Feline Diabetes: What It Is and What You Need to Know to Treat It
Adopting a pet is a big commitment because it requires a lot of patience, care and time. Pets provide company, love, and can even be good for your mental health, providing relaxation in moments of stress.
Trying to keep a pet healthy is always a top priority for a pet owner, but there are things out there that could take even the most cautious pet owner by surprise, such as feline diabetes.
About Feline Diabetes
According to Thomas Graves, a former feline practitioner who is an associate professor and section head of small animal medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, feline diabetes is under-diagnosed, but it is estimated that 0.5 percent to 2 percent of cats suffer from this condition.
Feline diabetes, also know as diabetes mellitus, is the inability to produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar, or glucose levels. When left untreated in cats, it can lead to weight loss, the loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, severe depression, problems with motor function, coma and even death.
The Warning Signs
Some of the typical signs of feline diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination, and increased appetite. If your cat seems to be losing weight rapidly, but seems to have developed a bigger appetite, this could be a sign of feline diabetes. One of the main reasons why this will occur is because the body will no longer create enough glucose to function, resulting in a craving for more food to try to compensate for the lack of glucose.
How to Prevent Feline Diabetes
One of the first steps to take towards recovery and prevention is to adjust your cat's diet. Changing your cat's diet to a low-carbohydrate diet will give the best results. Unfortunately, unlike with humans, a change in diet is not enough and will not necessarily prevent your cat from developing diabetes.
Graves states that not many studies have been done to determine what different diet options there are for preventing feline diabetes. However, he also mentions that “the most commonly held beliefs, based on a handful of clinical studies ... support the use of low-carbohydrate diets in helping diabetic cats control their blood sugar better.”
Furthermore, Graves explains that obesity is a risk factor for most cats and some breeds are more susceptible to developing diabetes than others, suggesting that there may be a genetic component affecting cats as well.
Treatment Options for Feline Diabetes
Currently, insulin therapy is the most common way to treat feline diabetes, and it is also thought to be the most efficient. Although there are some other oral medications, they have additional side effects and are mainly used when insulin can’t be used.
There are blood tests, urine tests, physical examinations and behavioral signals, which are used to establish whether insulin therapy is needed or if it can be used. Unlike with humans, it is not necessary to measure glucose levels on a daily basis and typically blood tests will be done during regular visits to a veterinarian.
However, insulin therapy does have to be administered through shots, which the owner will have to do at home on a daily basis. Insulin therapy is not a costly treatment and can range from $20 to $30 a month for insulin, syringes and other supplies – a small price to pay for the health and safety of your feline friend.
Source: WedMD.com
Photo by John Nyboer
More Articles
With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.
Farro...
Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....
With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...
If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...
In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.
When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...
More Articles
If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....
For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.
A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...
According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...
Eleven Clinical Studies
After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...
Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...
Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...
Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...
Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...
Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....
When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...
Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.
The...
Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...
Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...
Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...
One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...