Can There Be A Diabetes Cure For Horses?

Horses can get diabetes. Since they are not only beloved companions but incredibly valuable pieces of property, there is a huge interest on the part of drug companies to find a diabetes cure for horses. Part of a horse’s inherent value is that they are so fragile. Unlike catastrophic leg or digestive problems, which come up from out of the blue, a diabetes cure or at least control is very possible.

Property?

Unfortunately, horses as well as other animals, are legally classified as “property”. This has both its advantages and disadvantaged for horse slaves…er, I mean, owners. Because they are property, they have a monetary value. Unlike a car, a horse’s book value tends to either stay the same or grow no matter the age of the horse.

1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer became even more valuable as a breeding stallion, and then more and more valuable as he got older and his offspring cleaned up on the track. In 1961, Northern Dancer could not be sold at auction, because he was “too small”. By 1981, he was worth over $40 million. When he passed away in 1990, the value of all of his surviving offspring skyrocketed.

This is a huge financial incentive for drug companies to find an equine diabetes cure. They know the horse owners will pay for it gladly.

Basic Equine Diabetes Information

Horses get what’s known as Type II diabetes, which happens when the body cannot absorb enough natural insulin because there’s too much fat in the way. Horses are notorious gluttons. When they get older, they can’t metabolize their food as effectively, so they often put on the weight that leads to diabetes. So far, the only sure fire equine diabetes cure there is is prevention.

Horses needing a diabetes cure are overweight, even when put on a diet, sluggish, get laminitis (a recurring, potentially lethal disease in the hooves) and take much longer to recover from simple illnesses. You need to have your veterinarian make an accurate diagnosis. These symptoms are also very close to Cushing’s disease. There’s no sense starting a diabetes cure if your horse doesn’t have diabetes!

Since equine diabetes is common in older horses, there are commercially available feeds made just for diabetic horses that may help you lead your horse to a diabetes cure. You will also need to reduce grain and increase hay. You also need to be sure your horse exercises everyday. Just turning out to pasture may not be sufficient if your horse is feeling sluggish.

Diabetic Diet Facts

People who are diagnosed with diabetes face many changes in their life. One of the most significant changes they will have to make is to their diet. Diabetics can often control the disease simply by changing their diet and losing excess weight. Even if the disease is not completely controlled the diabetic diet will be a major factor in managing blood sugars and preventing further complications.

It is important for people afflicted with diabetes and their family members to understand the basic facts about the diabetic diet. Knowing about how various foods affect the blood sugars will allow a person to make the necessary changes that will positively affect the disease. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are all important parts of any diet that will need to be considered in the diabetic diet.

Carbohydrates In The Diabetic Diet

Carbohydrates cover a broad expanse of food items. In fact, if a food is neither a protein nor a fat it can most likely be categorized as a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are important to the human body because they are broken down into sugars and converted to energy. Carbohydrates can be classified as either simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are the ones that are more simple sugars and are quickly used in the body.

Simple carbohydrates are sugar, honey, juices, and foods that contain these items such as candy, syrups, and sweetened processed food. Complex carbohydrates are foods that require more effort to be broken down by the body and contain many of the vitamins and minerals required by the body.

Complex carbohydrates are whole grain breads, vegetables, cereals, and some fruits. People who are diagnosed with diabetes will need to control their carbohydrate intake and will want to avoid any simple carbohydrates. Choosing the more nutritious, vitamin packed complex carbohydrates will prove very beneficial in the diabetic diet.

Proteins In The Diabetic Diet

Proteins are foods that are used by the body to build tissues and assist in various body functions. Proteins are great for the diabetic to eat because they are not easily converted into sugars but if too much protein is eaten in the diabetic diet the are potential complications especially to the urinary system.

Diabetics will want to choose proteins such as lean red meat, lean chicken and fish to fill this need in their diet. Eggs are also an excellent source of protein. Legumes, peanuts and beans, will provide complete proteins when combined with whole grains. People do need to realize that a serving of protein is not a sixteen ounce sirloin. Only a few ounces of protein are needed to make up once serving. One piece of chicken such as a leg or thigh is considered a serving of protein.

