Strange Behavior Could Be a Sign of Diabetes

Q: Mincer, our 7-year-old dog, has developed a white haze in her
eyes. She seems to see all right, but her eyes look really weird.
She also has this huge appetite, and she eats all her food and
tries to steal food from our cats.
Q: Mincer, our 7-year-old dog, has developed a white haze in her eyes. She seems to see all right, but her eyes look really weird. She also has this huge appetite, and she eats all her food and tries to steal food from our cats. She even went to the neighbor’s garage and ate their dog’s food out of the bag. When we scolded her, she growled. Is this just old age? She doesn’t seem old to me, but she has really changed.

A: Mincer shouldn’t be an old girl at the age of 7. But there are several possible problems that could be making her look old, and on the top of this list is diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is not uncommon in dogs and cats, and its symptoms are very similar to those you describe for Mincer.

Many diabetic dogs and cats have an increased appetite, yet some slowly lose weight despite this. Diabetes decreases the ability of all the different body cells to utilize glucose, or sugar. The cells slowly starve for energy. The body senses this and sends a hunger signal to the brain that says more food is needed.

Unfortunately, this response does little to solve the problem. Without the normal function of the pancreas and without enough circulating insulin, all the cells still continue to get less than adequate glucose for energy. Without treatment, the patient cannot improve.   

Rapid onset cataracts are also a common symptom in diabetes. They’re a change in the protein structure of the lens in the eye. They make the normally clear lens become opaque. Cataracts can develop for many different reasons, but anytime they occur in younger pets like Mincer, diabetes must be considered as a potential problem. This same phenomena occurs in people as well.

Mincer needs a good evaluation at the vet’s office, including a blood panel and a urinalysis. If not from diabetes, her symptoms may be a sign of a more serious illness that needs quick attention. And by the way, diabetes is a treatable disease in dogs. So, even if she has this problem, she can still live a happy, active life for many more years.

Q: We have two rabbits, several hamsters and a gerbil. A friend told me we should trim their teeth regularly. I never heard this before. Is it true?

A: Sounds like you have a great menagerie! One of the nice things about owning smaller pets like these is that they usually don’t require very much special maintenance. If you keep them fed and watered, and give them a clean cage, they probably will be very happy.

Occasionally, one of these little guys can suffer from a condition called malocclusion, where his teeth don’t come together properly as he chews. Whether there is an overbite or an underslung jaw, the teeth don’t grind together and they grow to become very long. The symptoms are usually pretty obvious, and usually the elongated teeth protrude from the mouth.

Sometimes, an affected pet may have difficulty chewing, and he may even lose weight. If either of these symptoms occurs, trimming the teeth may be necessary. Your veterinarian can help you determine if you need to be concerned. But unless you see some problem, there shouldn’t be any need for you to do any dental work. Have fun!

Q: Our dog just came home from a “visit” to the neighbor’s yard. His right eye was completely red. I couldn’t see his pupil at all. It looked like there was blood in his eye. The vet said he bled into his eye because of trauma, and gave us some eye drops and some pills, telling us to come back tomorrow.

A: It sounds as though your pooch suffered a condition called hyphema, or bleeding into the front chamber of the eye. This can occur whenever trauma to the eye causes one of its blood vessels to rupture. These blood vessels are very tiny, and they usually clot quickly, so the blood that leaks into the eye is minimal. But hyphema makes the eye look very red and inflamed.

The good news is that usually, this is a short-term problem. The blood disappears quickly as it is re-absorbed from the eye. So, if there are no other complications, your dog’s eye may begin to look normal in just a few quick days.

There are other important things to consider, and your veterinarian may have mentioned these to you. Hyphema can also result from a blood clotting disorder. Animals and people who suffer from this are sometimes called “bleeders.” (Hemophilia is one example of this disease in humans.) In dogs, von Willebrand’s disease is a congenital clotting disorder that can cause an afflicted pooch to bleed spontaneously. Dogs with von Willebrand’s disease often suffer from chronic anemia and other complications.

But there is another danger for your dog that is even more serious. Rat or mouse poison baits contain a chemical that inhibits normal blood clotting. If the neighbors use these baits and your dog ate a small amount of this poison, he could suddenly bleed internally. Hyphema could be an early sign of internal hemorrhage.

These baits are very lethal. Dogs are attracted to them because they smell and taste good, so make sure your dog didn’t find this poison when he was gone from your yard. If you can’t be sure, his vet can run a blood test called a blood coagulation panel. If this test shows he has eaten some of this poison, an antidote can be given to prevent serious complications. Take your pooch back for his re-check exam tomorrow. The vet will be able to reassure you that his eye is healing properly. You can also discuss any other tests or treatments that may be necessary to be sure he doesn’t have an underlying medical condition such as those mentioned here.

But the heart of the problem is your dog’s “visits” to the neighbor’s house. By leaving your property, he faces a multitude of dangers, including exposure to poisons and even cars on the road. Find a way to keep him confined so that he can avoid any more injuries or danger. That way, he can live a long, healthy life with you and your family.