What cat breeds are prone to diabetes?
Orange cats like Garfield are most at risk for feline diabetes, followed by Burmese cats, and these risks are higher in male cats.
What to do for a cat with diabetes mellitus?
Mazzaferro E M, Greco D S, Turner A S et al (2003) Treatment of feline diabetes mellitus using an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and a low-carbohydrate diet. J Feline Med Surg 5 (3), 183-189 PubMed. Sennello K A, Schulman R L, Prosek R et al (2003) Systolic blood pressure in cats with diabetes mellitus.
How can a veterinarian tell if a cat has diabetes?
Diagnosis. Your veterinarian will diagnose diabetes mellitus by demonstrating persistently elevated glucose levels in a cat’s blood and urine. This testing, along with consistent clinical signs, will lead to the diagnosis of diabetes. A single blood glucose reading in a veterinary clinic may not be sufficient to diagnose diabetes in all cases.
What happens when a cat has uncontrolled diabetes?
In rare cases of uncontrolled diabetes, cats may experience damage to the nerves in the hind limbs, resulting in a “plantegrade” stance of the hind limbs (walking or standing “down in the hocks”).
Can a cat be diabetic without insulin injections?
With early, aggressive treatment of diabetes, many cats will enter a state of diabetic remission, meaning they are able to maintain normal blood sugar levels without insulin injections.
Diagnosis. Your veterinarian will diagnose diabetes mellitus by demonstrating persistently elevated glucose levels in a cat’s blood and urine. This testing, along with consistent clinical signs, will lead to the diagnosis of diabetes. A single blood glucose reading in a veterinary clinic may not be sufficient to diagnose diabetes in all cases.
What kind of insulin can you give a cat for diabetes?
Unlike humans with Type II diabetes, oral medications to reduce blood sugar such as glipizide have not shown to be consistently effective in cats. There are multiple types of insulin preparations that can be used for cats in the treatment of diabetes, such as lente insulin (Vetsulin), ProZinc or glargine insulin.
In rare cases of uncontrolled diabetes, cats may experience damage to the nerves in the hind limbs, resulting in a “plantegrade” stance of the hind limbs (walking or standing “down in the hocks”).
What happens when a diabetic cat is given Lantus?
Newly diagnosed diabetic cats given Lantus as the first insulin have the best chance of remission. This means they may return to being a normal, non-diabetic cat. Lantus means easier control of diabetes, which translates to fewer trips to the vet, which translates to less money spent.
