KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
November is National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month, and a Santa Clarita veterinarian is talking about the all too common disease in an effort to raise awareness in the SCV.
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“It’s a very common disease that we see in both dogs and cats,” said Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto of Cinema Veterinary Centre in Valencia. “For the most part … it is the insulin-dependent kind.”
Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM
While diabetes can be caused by a variety of factors, many pets diagnosed with the chronic disease are obese, making it vital for pet owners to make sure their pets maintain a healthy weight.
Related: Cinema Vet Staff To Celebrate ‘National Adopt A Shelter Pet Month’ At Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair
Ronchetto noted that a common symptom she sees in pets that prompts her to test for diabetes is an unexplainable increased thirst.
“Many time the owners will bring the pet in because they’ve noticed them drinking a lot more water than they ever used to,” she said. “That’s a huge sign.”’
Diabetes is usually detected through bloodwork, which would typically show an abnormally high blood glucose — also known as blood sugar — level.
“The blood sugar level would be very, very high,” Ronchetto explained. “And many times we would find glucose in the urine as well.”
Once a pet is diagnosed with diabetes, the veterinarian will usually start them on an insulin treatment that their owners can give at home, and may make dietary adjustments for the pet as well.
“Oftentimes we’ll switch them to a special food that will help them control their diabetes better,” Ronchetto said, noting that these kinds of food are typically higher in fiber and lower in fat to help control blood glucose levels.
“It does require monitoring,” Ronchetto added, “just like a human would.”
Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Feature story based on a recent radio interview with Cinema Veterinary Centre.
Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM, is a Santa Clarita veterinarian who opened her own veterinary hospital in Valencia after spending several years in private practice as an associate veterinarian at other SCV hospitals. Ronchetto and the staff at Cinema Veterinary Centre strive to give every dog, cat and pocket pet outstanding quality care in the areas of medicine and surgery. A Hart High School graduate, Ronchetto earned her BS degree from UC Davis and graduated with Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
23460 Cinema Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 253-9300
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