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People looking for more information regarding canine diabetes generally fall into two main categories. Pet owners who have a dog they think may have or has already been diagnosed with diabetes and pet career or kennels worker who would like to learn how to look after a diabetic dog.
It is highly likely that most that look for information will fall into the first category and will already have experience of a pet that has been diagnosed with diabetes; in some cases they may already be aware of the symptoms and the treatment but wish to learn more.
The Internet
The internet can be a great research tool but it can also be a source for inaccurate information, particularly if you don’t know your subject all that well.
There is a lot of conflicting information available regarding canine diabetes and it can sometimes be difficult to ascertain fact from fiction. Several sources echo similar theories, presenting them as facts.
Fiction Presented As Fact
You gave your dog diabetes by feeding dry dog food.
Dogs are meat eaters and vegetarian diets can bring on diabetes
Dogs which are fed meat only diets are more likely to contract diseases like diabetes.
If you feed your pets lots of white rice for example, you will end up giving them diabetes.
None of the above is supported by any scientific or medical data and although anyone with even a basic knowledge of canine diabetes can see them immediately for the myths they are, the majority of people searching for this type of information may not, which is quite worrying.
In many cases dog owners who have had their pet recently diagnosed with diabetes will not have even been aware previously that dogs can suffer from diabetes and this can make this group vulnerable to this kind of misinformation.
Whilst misinformation of this kind is generally frowned upon, in most cases it is not intended to deceive but has been written in the belief it is factual.
Consider the following:
A researcher comes across an article stating "Carbohydrates like white rice are bad for diabetics and should be avoided" and replicates a similar report as "Rice is a carbohydrate and as such is bad for diabetics".
On the face of it both sentences appear similar but the second one is in danger of accidental misrepresentation of the facts; let’s examine why.
Rice is a carbohydrate which absorbs sugars and white rice (boiled) requires less energy to be digested which can cause a sudden increase in blood-sugar levels.
Brown or Basmati rice on the other hand are still carbohydrates which also absorb sugars but as they take longer to digest, they do not cause the sudden increase in blood-sugar levels thus allowing the administered insulin more time to break down the glucose.
It can be argued that the first (original) article stating white rice to be bad was indeed factual but to say ALL rice or indeed, ALL carbohydrates are bad is not only misleading, it is incorrect!
Not all carbohydrates are bad.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested and these can actually be beneficial in helping to regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics. Carbohydrates can also help to obtain a balanced and nutritious diet.
Complex carbohydrates that break down slowly release glucose gradually into the blood stream,. This equates to a lower insulin demand, better long-term blood glucose control and a reduction in blood lipids.
Noel Dundas is the author of several publications, including The Canine Diabetes Management Guide and the Canine First-Aid Handbook. Computing since the late 60's, he is a self professed Geek and has become someone to turn to for advice on canine diabetes.
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You can contact him about Canine Diabetes at www.DogDiabetesSite.com/contact.html |
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