Dog Glucose Level 500 – What To Do?

The dog glucose level at 500? This is too much. When your dog’s glucose level is 500, you need to act fast and try to lower the glucose level with emergency treatment.

In this article, we will talk about what should be a normal glucose level and how to lower it down if it reaches 500.

What is Dog’s glucose level?

Dogs usually get diabetes mellitus. Diabetes happens when the pancreas fails to regulate blood sugar because it doesn’t make proper insulin in the body. In diabetes,  glucose levels can rise to 500.

The role of insulin

Insulin is important. Whenever a dog eats food,  it turns into food energy or glucose. Insulin acts as a gateway on cells that let body cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Body cells need and use this energy to function properly. This means glucose acts like petrol to a body. when the insulin levels drop,  the amount of glucose produced is unable to penetrate cells. This is where diabetes began.

A significant drop in insulin levels can be fatal to dogs. Your dog can be insulin or non-insulin-dependent according to the type of diabetes he has.

What happens when the glucose level is high?

When your dogs’ glucose level is high,  this means his body was unable to consume food energy properly. High glucose levels in the blood indicate low insulin levels in the body. Which means your dog is diabetic. When the glucose level increases in the bloodstream,  it will make your dog extremely thirsty.

Your dog’s body needs energy anyhow so it will start breaking down protein and fats in the body instead of glucose. As a result,  your dog will be more and more hungry but instead of gaining weight,  it will start losing it. Mostly it will lose muscle weight making your dog look weaker and sick.

In diabetes,  Kidneys don’t filter glucose causing the glucose level to rise.  That is why dogs with high glucose levels have glucose present in their urine too. Normally you can’t detect glucose in the urine of a healthy dog.

Symptoms that your dog glucose level is high are

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Panting
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea (also read pregnant dog diarrhea, a diabetic dog with diarrhea, and dog diarrhea at night only)
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Irregular breathing
• Increased heart rate

In some cases,  high glucose levels can lead to organ failure causing the death of your dog.

What are normal glucose levels in dogs?

The normal level for glucose in a dog’s bloodstream is 80-120mg per decilitre of blood. However,  glucose level rises after eating something or when a dog gets heightened emotions like excitement,  stress or fear, etc.

The glucose level may rise to 250-300mg/dl after eating or having an emotional rollercoaster ride. As hormones produced during heightened emotions mess with the insulin activity causing the blood glucose level to rise.

The only reason that your dog’s glucose level reached up to 500mg/dl is diabetes. In some cases, this level can go up to 800mg/dl too.  Mostly it stays elevated in an average range of 400-600mg/dl in diabetic dogs.

What does dog glucose level 500 means?

It is clear now that glucose level at this point means your dog is diabetic. If you didn’t know it before, prepare yourself for lifestyle changes in your dog’s routine.

But,

Only a high glucose level may not be enough to conclude that your dog has diabetes. Sometimes you need to monitor your blood sugar level for up to two weeks to be sure. You may need an additional test that checks fructosamine levels to confirm that your dog has diabetes. This test ensures that a high glucose level is not a temporary result of stress or diet.

What is a good glucose level for dogs? 

Normally glucose level ranging from 100-250mg/dl is good glucose level for dogs. A glucose level above 400 means the dog is diabetic,  and below 100 means your dog is hypoglycemic.

Checking the glucose level

• You should monitor the glucose level of your dog regularly. After every three months,  take your dog to the vet to see if glucose levels are fine.
• Check fasting sugar as food can quickly elevate glucose levels in a dog’s blood. Keep your dog “food-free” for up to 8 hours before checking glucose levels.
• We also advise taking the highest and lowest blood glucose range. After taking a blood sample from the fasting dog,  give your dog insulin and take the sample again.
• You can also use urine sticks to check the glucose level of your dog.

Glucose curves

Glucose curves help to monitor dog glucose levels before,  after, and during insulin activity in a body. Keep in mind that fluctuating emotions or sudden dietary changes may reflect a false reading in the glucose curve. These readings help you to monitor dogs’ condition effectively.

Inject your dog with insulin and keep a record of glucose level after every hour for up to 24 hours. A stable glucose curve reading for a diabetic dog will be between 100-250mg/dl for most of 24 hour period. Also, the dog having insulin after 12 hours and a dog having insulin after 24 hours can have different glucose curves.

