It is a known for quite some time now that the number of people suffering from diabetes in the United States is steadily increasing. But surprisingly, it has been revealed that diabetes diagnoses are increasing at a faster rate among pets, especially dogs and cats.

The revelation came in a report titled “State of Pet Health” that was based on data available at the 770 Banfield Pet Hospital facilities across 43 states. The report states that the rate of diabetes has increased by 16 percent among cats over the last four years. In the same period diabetes rate has shot up by a third among dogs. The significance of these numbers can be realized by the fact that in the span of four years diagnosis of diabetes among humans has increased by only 10 percent.

 According to veterinarian Dr. Jeffery Klausner, also chief medical officer at the Banfield Pet Hospital, Portland, Ore, this is the first time such a data has been available and the report aims to share it with pet owners as well as professionals. He also traces the root cause of the increase in diabetes among pets to increasing rates of pet obesity. “We have increasing obesity in dogs and cats, just like in humans. It’s no mystery how that occurs: overfeeding and lack of exercise,” he says.

Klausner further says that the problem becomes graver for cats as they are smaller and often cannot be found for daily injections. Also, cats are less frequently taken to veterinarians as compared to dogs. On the other hand, dogs do not report many complications in spite of being diabetic for years. On the whole, millions of pets are being administered insulin injections twice a day. Klausner says that pets should be taken to vets twice every year for an overall health check up. He also stresses on the importance of prevention.

Some common symptoms to detect diabetes in your pet are: excessive thirst and urination, and steady weight loss. Though management of the disease is time-consuming, necessary changes in diet, exercising, twice-a-day insulin injections and regular check up by a veterinarian can yield positive results.

Apart from diabetes, other common health hazards among pets included dental diseases, fleas and ticks, internal parasites, and inflammation of outer ear canal. More than three-fourth of dogs and two-third of cats faced oral problems related to gums and teeth. These problems often resulted in tartar build-up, gum inflammation and even tooth loss. Also, at times severe dental problems can cause bacterial infections that can spread to other organs through blood and cause organ failure or chronic diseases.

The report also points out that the rise in diabetes among dogs can partly be attributed to the increasing popularity of smaller breeds of dogs such as Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus and Yorkshire terriers as compared to larger breeds such as German Shepherds and Labrador retrievers. Diabetes along with dental diseases is known to be more prevalent among smaller breeds. The 770 Banfield Pet Hospital facilities were seen to be catering to five breeds of dogs: Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers, Shih Tzus, Labrador retrievers and pit bulls.