Can feeding my dog glucose biscuits every day affect their thyroid?

If the only ingredient in the glucose tablets is glucose (sugar), he should be fine. Very large doses of sugar in dogs can cause excitement, high heart rate, jittery feelings, and even vomiting and diarrhea. If he displays any severe signs, call the Pet Poison Helpline or your local emergency vet for advice on if he needs to come in. Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661

I certainly understand Lily's fondness for bisuits and coffee. The short answer to your question is that I would not worry about her having a small amount of biscuit dunked in coffee. While we do see diabetes in dogs (which can be associated with blindness), the biggest risk factor for diabetes in dogs is being overweight. So just be sure to limit her calories and keep her a normal weight which I presume she currently is at 12 pounds. I would be careful with her with coffee. Certainly a bit of biscuit dunked in coffee is going to have very little coffee in it, but dogs are very sensitive to coffee and can have toxity to larger amounts, so I would be careful to keep your coffee cup away from her in case she develops a liking to that as well. As with most things in life, it is all amount moderation. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Maltitol is not toxic to dogs like some other artificial sweeteners (such as xylitol), but it can sometimes cause GI upset or diarrhea in some dogs. So if possible, it would be better to use a treat that doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners at all. Many dogs enjoy cooked carrots or green beans, or small pieces of chicken or roast beef as treats. If you do opt to give Pepper the cookies, I would limit it to a small amount very occasionally to minimize the risk of upsetting her stomach.

Biscuits should be used as small treats or rewards. They should not be used as the main source of nutrition or given in excess. This would be akin to me or you eating only junk food at every meal. Limit the biscuits to no more than 10% of the total diet.

It is unlikely that this will cause any damage or side effects. T4 hormone will be temporarily suppressed, without any noticeable side effects. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not the best idea to give Olie sweet food. Eating too much sugar and carbohydrates can lead to problems with obesity in dogs, just like in people. It is better to stick with healthier treats - you may want to try offering Olie a piece of carrot or small piece of sweet potato instead of sweets.

Diabetes in dogs is thought to be from destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas. It is not an insulin resistance from giving too many treats (so don’t blame yourself!) Sometimes if the insulin dose is too high it will drop the glucose too low so that maybe why he is recommending sugar water. My recommendation would be to be seen right away if he is weak, or shaky, as low blood glucose can be life threatening. Seeking a second opinion is never wrong, but sometimes better communication is really what is helpful . We Are happy to help where we can, but a good primary veterinarian relationship is really important with diabetes. Best of luck and I hope he does well!