Fats In The Diabetic Diet

Fats are very important in the human diet to provide necessary elements for good body functioning but the diabetic diet should focus on reducing the amount of overall fat that is consumed. An important thing to consider in reducing the fats in the diet is to try to cut down on the animal fats and change to vegetable fats.

A Diabetes Diagnosis Can Be Frightening

A diabetes diagnosis can be frightening for many people because there are many horror stories about the consequences of this disease. There are millions of people all around the world who have been dealt a diabetes diagnosis. Many of these people receive the proper care and take good care of their health so they do not have any serious complications from this disease. Other people suffer heart attacks or amputations of a limb and have a very difficult time coping with this disease. Some people die of the consequences at an early age.

A diabetes diagnosis is usually based on a blood test which is designed to measure blood glucose levels. These tests will provide a positive or negative diabetes diagnosis. These tests will also identify someone who has pre-diabetes. This diagnosis should be taken very seriously because at this stage the condition can be avoided completely with proper care. These tests show that the pancreas of the patient is not producing enough insulin to covert the food eaten into energy. The tests could also be an indication that the system is not using the insulin that is produced properly. High blood glucose levels can be very destructive to the human organism if not properly treated.

A Diabetes Diagnosis Should Trigger Proper Treatment

The diabetes diagnosis should not be viewed as a death sentence. Many people have diabetes without suffering serious complications. These people usually are those that listen to the advice of their physician and other medical professionals who have expert knowledge to share. The people who take the proper treatments after a diabetes diagnosis usually cope well with this condition. The diabetes diagnosis will usually prompt the doctor to recommend a drug therapy to normalize the blood glucose levels.

Those people who have diabetes are usually advised to quit if they smoke because this is more dangerous for a diabetic. The diabetic will usually be advised to maintain an ideal weight through diet and exercise. The diet is often one that is low in fat and calories. The dieticians often advise lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains for diabetics. They also recommend regular meals and snacks. The medical professionals who understand diabetes usually recommend that diabetics have a regular exercise routine. This can make a substantial difference to the control of the disease. Diabetics who follow the advice of the experts on this disease usually cope quite well with this condition. The consequences of not following the advice can be very serious.

Join The American Diabetes Association For Diabetes Education

For those people who are prone to diabetes, it is important for them to learn more about the disease to fully understand its cause and management. There are many health organizations that give out diabetes education for patients who are suffering from the disease and truly, they are a great help especially when it comes to finding long-term and short-term cures.

There are also great amount of resources in which you could have diabetes education and one of them is through health organizations that you could find online. Whether you are looking for a support group or general information about diabetes, these organizations are a great help for those people who are suffering from this disease.

The American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is the leading non-profit health organization that contributes a lot to diabetes research, information, and advocacy. Their website, www.diabetes.org is a very informative webpage wherein you could know all about diabetes education. They are founded in 1940 and are conducting programs in all the fifty states and the District of Columbia, making them reach out to many people in different walks of life who may be or may have a loved one suffering from diabetes.

Their main mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of the people who are suffering from it and to achieve this mission, they have been fully active in propagating and supporting diabetes education ever since. To achieve or fulfill this mission, the American Diabetes Association funds research, publishes scientific findings about the disease, provides information, as well as support to the people who are suffering from it, their families, health professionals, and to the public. Ever since the association was formed, they have been very active in advocating the scientific research and the rights of the people who are suffering from diabetes.

Show Your Support

If you want to gain more of diabetes education, you could join the American Diabetes Association by logging on to their website at www.diabetes.org and you can support them by donating funds when it comes to scientific research, donate your vehicle, sponsor a diabetes project, become a corporate friend, workplace giving, planned gifts, participate in any of their events, volunteering, and join the community campaign for diabetes.

By doing so, you not only get to learn more about diabetes information but also in turn, give moral support for anyone who is suffering from diabetes. Truly, it is not impossible to find the cure and absolute prevention for Diabetes if you become one of the supporters of the American Diabetes Association.