Feline Diabetes

"Feline Diabetes is due to a problem with the pancreas. Symptoms include excessive drinking, unrination and infections of the bladder and/or kidneys. Treatment options include insulin, tablets, weight control and dietary change. The condition can be reversed in some cats. With treatment your cat will live a high quality of life."

Your cat needs insulin to use sugar, fat and protein for energy. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the blood and spills into the urine. Sugar in the urine causes your cat to pass large amounts of urine and to drink lots of water. The level of sugar in the brain controls appetite. Without insulin, the brain becomes sugar deprived and your cat becomes constantly hungry although may lose weight due to improper use of nutrients from the diet. Untreated diabetic cats are more likely to develop infections and commonly get bladder, kidney, or skin infections.

There are two types of diabetes in cats:

Uncomplicated diabetes - your cat will not be extremely ill and show basic signs of the disease such as excessive drinking, frequent urination and susceptibility to kidney and bladder infections.

Diabetes with ketoacidosis your cat would be very ill and may be vomiting and depressed. Ketoacidosis happens when Ketosis and Acidosis occurs. Ketosis is the accumulation of substances called ketone bodies in the blood. Acidosis is increased acidity of the blood.

but diabetic cats will sometimes regain the ability to produce their own insulin in the pancreas. Cats that developed diabetes after receiving long term glucocorticoids or hormones are more likely to stop needing insulin after a while compared to cats that developed diabetes without a known cause.

Your diabetic cat should be evaluated by a veterinarian at 2-4 month intervals or anytime another health problem develops. The development of other health problems will often interfere with insulin regulation.

Cats will sometimes regain the ability to produce their own insulin in the pancreas. Cats that developed diabetes after receiving long term glucocorticoids or hormones are more likely to stop needing insulin after a while compared to cats that developed diabetes without a known cause.

Feline Diabetes Symptoms

Diagnosis of Feline Diabetes

Cats are sometimes stressed by having a blood sample drawn leading to a temporary increase in blood sugar even if there is no sugar found in the urine. A blood screen of other organs is taken to look for changes in the liver, kidney and pancreas. A urine sample may be cultured to look for infection of the kidneys or bladder.

Treating Feline Diabetes

Treatment involves daily insulin injections 1x to 2x a day. There are also oral medications for diabetes in cats.

Your vet will show you how to give your cat insulin injections and tell you what type and when to inject them. The three types are:

* Short-acting insulin (regular or crystalline) is used in sick diabetic animals until they are eating again
* NPH and Lente are intermediate- acting insulins
* Ultralente and PZI are long- acting insulins

Give her the medication at the same time every day. It may or may not be necessary for you to check your cat’s blood glucose levels at home. If it is necessary, your vet will show you how to do it as well.

Because insulin needs vary with the activity and lifestyle of your pet, you may want to keep a written daily log of:

* the dose of insulin * location in which the insulin is injected * any changes in the pet’s activity or appetite

Your veterinarian may ask you to check your cat's urine for sugar using a test strip. If your cat is well regulated on insulin, the sugar readings in most urine samples will be negative or trace. The strips may have color pads only for glucose or for glucose and ketones.

Feline Diabetes and Diet

Feed your cat a commercial cat food and do not give her table scraps Use treats sparingly. Avoid foods that are loaded with preservatives and high amounts of sugar. If your cat is overweight it will be harder to control her blood sugar levels, so talk to your vet about how to help her lose weight if needed. As she loses weight her insulin needs may change, so work closely with your vet.

Look for a diet that is high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. This type of diet slows the digestive process and helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. Your veterinarian may prescribe one of the Prescription diets.

You also might want to consider a dietary supplement that is made to support pancreatic health and insulin supply. There is a growing body of evidence that these type of approaches will help. One product to research is called PetAlive GlucoBalance. Research has demonstrated that the ingredients in GlucoBalance help to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range.

Feline Diabetes and Exercise

Sources

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