Dinesh Shah found something strange in the behaviour of eight-year-old Sweetie, a female Lhasa Apso dog, whenever he placed a piece of sweet before her. The dog, which used to devour sweets, looked unexcited. It was not just sweets; Sweetie looked away whenever food was offered to her. When Mr. Shah took her to Mumbai, Chaudhry, a veterinarian, found that the dog had developed a cataract.

A blood test indicated that she was suffering from diabetes.

“He recommended that I take the dog to Chennai which, he thought, was the Mecca of veterinary medical science. So, I have brought her here,” said Mr. Shah, who came to Chennai by car all the way from Gujarat.

Nine dogs

Mr. Shah, who has 9 dogs, has rented a room at Periamet, and will stay here till the treatment is over for Sweetie.

“We have to bring the sugar level under control. The dog is regularly given insulin shots, and the sugar levels are expected to become normal in a week. After that, the ophthalmology unit will perform the [cataract] surgery,” said M. Balagangadhara Thilagar, assistant professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Madras Veterinary College. Dogs suffering from diabetes will drink more water and pass urine frequently. “Development of cataract shows that Sweetie is in an advanced stage of diabetes. Dogs with diabetes also suffer from skin problems,” Dr. Thilagar said.

Veterinarians are monitoring the glucose level of Sweetie in the critical care unit at the college. Mr. Shah said he was fully satisfied with the treatment, and the dog was showing signs of improvement.

P. Sathiyamoorthy, Director of Clinics, said the arrival of Sweetie and the treatment offered to her were proof of the availability of modern facilities and excellent treatment at the Madras Veterinary College.