Dr. Joi Sutton discusses one of the more common complications for diabetic pets: cataracts. They are not to be ignored. Act early if you plan to visit a veterinary ophthalmologist. Our goal is to save your diabetic pet’s vision!

Learn more about cataracts in your dog(s) or cat(s) from Dr. Joi Sutton’s (DVM) article: Cataracts: A Complication of Pet Diabetes.

When I teach my patient’s in the diabetes education classes, I recommend that they check their blood pressure with a digital cuff at home as well as checking their blood sugar. Knowing that heart disease including heart attack and stroke are the leading complications of diabetes; I want them one step ahead. I know that tracking blood pressure trends can be helpful to the physician about medication decisions.

Learn more helpful tips for monitoring your blood pressure at home from Roberta Kleinman’s (RN, M.Ed., CDE) article: Helpful Tips for Home Blood Pressure Monitoring.

Dr. Joi Sutton discusses the presentation and treatment goals of diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of pet diabetes. She lets you know what to expect if your pet becomes DKA.

Learn more about diabetic ketoacidosis from Dr. Joi Sutton’s (DVM) article: Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Serious but Treatable Complication of Diabetes.

I always try to recommend high fiber foods to my patients’ with diabetes because there are multiple benefits. I know that fiber can help them decrease their blood sugar after a large meal.  Eating fiber can help you lower your cholesterol, triglycerides and decrease your risk of heart attack or stroke. Knowing that heart disease or stroke is a major problem for people with diabetes keeps me recommending fruits ,vegetables, grains and legumes for their content.

Learn more about high fiber diabetes friendly foods that can have a positive impact on your health from Roberta Kleinman’s (RN, M.Ed., CDE) article: Seven High Fiber Diabetes Friendly Foods.

Food labels are like having a road map to better health. People with diabetes who read food labels the right way maintain their weight and blood sugar levels more effectively. Learn how to do the math to determine portion sizes, sodium intake and sugar intake. Discover why trans-fats should never appear on the food labels in your pantry. Find out how food labels help you achieve your dietary goals and save you from potential pitfalls. There are several Glucerna products that are ideal for people with diabetes on-the-go.

Learn more tips on reading food labels.

I am always amazed by all the new technology and products that are available in the treatment of diabetes. Since the annual budget for treating diabetes and the problems associated with it is somewhere in the vicinity of 218 billion a year, new things are constantly popping up to help us control blood sugars. Keeping up to date will allow you to communicate with your physician in a logical and reasonable manner. Learn what is already approved and what will be coming soon in the world of diabetes.

Learn more about better technologies as well as exciting new products to help regulate your blood sugars from Roberta Kleinman’s (RN, M.Ed., CDE) article: New Trends in Diabetes Care and Treatment.

Keeping your diabetic pet’s teeth and mouth healthy isn’t as hard as you might think.   I have a few tricks of the trade and favorite chew toy suggestions to improve your pet’s oral hygiene. Not only will your pet have fresher breathe, we can likely improve your diabetic pet’s glucose regulation.

Learn more dental care tips to keep your pets teeth healthy from Dr. Joi Sutton’s (DVM) article: Dental Care Tips For Diabetic Pets.

As we strive to be better in the upcoming year, Dr Joi Sutton suggests ways to involve those most dear to us. She takes some of the most common New Year’s resolutions we make and reminds us how to include our beloved pets.

Learn more ways to thank your pets for their loyalty, their unconditional love and the entertainment they provide us from Dr. Joi Sutton’s (DVM) article: New Year’s Resolutions Should Include Your Pets.

When the New Year comes, everybody starts listing all the things they want to immediately change even though they have been behaving a certain way, forever. No one is perfect, and we all need to decide the most important steps to make to keep us as healthy as we can be in the future. Start by making small changes in your routines such as invest in a pedometer or take a diabetes management class, and see if they stick. Move on to another one to see if you can maintain those changes for the long term.

Learn more tips to achieving your new year’s resolutions from Roberta Kleinman’s (RN, M.Ed., CDE) article: Eight Easy To Achieve New Years Resolutions.

Although whenever I diagnose a pet with diabetes I send clients home with a multitude of handouts as “homework” to study, sometimes I forget that medical terms can be very confusing to those who didn’t go to medical school.  I’ve listed some of the more common diabetic words and phrases with simple explanations.  Educating clients is key to good diabetes control for their beloved pets.

Learn more diabetes terms to better understand your veterinarian from Dr. Joi Sutton’s (DVM) article: Medical Terms Every Diabetic Pet Owner Should Know.