Cats and Feline Diabetes
Cats and Feline Diabetes
- cats and feline diabetes
We came across an interesting article on cats and feline diabetes recently in Gardening Magazine of all places. While there are a variety of illnesses that cats can get, cat and feline diabetes is a disease that is on the rise and while it can be a deadly disease with proper management and care it can in many cases be reversed.
“Cats are one of the most popular pets around the world. They are loving and loveable, capable of providing you with years of companionship. However, like other pets, cats can sometimes get sick. There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes. Feline diabetes is a serious disease, although by knowing how to recognize the symptoms and getting early treatment your cat can go on to have a healthy life.”
“What is feline diabetes?
Although diabetes is most common in humans, it can also occur in cats or other animals. The cause of diabetes is actually quite simple. Sugar, or glucose, is found in the blood. The level of blood sugar in the body is normally kept under control by the hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces. In a person or animal with diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, and thus blood sugar can easily get out of control.
What are the symptoms of feline diabetes?
The symptoms of feline diabetes will vary. The most common symptoms include an increase in urine output and an increase in thirst. Other symptoms of feline diabetes include a loss of appetite, weight loss, and a poor coat. An increase in thirst can be detected by keeping an eye on your cat’s water dish to monitor the amount of water she drinks every day. Also monitor her litter box use and food bowl to detect other symptoms. Feline diabetes is more common in obese cats, so try to help your cat maintain a healthy weight.”
Treatment
Without prompt treatment, your cat may eventually become inactive, vomit on a regular basis, and eventually may fall into a coma. Because of this early detection and treatment is necessary. If you get the diabetes treated in time, your cat will more than likely lead a normal and healthy life. Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time and dedication. Cats that have feline diabetes will need to be given food at the same time every day. They should be prevented from going outside as well. You may need to give him insulin shots. You also need to know how to test your cat’s blood sugar.
Once your veterinarian checks your cat, he or she will tell you how many shots and how much insulin you need to give your cat, as well as any other pertinent treatment instructions.
Precautions
Before you give your cat its insulin shot, you should always make sure that he has had some food first. If he hasn’t eaten and you give him a shot anyway, he could end up experiencing a hypoglycemic shock. This can also occur from giving too much insulin. Going into hypoglycemic shock can be very dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.
If you have to give insulin shots to your cat due to feline diabetes, you should always keep a watchful eye on him after you have administered the shot. After your cat has been on insulin for a period of time, your vet may reduce the amount of insulin. For more tips on administering insulin to your cat, see this video.
wo heartening points are:
- Many cats with feline diabetes have the amount of insulin they receive reduced in quantity
- Many cats with the condition when given the correct amount of insulin live a relatively normal and healthy life
When treating a diabetic cat as much attention needs to be put on diet as on the insulin. We believe that wrong diet is the main cause of cats and feline diabetes. So feed your cat a very high protein diet with very low carbohydrate and we recommend to stay away from dry food. Plenty of more posts on diet on our website.
