Does my cat have diabetes?
Danger signs for Diabetes
Picking up signs of disease early can play a major role in the success of any
treatment, as the ketones that build up rapidly cause damage to internal organs, writes Bradley Viner.
Watch out for any of the following signs in older cats and seek veterinary advice if you have any suspicions that your cat might be diabetic:
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In the early stages of the disease, the signs may be subtle and the cat relatively well, but as it progresses, the cat becomes more and more unwell. If left untreated, the cat will go into a coma and eventually die. Diabetes in cats is generally eminently treatable, providing the diagnosis is made early enough. Cats that are acutely sick will need intensive treatment in order to bring the disease under control. These cats will usually be hospitalized until their diabetes has been stabilized, because they need repeated blood tests to monitor their progress. Once the condition has been diagnosed, milder cases can sometimes be dealt with as out-patients, with the veterinary staff helping the owner with treatment. This has the advantage of allowing the cat to remain in his normal surroundings, reducing stress levels and their effect upon his appetite, activity, and blood glucose levels. In other instances, it may be preferable to keep the cat hospitalized until his treatment regime has been stabilized. The options for the long-term treatment of diabetes in cats are: 1) Very early cases of diabetes in obese cats can sometimes be controlled by a weight control programme alone, although the glucose levels do need to be regularly monitored. Diet is an important part of the long-term management of any diabetic cat,and special low-carbohydrate prescription foods are available to provide the optimum nutrition in such cases. The amount and type of food fed should be kept constant, and only gradually changed on veterinary advice. 2) In a small number of cats it is possible to stabilize their diabetes using oral tablets that stimulate insulin production. This treatment is most effective in mildly affected cats and obese cats where insulin resistance is present, combined with dietary control. 3) Most cats need regular injections of insulin once or twice a day to control the condition. It is often easier to give injections than to keep giving tablets because the needle used is very fine and the procedure almost painless. Once treatment is commenced, it is vital that the cat’s daily routine is kept as stable as possible. Monitoring treatment Initially, a diabetic cat needs intensive monitoring to reduce the blood glucose down to acceptable levels. Once the optimum dose and injection frequency has been established, cats still need regular monitoring, although with time the frequency of testing can be slowly reduced. Most owners monitor the progress of their cat’s treatment by regularly testing his urine. Diabetes in cats can be montiored using a dipstick test strip or by pricking the foot pad and testing the blood with a glucometer. Cats that are acutely sick will usually be hospitalized until their diabetes has been stabilized. |
