAUSE BAD
BREATH IN DOGS?
Most dog parents think that bad breath
correlates to a dental issue such as
gingivitis, which is caused by the growth
of plaque from germs and food fragments
caught in the dog’s mouth and teeth.
This is certainly a very common problem
among canines, and definitely warrants
veterinary attention. However, don’t just
assume that your dog’s breath odor is
coming from a dirty mouth.
Diet
According to veterinarian Dr. Laura
Robinson, diet is one of the biggest factors
when it comes to foul-smelling breath
in dogs. Poor quality food is more likely
to lead not just to periodontal disease,
but also to bad breath on its own. For
example, a food containing fish-based
meals can cause a strong mouth odor.
Also, if a dog eats something his body
is not familiar with, or has a hard time
digesting, bad breath can result. More
obvious causes of bad breath is when the
dog ingests something he is not supposed
to eat such as feces or garbage — luckily,
that kind of bad breath is only temporary!
Anal gland disease
Dr. Robinson adds that other not-so-
obvious factors could be responsible
for the foul odor coming out of your
dog’s mouth. One of these is anal
gland disease. “While it may seem
absurd that
a condition
affecting a
dog’s bottom
end can
influence his
breath, it is
indeed the
case,” she
says. “Those
with impacted
or infected
anal glands
will often lick
the area in an
attempt to get
relief from the
discomfort.
This will inevitably lead to some bad-
smelling breath.”
Diabetes
If the scent wafting out of your dog’s
mouth is overly sweet, it can be a sign of
diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening
complication of diabetes mellitus. It can
be triggered by a stress event such as an
infection, surgery, or heart problem. It
occurs when the body begins breaking
down fat at a rate that’s too rapid for
the rest of the body to keep up with.
This triggers the liver to process the fat
into a form of fuel called ketones. This
Different dog breeds have different face shapes and sizes, and
that can affect their susceptibility to developing bad breath.
“Short-nosed dogs tend to have more issues, as the sinuses
are often inflamed and overworked trying to blow off heat
and so forth,” says veterinarian Dr. Mark Newkirk. “The mucus
drains into the mouth, and can carry infected bacteria.
“Dogs that have allergies and lick their skin excessively often
have mouth odor,” he adds.
Additionally, older dogs are highly susceptible to bad breath
because they are more likely to have ongoing or chronic health
issues like the ones mentioned in the article.

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