Diabetic Dog Food Information, Tips, Advice, Products

Question: My diabetic dog won't eat and is now becoming food aggressive. help?

(Posted by: Rachelle on 2007-07-11 20:58:31)

My husky is 9 and we recently found out she is a diabetic, so it's important that she eats cause I don't want her going into hypoglycemia after I give her her insulin shots. We generally free feed her, but in the last couple of weeks she's started going after our cats when they get near the food, remember this is hasn't happened during the first 9 years of her life. The dog won't even eat, she just stares at her food then the second a cat goes near her food she jumps up and gaurds the food/ attacks the cat. I've started to give her set meals so I can watch/ prevent the cats from getting too close, but she won't eat (I give her 20 min. to eat). She's probably only ate a bite of food in the past two days. Any ideas on how to either make her eat and/ or stop with the food aggression? Thanks. The cats are fed separately in a different room.

Posted by: A Military Veteran on 2007-07-11, 21:03:23

It's likely mood swings. Try feeding, then the insulin. If you give the insulin with no feeding happening it goes hypoglycemic, yes? Feed the cats and dog seperately. If the cats are grazing, put them on a timed regular schedule. Maybe ask a vet what else. Good luck.

Posted by: sadiejane on 2007-07-11, 21:06:36

Have you had her glucose levels checked recently? that could be the cause of all of it. ask your vet what foods you can vary her diet with. some veggies, yogurt, prescription canned - just enough to coat the dry feed her in her crate?

Posted by: Jo on 2007-07-11, 21:21:08

Talk to your Vet about your dog and what you should do. A friend of mine is diabetic and had to start using injections and the doc told her to do it about 15 mins. before eating. Told her NOT to give the injection if she wasn't going to eat. You might have to do something like raw feed to get your dog eating. Whatever you do, check with the Vet! rawdogranch.com Few dogs will turn their noses up to a raw diet when it is good food, OR you could boil some white meat chicken without seasoning and pour some of the natural broth, once it has cooled down, and a bit of chicken into whatever you feed her and that may help her eat, too. Hope she will feel better and whatever is causing her not to eat can be resolved.

Posted by: blk_sheep_fl on 2007-07-11, 22:51:12

When you change the WAY your dog eats...switching from free feeding to timed meals you are upsetting a routine. Sometimes it's necessary to do that, like in your case, but it upsets dogs when it happens. What you can try...is changing the food just a bit...instead of feeding your dog plain kibble, try getting a can of UNSWEETENED pumpkin from the grocery. Add some of that to the kibble, and leave that down for the 20 minutes. It has no calories, and most dogs love it as much as canned food. Usually it's used as a fod substiture for weight reduction, but you could use it to encourage your dog to eat without significantly affecting his calorie intake. The food aggression is most likely a reaction to changes in routine, which produce anxiety...and as the dog settles into the new routine it should pass.