Diagnosis & Treatment
Your veterinarian can determine if your cat is diabetic by checking blood, urine, and clinical signs. You'll need to build a good working relationship with them to successfully treat the condition together; consider taking our list of vet questions along with you on your visit.
Diabetes is not a death sentence. Diabetes in cats is a treatable disorder. Many cat owners are able to control their cat's condition for years, and the animals lead normal, happy lives. The treatment generally entails giving insulin injections once or twice a day, though a small number may be controlled through diet and oral medication.
People are often initially reluctant to give injections to their pets, but it isn't really that distressing. Insulin needles are very small, and pets usually do not react at all to getting the shots. When one begins to treat a diabetic cat, their veterinarian will go over all the procedures, including feeding instructions and symptoms of too much or too little insulin and what to do in these cases. The veterinarian will also set up a schedule of regular recheck visits to gauge how the therapy is working and to adjust the insulin dose. A diabetic cat's need for insulin may fluctuate up and down requiring a change in the insulin dose. Some cats' needs for insulin will actually cease as the pancreas resumes the secretion of adequate insulin. This reprieve is commonly referred to by owners as a "honeymoon".
Insulin
Adequate control of most diabetic cats requires long-acting insulin injections to be given once or twice daily. Each cat responds differently to insulin, so the proper choice of insulin type, dose, and frequency of administration needs to be individually determined. Your vet will likely perform a glucose curve to determine the best regimen. The cat will be hospitalized, given insulin, and then the blood glucose levels will be periodically tested throughout the day. Cats tend to be difficult to maintain on the same regimen for long periods of time, and increases or decreases may need to be made in drug dosages. Our cat medical data section illustrates honeymoons, insulin dosages, and hypoglycemic episodes.
Too much insulin causes too much of the blood glucose to be used, and results in very low blood sugar. This condition is very dangerous and can kill your cat in hours - read the hypoglycemia section before you begin your insulin regimen. Additionally, print the hypoglycemia emergency information and place it somewhere easily accessible, such as the refrigerator.
Prognosis
Plenty of support exists for you, here and elsewhere. Our Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB) will connect you with a whole community of people who have diabetic cats and will give you almost immediate feedback. Thankfully, the community there is on the cutting edge of feline diabetes treatment. The vast majority of vets are very knowledgeable, however some are not aware of the advances that have been made in treating feline diabetes in recent years, especially in home testing your cat.
But be forewarned, diabetes is complex, and trying to understand it all in one big gulp won't work. Once you've made the decision to be a diabetic's caregiver, focus on one thing at a time -- follow your vet's advice and get the basics straight. Doubt everyone; lots of people will try to give you good advice, but for something as complicated as diabetes, there are few hard and fast rules. Our mantra, tha tyou will certainly hear on the FDMB, is that "Every Cat Is Different (abbreviated ECID)."
Sometimes even the vet's advice may seem unclear or wrong. So keep asking questions, weigh all the answers, and always consult your veterinarian. There are many excellent vets out there, thankfully there are fewer and fewer that have not noticed the advances in the treatment of feline diabetes.
A diabetic cat may live many healthy years with owners who are willing to put forth the effort of monitoring the cat's condition daily. A cat's wellness is broadcast by a constellation of behaviors, and the only one who knows him well enough to get the message early is you, who lives with him and cares enough to observe closely and thoughtfully.
If your cat is diabetic and you are deciding whether or not to treat it, consider these facts:
Diabetes must be treated, or your pet will likely die.
Your cat will not object to the injections.
Insulin is very inexpensive.
Home testing is a viable, and inexpensive option to successfully regulating your pet.
Your veterinarian can determine if your cat is diabetic by checking blood, urine, and clinical signs. You'll need to build a good working relationship with them to successfully treat the condition together; consider taking our list of vet questions along with you on your visit.
Diabetes is not a death sentence. Diabetes in cats is a treatable disorder. Many cat owners are able to control their cat's condition for years, and the animals lead normal, happy lives. The treatment generally entails giving insulin injections once or twice a day, though a small number may be controlled through diet and oral medication.
People are often initially reluctant to give injections to their pets, but it isn't really that distressing. Insulin needles are very small, and pets usually do not react at all to getting the shots. When one begins to treat a diabetic cat, their veterinarian will go over all the procedures, including feeding instructions and symptoms of too much or too little insulin and what to do in these cases. The veterinarian will also set up a schedule of regular recheck visits to gauge how the therapy is working and to adjust the insulin dose. A diabetic cat's need for insulin may fluctuate up and down requiring a change in the insulin dose. Some cats' needs for insulin will actually cease as the pancreas resumes the secretion of adequate insulin. This reprieve is commonly referred to by owners as a "honeymoon".
Insulin
Adequate control of most diabetic cats requires long-acting insulin injections to be given once or twice daily. Each cat responds differently to insulin, so the proper choice of insulin type, dose, and frequency of administration needs to be individually determined. Your vet will likely perform a glucose curve to determine the best regimen. The cat will be hospitalized, given insulin, and then the blood glucose levels will be periodically tested throughout the day. Cats tend to be difficult to maintain on the same regimen for long periods of time, and increases or decreases may need to be made in drug dosages. Our cat medical data section illustrates honeymoons, insulin dosages, and hypoglycemic episodes.
Too much insulin causes too much of the blood glucose to be used, and results in very low blood sugar. This condition is very dangerous and can kill your cat in hours - read the hypoglycemia section before you begin your insulin regimen. Additionally, print the hypoglycemia emergency information and place it somewhere easily accessible, such as the refrigerator.
Prognosis
Plenty of support exists for you, here and elsewhere. Our Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB) will connect you with a whole community of people who have diabetic cats and will give you almost immediate feedback. Thankfully, the community there is on the cutting edge of feline diabetes treatment. The vast majority of vets are very knowledgeable, however some are not aware of the advances that have been made in treating feline diabetes in recent years, especially in home testing your cat.
But be forewarned, diabetes is complex, and trying to understand it all in one big gulp won't work. Once you've made the decision to be a diabetic's caregiver, focus on one thing at a time -- follow your vet's advice and get the basics straight. Doubt everyone; lots of people will try to give you good advice, but for something as complicated as diabetes, there are few hard and fast rules. Our mantra, tha tyou will certainly hear on the FDMB, is that "Every Cat Is Different (abbreviated ECID)."
Sometimes even the vet's advice may seem unclear or wrong. So keep asking questions, weigh all the answers, and always consult your veterinarian. There are many excellent vets out there, thankfully there are fewer and fewer that have not noticed the advances in the treatment of feline diabetes.
A diabetic cat may live many healthy years with owners who are willing to put forth the effort of monitoring the cat's condition daily. A cat's wellness is broadcast by a constellation of behaviors, and the only one who knows him well enough to get the message early is you, who lives with him and cares enough to observe closely and thoughtfully.
If your cat is diabetic and you are deciding whether or not to treat it, consider these facts:
Diabetes must be treated, or your pet will likely die.
Your cat will not object to the injections.
Insulin is very inexpensive.
Home testing is a viable, and inexpensive option to successfully regulating your pet.
