Feline Diabetes

Feline diabetes or diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes is an endocrine disease. This disease is caused because the hormone insulin is either not being produced in sufficient quantity or the insulin is not being used properly.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans present near the pancreas. The food when digested is broken down into smaller components that can be stored by the cells as energy. One of these components is glucose which is present in the blood. Insulin is responsible to regulate the level of glucose (or sugar) in blood. When insulin is produced in insufficient quantity or when the cells become indifferent to insulin, the level of glucose in blood cannot be regulated properly. This is how diabetes is caused and if left untreated diabetes may shorten the life of your cat.

The symptoms of diabetes are increasing appetite and yet weight loss, poor coat condition, depression, excessive thirst and frequent urination.

There are two types of feline diabetes. These are:

1. Insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM)

2. Non -insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM)

Almost a half to a third of the diabetic cat population suffers from IDDM and hence has to be administered insulin through insulin injections. Diabetes mellitus more often occurs in male cats and, in general, in older cats. Burmese cats in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom are more susceptible to developing to diabetes.

Diabetes in a cat if left untreated can lead to a fatal condition called ketoacidosis. This condition is indicated by loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, dehydration and breathing abnormalities. Diabetes can also cause unhealthy skin and coat, liver disease, and bacterial infections. Cats may also become progressively weaker in their hind legs due to a diabetic- related disorder called neuropathy. Due to this cats may lose their ability to jump, forcing them to walk with their hocks touching the ground.

With treatment for diabetes, it is also important to modify the cat's diet. So, care should be taken that a high-fiber and high-complex carbohydrate diet is given to your cat. Obesity is one of the main reasons for insulin sensitivity in cats. Strenuous exercise may not be a good choice if your cat is diabetic as well as obese. Find innovative ways making your cat move around. Also play with your cat for a few minutes every now and then to get your cat some exercise. It is also advised to keep your diabetic cat indoors to keep it under constant monitoring. Also make sure that your cat does not get a double dose of insulin.

Though insulin is generally used in diabetes many healthy diabetic cats have been successfully treated with a hypoglycemic medication called glipizide. Glipizide works just like insulin. The only difference being that it is an oral medication.

A potential and fatal complication that may occur in your cat is hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. This generally happens when there is a considerable overdose of insulin. The symptoms of hypoglycemia are weakness, listlessness, lack of coordination, convulsions, and coma which may lead to seizures and even death.

Though all this may seem scary, there is nothing to fear about. Proper care and regulated diet can keep give your cat a happy, healthy and long life.