Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with diabetes went into remission then relapsed
By Rak, Mariola B et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Spontaneous remission and relapse of diabetes mellitus in a male dog.
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male Miniature Schnauzer was diagnosed with diabetes after showing signs of excessive thirst and urination for two weeks. The vet started him on insulin and a special diet, and over time, the insulin dose was reduced until it was no longer needed. For a whole year, the dog showed no signs of diabetes, but then he developed symptoms again and was found to have high blood sugar. Insulin treatment was restarted, and he continued on it for the rest of his life. This case shows that some dogs can go into remission from diabetes, even without a clear reason.
People also search for: dog diabetes symptoms · Miniature Schnauzer insulin treatment · why is my dog drinking so much water
Abstract
An 8-year-old male neutered Miniature Schnauzer was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus based on fasting hyperglycemia and glucosuria after a 2-week history of polydipsia and periuria, in line with the Agreeing Language in Veterinary Endocrinology consensus definition. Treatment of insulin and dietary management was initiated. The insulin dose was gradually reduced and eventually discontinued over the next year based on spot blood glucose concentrations that revealed euglycemia or hypoglycemia. After discontinuation, the dog remained free of clinical signs for 1 year until it was again presented for polyuria/polydipsia with fasting hyperglycemia and glucosuria. Insulin therapy was resumed and continued for the remainder of the dog's life. Although diabetic remission often occurs in cats and humans, the presumed etiopathogenesis of pancreatic beta cell loss makes remission rare in dogs, except for cases occurring with diestrus or pregnancy. This case demonstrates that diabetic remission is possible in dogs, even in cases without an identifiable reversible trigger.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38240130/