Don’t expect the glucose curve to be perfect at first. With routine management,  the readings will get better.

Does glucose level 500 means emergency?

If your dog is diabetic, this range is high.  It can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis in your dog. In ketoacidosis, a dog will experience extreme fatigue and loses its appetite.  As the body starts passing fats in urine and feces,  the condition could lead to multiple body organ failure. It may cause seizures resulting in the fatality of dogs.

So if your dog’s glucose level is 500, try to bring it down. Mostly at this stage,  your dog will need insulin injection as emergency treatment and may need hospitalization too.

How to take glucose level down?

If your dog is diabetic,  treatment is necessary to take glucose levels down. You need to monitor treatment on daily basis. A high glucose level may not get fatal instantly but it is dangerous and ultimately your dog will suffer if not treated timely.

To take blood glucose level down

Make dietary changes. 

Feed your dog food high in fiber and protein. Avoid sugary treats. Replace kibbles with homemade food etc.  A few dietary changes to make dog food regimen healthy will help to deal with diabetes.

Routine is important here. Feed your dog at the same time daily. And avoid switching dog food cold turkey.

Give your dog insulin

Sometimes dogs may need additional insulin for the body to work properly.  Insulin can be given orally or through injection. Your dog may need one or two insulin injections daily right after having a meal to keep blood glucose levels normal. Mostly these injections are given 12 hours apart.

We advise making an insulin dosage chart for dogs.

Start treatment early

Early monitoring and changes in lifestyle will not only keep your dog fit but will also reduce the financial burden on owners. A stitch in time can save nine so as soon as you know dog glucose levels are rising,  start taking precautionary measures.

Make sure your dog gets professional help when needed

In some cases,  dogs need professional assistance and monitoring to reduce high glucose levels. He may need hospitalization. This situation can arise if your dog has stopped eating for days. Diabetes can make your dog lethargic and weak.

High glucose levels and reduced appetite may mean that dog is suffering from ketoacidosis. In this case, you need to take your dog to the emergency so he can be saved timely.

Monitor your dog at home

Home monitoring and Insulin administration are important. At first, you may need to visit the vet regularly but with the assistance, you will be able to monitor it yourself.

Some points to remember

• In case of emergency, to take glucose level down instantly, insulin injections. Always keep the insulin kit handy.
• If you have skipped insulin injection and the glucose level elevates, you don’t need to give additional insulin dosage for makeup. Just give the amount of insulin that was already due.
• Even if you have never checked your dog for diabetes , a 500 glucose level means your dog is diabetic.
• A newly diagnosed diabetic dog may have 500 glucose levels. Apart from giving insulin as an emergency solution, you need to manage its lifestyle.

What if the glucose level goes down?

It is important to start and regulate diabetic treatments at an early stage. Sometimes when your treatment is inconsistent,  glucose levels can drop down.  This is also fatal for dogs.

Glucose levels can also go down if your diabetic dog gets an infection or another disease. Your dog may suffer a condition called hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar will start shutting down bodily functions causing the death of your dog.

Some tips to remember

While managing your dog’s glucose level,  remember

• You need to be persistent. Treatment is important but ongoing treatment is vital. You do not only need to follow the routine, but also take professional help whenever needed. Don’t delay unnecessarily as diabetes can make your dog’s condition worse sooner than expected.
• Monitor diabetes and glucose levels regularly.
• Also,  keep in mind that dogs are different from human beings. In dogs, a slightly more glucose level is better than low blood sugar.
• As food intake can cause the glucose level to rise,  so it is advised to give insulin injections after eating.
• You might fear that daily insulin injections are a painful treatment for your dog but it doesn’t cause pain.
• Your emotional support is also important.  Be there for your pet emotionally too. Diabetes is noncurable but it can be managed effectively to ensure a good life for your pet.

Conclusion

Glucose level 500 is not normal in dogs. It means your dog has diabetes and need treatment to take glucose level down. Elevated glucose levels for prolonged periods can lead to severe complications and even the death of your pet.  With treatment, your dog’s glucose level can be reduced significantly.