Signs a diabetic dog is dying, and how long diabetic dogs live

Before you read on

If you're here because your dog is very unwell right now, please call your vet or an emergency clinic first. Many of the signs people search for under this question are emergencies that vets treat every day, and a dog who seems to be dying can sometimes be a dog in a crisis who recovers with fast treatment. The emergency page tells you what to say on the phone.

This guide goes in order: the signs that need a vet now, the signs that diabetes is getting harder to control, how to think about quality of life near the end, and what the studies say about how long diabetic dogs live.

Signs that mean call your vet now

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) happens when the body can't use sugar and starts breaking down fat so fast that the blood turns acidic. Signs include vomiting, not eating, being very weak or flat, fast or heavy breathing, and breath that smells sweet or like nail-polish remover. It needs hospital treatment, and many dogs come through it.

Low blood sugar usually comes from insulin and a meal not matching up, for example after a missed meal, an extra shot or a very active day. Signs include trembling, wobbliness, confusion, sleepiness you can't explain, a seizure or collapse. Call your vet straight away and don't give more insulin. Being ready for low blood sugar covers what your vet may ask you to do while you get help.

Vomiting that keeps happening, a dog who refuses food, collapse, or a seizure always need a vet the same day, whatever you think the cause is. Waiting to see if it's the end can use up the time that treatment needs.

Signs that diabetes is getting harder to control

Some changes creep in more slowly. Thirst and peeing that come back after they had settled, weight loss even though your dog is eating, a big appetite that never seems satisfied, tiredness, and urine infections that keep coming back can all mean the blood sugar is running high again. Why is my dog suddenly drinking a lot and peeing more? shows how to measure the drinking for your vet, and my diabetic dog is losing weight explains what they look for.

These signs usually mean the treatment needs reviewing: another illness getting in the way, like an infection, pancreatitis or Cushing's disease, or a change in what your dog needs. They are a reason to book a visit soon, not a sign that your dog is dying. Please don't change the insulin yourself.

When it may be the end

Near the end of a diabetic dog's life, the signs are usually about the whole dog rather than one reading: he stops eating most days even with help, can't get up or walk without great effort, loses interest in the people and things he loved, has pain or nausea that medicines no longer control, or keeps having crises in spite of treatment. Often another illness, like kidney disease, pancreatitis or cancer, is part of the picture, especially in older dogs.

Vets often suggest a quality-of-life scale, which looks at eating, drinking, comfort, hygiene, moving about, happiness, and whether there are more good days than bad. Keeping a simple calendar, a tick for a good day and a cross for a bad one, makes the pattern easier to see when you're tired and upset. Quality of life with canine diabetes and comfort care for a dog with diabetes go into this.

There is rarely one perfect moment. How do I know when it's time to say goodbye? talks through the questions owners ask, and what if I can no longer manage my dog's care? is there for when the daily care itself becomes too much.

How long do diabetic dogs live?

There aren't many large studies, and the ones we have look at averages. A study of 209 newly diagnosed dogs in British general vet practices found a median survival of about 17 months after diagnosis, with most of the deaths happening soon after it. Older dogs and dogs with pancreatitis were more likely to die. A Swedish study of 860 insured diabetic dogs found many died on the day of diagnosis, which usually means they were put to sleep then. For the dogs that weren't, the median survival was about two years.

Vets describe the first six months after diagnosis as the riskiest time, often because of other illnesses like infections, pancreatitis or ketoacidosis. Dogs whose diabetes becomes well controlled can live for many years, and some live close to a normal lifespan.

What helps a diabetic dog live longer

You can't control everything, but some things clearly help. Catching diabetes early, before a crisis, matters: signs of diabetes in dogs covers the early clues. After diagnosis, a steady routine of meals and insulin at the same times each day, as in the daily routine guide, makes control easier.

Keep the regular check-ups your vet asks for, write down appetite, thirst, weight and anything odd, and call early about vomiting, a refused meal or an infection rather than waiting. For older dogs, caring for an older dog with diabetes covers the extra things to watch.

Talking to your vet about the end

When you feel the time may be close, ask your vet for a conversation without your dog in the room, or a phone call, so you can think clearly. Ask what they see, what treatment could still realistically do, what comfort care would look like, and what signs would tell you it's time.

When the time does come, many owners find it helps to plan it on a calmer day rather than in an emergency. Ask whether your vet can do it at home, whether you can stay with your dog throughout, and what happens afterwards. It's all right to take a few minutes to say goodbye.

If your dog has already died, please be gentle with yourself. My diabetic dog died. Did I do something wrong? is written for that moment.