This is an "unofficial" reprint (shhh...don't tell) of an article featured in a recent issue of the "Pets 4 Life Newsletter". This newsletter is published by a company that sells holistic nutritional products and pet foods, so keep that in mind if you're wondering about bias in the article. I think overall this is a pretty interesting piece and any time we actually seeing feline diabetes getting coverage in the media its a good thing! Thanks to Gillian and Kevin for sending this article our way :)
Pets 4 Life Newsletter, Issue #3
Written/Copyright by Pets 4 Life - Trina Nowak, B. Sc. Agr - Animal Nutritionist
Feature article - "Diabetes"
It seems to me diabetes is becoming more and more common among our animal companions. Poor nutrition is a very important part of the reason diabetes occurs. However, we also must consider environmental pollutants and stress. When we are given the news that our pet has diabetes there are generally many questions that need answered. How did my pet get diabetes? How does it happen? What can we do to help our pet with diabetes? What does proper nutrition mean? Anything else we should consider? In this article, you will read an overview about diabetes and pets.
Diabetes occurs when the body can not utilize all the glucose found in the blood. Glucose can be derived from simple carbohydrates, fat and protein. Simple carbohydrates such as fruits, simple grains and some vegetables are generally the culprit. Rice, oats, corn, wheat, beet pulp, are all problematic in a carnivore diet. When food enters the body it is broken down into simple units such as glucose, fiber, amino acids, small fatty chains. Once in the digestive tract the small molecules of nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. Larger molecules pass as waste and are unused. If not all f the glucose molecurles are bound with insulin than the glucose molecules will move onto the kidneys. The kidneys will take on a large amount of water to dilute the amount of glucose present. Hence you see increased urination. As a result of increased urination and fluid loss you will see your pet drinking more to replace fluid loss.
Other symptoms include lethargy, weakness (leading to anemia), dehydration, increased appetite yet increasing weight loss (due to inability to properly use food), and vomiting. Frequently, diabetes provokes complications, urinary infections, liver and kidney disease, eye problems (principally cataracts), obesity, slow healing and gangrenous sores. Such complications are prevented or reduced by adequate nutrition and lowering blood-sugar levels.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. A hormone is a specialized protein which works similar to an enzyme. It has a special lock with which only one key fits. The key that fits insulin is glucose. Glucose binds to the hormone and is utilized as energy. If your pet is not receiving a high quality meat diet then your pet may not e able to produce enough insulin. Meat is what produces the building blocks (amino acids) to manufacture insulin. As well, the best source of energy in a carnivore's body is FAT not CARBOHYDRATES.
There needs to be a good source of fat in the pet's diet in order to perform a variety of functions in the body, including hormone regulation. Animal fat is important for providing omega 6, but we also need omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). Fats are highly sensitive to high temperatures and light. Most commercial pet foods do not contain enough EFAs, if any at all. Primrose oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, hemp oil, borage oil, grapefruit seed oil, etc. all contain a good amount of essential fatty acids. Cooked fats can be compared to that of grease which leads to disease.
"It has now been determined that human diabetes is an immune disorder in which the body attacks the pancreatic cells that make insulin. It is likely this same process that destroys the insulin-producing ability of our pets." Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM
Diabetes can occur for several reasons: 1) the body can not produce enough insulin to bind all the glucose or, 2) the insulin is ineffectively binding glucose. In either case, it is assumed that the insulin production is impaired, resulting in the treatment to substitute insulin in the body. A successful treatment is one which binds up all glucose in the blood to save the kidneys from over working.
In a normally functioning body, the pancreas releases insulin in response to food: when the sugars arrive in the blood stream, the insulin is there to 'open the doors' for cellular uptake. When there is too much insulin, the cells take up all of the available glucose, burn it, and when they need more there isn't any. This is called an 'insulin relaxation' or 'insulin shock' and if it is not corrected in a very short time there is disorientation, weakness, twitching advancing to convulsions, maybe even a coma or death. Too little insulin, and the cells are shortchanged, resulting in slow deterioration of the body and over work of organs trying to compensate.
