Dogs with diabetes require insulin injections, dietary management, and close monitoring. Without treatment, they may not survive.
Early signs of diabetes in dogs include increased thirst and urination, weight loss, and a normal or increased appetite.
Signs of advancing diabetes include a dramatic increase in thirst and urination, dehydration, lethargy, severe weight loss, and repeated infections.
The final stage of untreated diabetes is diabetic ketoacidosis. It's fatal unless the dog quickly receives aggressive veterinary treatment.
Signs of diabetic ketoacidosis include severe lethargy, mental dullness, rapid breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death.
Dogs being treated for diabetes can develop ketoacidosis or dangerously low blood sugar levels, both requiring immediate veterinary attention.
If your dog's quality of life is poor and there isn't a reasonable expectation of improvement, euthanasia can be a humane way to prevent more suffering.