Type2 diabetes is a life-threatening disease that affects dogs, cats and other animals (including apes, pigs, and horses) in exactly the same way as it affects homo sapiens (aka humans !). And although diabetes can’t be cured, it can be managed, reversed and even prevented all together.
Like humans, our pets are “surviving not thriving” on diets full of sugar and carbs and which are highly processed, leading to obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes of course.
Although it might be hard to hear, we as owners are to blame for our pets becoming type 2 diabetic because of the diet and lifestyle we offer them. We have to strip back on the luxury and ensure that they get what they need. Animals in the wild survive and thrive from exercise and only modest amounts of food. Our pets should have a very similar feeding-plus-exercise pattern in order to stay healthy and avoid diabetes.
With all this COVID isolation we need to keep moving for the sake of our sanity as well as our physical wellbeing, and its no different for our pets. No matter what animal you have, you need to ensure they are getting the requisite amount of exercise each day to encourage their bodies to burn any excess fat and remain healthy like the proverbial “butcher’s dog” (who, of course, was fed on healthy meat scraps not ultra-processed Fake Foods! in the form of pet foods)
Diet is therefore critical. Key to avoiding type 2 diabetes is the microbiome (community of bugs in our gut) which do so much for us, including manufacturing our vitamins as well as helping control our weight and blood sugar.
Look after your pets’ tummy-bugs and they’ll look after them!
So if you can, put your dog onto a diet that is full of good-quality protein, as well as fibre and be cautious about carbs. If possible, avoid canned foods like Pedigree chum which is full of sugar and additives, as well as animal derivatives which is the waste like feathers, wool, carcasses etc…and contain hardly any meat.
Given the amount of sugar and added chemicals in canned food, its addictive for animals which leads to them gaining weight and always feeling hungry throughout the day. (Just like their owners!)
If you would like some more advice on how you can improve your pets physical health and avoid many life threatening conditions, please get in contact.