Despite the ravenous appetite, the dog still loses weight. Increased water intake and urine production are a direct result of the high blood glucose levels. The body tries to lower the blood glucose by excreting some glucose in the urine. However, the glucose draws water along with it, so the dog produces large amounts of dilute urine. To prevent dehydration from the water loss, the dog must drink more water.
Diagnosis is fairly simple.
The classic signs 2. High blood sugar level 3. Following a meal, it may double. Stress can also increase the blood glucose into this range. In fact, in some diabetic dogs the blood glucose may be off the scale before treatment.