It is more complex than this. For example, if there is low blood glucose then glycogen (another hormone produced by the pancreas) is released in the body and stimulates the liver to produce glucose. If you have given corn syrup to counteract a hypoglycemic attack, and then food, the liver maybe kicking in even more glucose and the pet will have very high blood glucose for sometime thereafter. This is the rebound, or "somogyi", effect some diabetics experience.
Whether the treatment is dietary control or insulin, one is attempting to stimulate the natural cycle in all it's delicate balance. the insulin has to be there when the food is, and the food as to be there when the insulin is. If the timing is off, the blood sugar goes either too high or too low.
A BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet is no doubt the best type of food for a variety of reasons. It provides the nutrients "as is" which offers better digestion, absorption and assimilation of the nutrients. This is important when it comes to the timing aspect. It provides the 'building blocks necessary to manufacture insulin and glucagon hormones. The BARF diet contains no grains which means less carbohydrates. Why put excess sugar into the body that only leads to disease? Give our pets only what they need which is meat, bones, and vegetables.
It is important to feed smaller frequent meals to diabetics to achieve a constant insulin/glucagon normalcy. If you feed larger meals, the absorption of the nutrients is lower, and the food passes through the gut unused. Whereas smaller meals allow for better absorption which means the insulin produced will be used to the fullest. As well, feeding larger meals once or twice daily means we have large fluctuations of insulin/glucagon being produced rather than having constant levels of the hormones being produced.
A diet filled with grains, preservatives, additives, or sweeteners does not keep the body healthy. It only makes the body work harder to get rid of these ingredients that it can not use. Grains are made from soluble, and/or insoluble fiber. Simple grains such as rice, corn, oats, beet pulp and wheat are composed mostly of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is high in starch and can be compared to that of sugar. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains such as millet spelt, quinoa, brown rice, etc. Insoluble fibers helps to provide a healthy gut. However vegetables provide insoluble fiber too. Vegetables provide vitamins and minerals which are important for hormonal balance.
Certain foods can also help diabetics deal with excess sugars. Apples contain pectin. Pectin is important for binding excess sugars in the gut before they get absorbed. Therefore, the excess glucose bound to pectin can exit the body as waste. Jerusalem Artichoke is another plant that is useful for reducing blood sugars. Jerusalem Artichoke is generally found as a flour in the health food stores. Fibrous foods like celery, psyllium, pumpkin and broccoli are important to sweet the gut of excess sugars. Raw food is important in order to provide the nutrients in "whole" fashion for better digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Other important foods for a diabetic are dandelions, greens, parsley, garlic, winter squash, alfalfa sprouts...The main goal of a special diet to control diabetes to limit the stress placed on the pancreas. That means reducing the intake of food that contain simple carbohydrates and high fats.
Diabetic pets should be put on a healthy pet food with lots of fresh purified water available. The idea is to build a stronger immune system and body in order for them to handle anything. Pets will illnesses have a weakened immune system. Nutritional supplementation, chiropractic care, acupuncture, glandular therapy, herbs, homeopathy, may also be in order to help your pet feel better.
Dr. Martin Goldstein DVM states, "Is a culture taught to view diabetes as a chronic, incurable disease, that may seem little short of miraculous. But given that we have nearly a total turnover of virtually every single cell in our bodies every 3 years - why shouldn't the pancreas heal itself? In fact we've had considerable success with diabetic cats, dramatically lowering the insulin requirement in every three out of four cases and eliminating it in one out of two. Dogs are more of a challenge, but the odds of improving canine diabetes holistically are certainly better than just using conventional medicine, which basically gives them no chance for recovery at all, and doesn't address the original degenerative condition that led to the diabetes in the first place."
There is no doubt nutrition is the key to good health. How else are our pets to derive the proper nutrients to keep them healthy? The body is constantly breaking down and if not given the proper nutrients to rebuild itself, disease is produced. Simple raw food with no chemicals, no hormones, no additives could be one of the best things you do for your pet. Other important healing methods including reducing stress, maintaining a rigid routine (the same amount of exercise at the same time everyday, the same food and the same amounts daily, etc.) Consistency is very important to keep the body regular and functioning. Consult your holistic veterinarian for more information and assistance.
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This article written by T. Nowak, (c) Copyright 2000, All Rights Reserved.
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