Diabetes is a disease that requires a lot of care and control to allow the patient to lead a normal life, and it affects not only human beings, but also several animal species, such as felines.
On our site we know that when there are suspicions that your cat suffers from diabetes you may feel worried and distressed, so we present you with a quick guide on the most relevant aspects of this disease.
If you want to know everything about diabetes in cats, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, we invite you to continue reading this article.
What is feline diabetes?
This is a disease that every day affects more cats around the world, especially house cats. It consists of the impossibility that the feline organism develops to correctly process glucose and other organic compounds present in food, necessary for the he althy reproduction of cells and the obtaining energy.
This impossibility is caused by a failure in the production of insulin, a hormone generated in the pancreas that is responsible for processing glucose enters the blood.
In this sense, There are two types of diabetes:
- Type 1: occurs when the feline's own body is responsible for destroying the deposits where insulin is produced, so it does not the necessary amount of this hormone is obtained.
- Type 2: the pancreas works perfectly releasing insulin, but the feline's body resists it, so it does not allows the hormone to work properly. This is the most common type in cats.
By not processing glucose, the cat's body runs out of the energy it requires to lead a normal life, so it begins to take that energy from other cells, which triggers various he alth problems.
Causes of diabetes in cats - Why do cats develop diabetes?
There are some factors that make your cat more likely to develop diabetes, such as:
- Obesity (from 7 kilos onwards)
- Age (over 8 years old)
- The genetic disposition
- Race (Burmese suffer more from diabetes than other races)
- Suffering from pancreatitis
- Suffering from Cushing's Syndrome
- The use of steroids and corticosteroids in some medical treatment
In addition, neutered male cats tend to suffer from diabetes at a higher rate than females.
What are the symptoms of diabetes in cats?
- Excessive thirst
- Ravenous appetite
- Weight decreased
- Increased frequency of urination, as well as abundance of it
- Lethargy
- Neglected grooming
- Bad appearance of the coat
- Vomiting
- Difficulty jumping and walking, presenting a plantigrade posture in the cat (weakness caused by muscle degeneration, which makes the cat not stand on its legs but on its rear hocks, that area that resembles human elbows).
These diabetes symptoms in cats may not all occur together, but if you see 3 of them, you need to go to the vet to determine if it is diabetes or some other disease.
With diabetes, your cat may eat more food and still lose weight quickly, so this symptom is unmistakable.
If the disease is not treated and controlled, it can cause complications, such as diabetic retinopathy, which causes vision problems and even blindness; neuropathy, consisting of plantigrade posture already mentioned; and hyperglycemia, which is a constant buildup of high blood sugar levels.
In addition, it is necessary to be attentive to the possible development of urinary tract infections, kidney failure and liver problems.
How is the diagnosis made?
When it comes to diabetes in cats, the blood and urine tests are necessary to determine the level of sugar in the blood of cats. your feline However, for many cats the trip to the vet can be a stressful experience, simply because they have to leave the house. When this happens, it is very likely that the blood test will give results on glucose levels that are not 100% sure.
That is why, after a first test by the vet, it is recommended to collect a urine sample at home after a few days, when the cat is relaxed in its usual environment. In this way, a more accurate diagnosis can be obtained.
In addition, it is also recommended to carry out a test to measure the presence of fructosamine in the blood, a decisive analysis when checking whether or not you are dealing with a patient with diabetes.
Which is the treatment?
The treatment of feline diabetes is intended to keep under control the symptoms that affect the normal life of the cat, as well as to avoid complications and extend the life of the kitten, ensuring a he althy existence.
If your cat suffers from type 1 diabetes, treatment requires insulin injections, which you must administer daily. If, on the other hand, you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , the most important thing will be to introduce a drastic change in your diet , and some insulin injections may or may not be necessary, depending on how the patient progresses.
A change in the diet of the diabetic cat is focused on reducing the levels of glucose present in the blood. It is no secret to anyone that most of the processed foods for cats that are marketed today contain large amounts of carbohydrates, when in fact the diet of cats should be based on proteins.
That is why the diet of diabetic cats is based on minimizing the amount of carbohydrates that your pet consumes, increasing its protein levels, either with food that you prepare at home, or with wet cat food.
When it comes to insulin injections, only your vet can give you the exact dose your cat needs. It should be administered a maximum of twice a day under the skin of the neck. The idea of insulin treatment is to provide the feline with the necessary tools for its body to carry out its functions as normally as possible, avoiding complications.
The veterinarian's instructions regarding insulin dosage and frequency must be followed to the letter for treatment to be effective. Before reaching a definitive dose, the cat will need to be monitored for a certain time, to determine the behavior of its glucose levels.
There are also oral medications called hypoglycemics that are used to replace insulin, but only the vet can tell you which of the two treatments is the most suitable for your cat.
