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Feline Diabetes

Rebecca Schmidt • Jan 02, 2013

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) is usually type 2 diabetes.

Feline Diabetes normally occurs for 1 of 2 reasons. One, the cat does not make enough insulin, or two, the cat is insulin resistant or is resistant to the insulin it is making. Insulin resistance can be caused by infection or by obesity. It is interesting to note that people are similar to cats that way. There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the lack of insulin in the body and type 2 is the insulin-resistant variety. Generally, cats develop type 2 diabetes.

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) number one cause is obesity

Obesity is probably the number one cause for diabetes in cats. Overweight cats tend to become diabetic. The hormone insulin is made by the pancreas. Little cells in the pancreas called islet cells produce the insulin. Insulin is responsible for blood sugar to be absorbed by the cells in the body and the cells in turn use this sugar for energy. If the blood sugar is unable to enter the cells due to lack of insulin or if the body is resistant to insulin, the blood sugar levels in the body will start to rise. When the blood sugar rises, the kidneys work hard to get rid of the excess sugar. As a result, a copious amount of urine is produced.

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) symptoms

The litter box gets wetter and the clumps get bigger. The cats become very thirsty so they drink more water and pass more urine. These are the typical signs of diabetes. The cat also loses weight. If your cat is always thirsty, passes more urine, always hungry but continues to lose weight, it may have diabetes. When a cat is showing signs of diabetes, the first step is a physical examination by a veterinarian. During the exam, the veterinarian will look for any complications that may cause the cat to be resistant to insulin such as infection. The mouth is a good place to start because cats are prone to dental disease. So many cat owners are not aware of this. Many cats suffer from sore teeth which they hide quite well. Your veterinarian will also look for infection in other areas that they may be able to clear up.

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) blood tests

After a physical examination a blood sugar test should be done. A panel of blood work that looks at many different things will include this test. A blood sugar level of over 300 would be suspect for diabetes. Cats are unique in that their blood sugar levels go up when they are excited or stressed out. So, veterinarians have to be careful in interpreting elevated blood sugar levels making sure it is not from adrenaline or stress. Part of the blood work that should be done is a fructosamine test. The fructosamine test looks at the blood sugar levels over the last 3 weeks instead of just one day. Liver enzymes and blood electrolytes should also be evaluated. Diabetes can affect the liver and alter the electrolytes. Your cat’s potassium, sodium chloride, phosphorus and calcium levels will be tested. Elevated pancreatic levels can indicate inflammation or infection of the pancreas. This is called pancreatitis. A special blood test determines if there is inflammation in the pancreas. An inflamed pancreas affects other cells and can cause these cells to not produce enough insulin. After it is determined that your cat is indeed diabetic, then your veterinarian will suggest a treatment program. The goal is to keep the blood sugar down.

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) medications and treatment

There are oral medications that people with type 2 diabetes take. These medications are not intended for cats. There is high risk for complications if given to cats. The common treatment for cats is insulin injection. This may sound tricky but is actually fairly easy to learn how to do. Cats tend to be more tolerant of injections than what most people perceive them to be. Giving insulin injections is the biggest thing that people worry about; yet, it becomes the least problem in the treatment of the diabetes in the cat as they become better at it. The blood sugar needs to be monitored by taking blood samples. This can be done in the hospital or at home. The cat would be more comfortable and happier if the sample is taken at home. This is also not hard to accomplish. Monitoring the blood sugar and giving the appropriate type of insulin depending on the cat are extremely important.

Feline diabetes (cat diabetes) often requires special cat food

Diet is also very important. Over-the-counter dried food is usually high in carbohydrates that can cause weight gain and obesity. Most often a prescription diet is necessary. Hills M/D and D/M are common. Frequent veterinary monitoring of your diabetic cat is necessary. So basically, an examination and blood work are needed when your veterinarian recommends. Also a urine test is needed because urinary tract infections are common with diabetic cats. Full diabetic treatment includes diet, insulin, monitoring blood sugar and routine checkups.
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