How to Handle Diabetic Conditions in Cats.

almost 2 years ago

It is a good day friends to bring topics on the health of pets to the convenience of your screens once again, it is a great delight to know that, my published article can get to different people from different parts of the world, and I can achieve that from the comfort of my home, all thanks to the hive blockchain and the stem social community. In today's article, I will be writing about Diabetes in Cats.

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In the same way that humans can develop diabetes mellitus, also called sugar diabetes is the same way cats can develop this diabetes condition as well. The disease surfaces when the body is no longer able to produce or adequately make use of insulin. Insulin is an hormone produced by the pancreas, it controls the flow of blood sugar called glucose to the body cells in order to provide energy.

When Insulin is insufficient, glucose does not get to the cell as it should, instead of doing this, the body begins to break down fat and protein cells for energy, unused glucose on the other hand, builds up to a excessive amounts in the blood stream.

Just like humans, cats also have two types of feline diabetes, we have the insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent.

Insulin dependent/Type 1 Diabetes: Is when the body no longer has the capability of producing insulin.
Non -insulin dependent/Type II Diabetes: This is when body is unable to produce a significant amount of insulin or when the organs/tissues have become resistant to insulin, this means a higher amount of insulin would be required to process glucose appropriately.

There is an estimate that between 0.5-1% of cats population suffers from diabetes, there is however an increase in the number of cats being diagnosed on a yearly basis. Any cat can develop diabetes at any point throughout their lifetime but some form of breed like the Burmese have been known to have a lifetime risk.

When the issue of diabetes in cat is left untreated, it could lead to weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, serious depression, coma and eventually death.

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Symptoms of Diabetes.

The presence of these symptoms in your cats may signify diabetes, so you want to be really observant;

Frequent urination, which is caused by the glucose drawing water with it to the urine.
Increased hunger, because the body thinks it is starving.
Frequent and excessive thirst, which is caused as a result of the body trying to keep up with the excessive loss of fluid.
Weight loss, happening because the sugars found in the diet cannot be used by the body without sufficient insulin so they get loss through the process of urination. This means the cat is not getting sufficient calories and the body starts to break down the available fat reserves.

Asides from these major symptoms, there are other symptoms that could signify the presence of diabetes in cats, these symptoms could as well be a sign of other conditions;

Weakness.
Sudden collapse.
Poor coat.
Vomiting.
Bladder infections.
Risk factors for diabetes mellitus in cats are;
Obesity.
Increase in age.
Castration.
Glucocorticoid therapy.
Gender (more common in male cats than female cats).
Absence of physical activity.

Every case of diabetes mellitus has an excessive level of blood glucose, when the blood glucose gets to a particular threshold, it starts to overflow into the urine and then draws out a large volume of water with it leading to a case of excessive urination and subsequently, dehydration. In a bid to fight dehydration, you will discover that your cat is trying to take in excessive water (polydipsia). Despite the fact that there is an increased level of glucose in the blood, not enough amount of glucose gets transported into the cells, this makes them get energy starved.

As a result of the perceived energy starvation, the cat's body begins to break down the fat and the protein previously stored for energy, which leads to weight loss and cachexia (muscle wasting) in cats. Despite the fact that, the cat is having an increased appetite(polyphagia), there is still a record of significant weight loss.

Despite all the symptoms noticed, it is still advisable to get proper test done and appropriate confirmation from the veterinary doctor before you conclude that your cat has diabetes. A vet would carry out a full blood-work and a urinalysis, blood sample may also be used to perform serum fructosamine, this test result will lead to the prove that the blood glucose has been elevated over time and not just at the time of the test.

When additional test is carried out, vet may also find other health disorders in your cat like; elevated liver enzymes, kidney values, ketones in the blood or urine, electrolyte imbalances as well as other metabolic disturbances.

Treatment of diabetes in cats.

The process of managing diabetes in cats is a lifelong commitment requiring good communication and vigilance between you and your vet. During the diagnosis, your cat may have to be hospitalized for days until their glucose level is controlled and they start to feel well. If your cat however is in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis during the time of diagnosis, will have an extensive stay in the hospital.

The basic goal of the treatment is to fulfill the purpose of;

Restoring the level of normal blood-glucose.
Normalize your pet's weight and appetite.
Reducing as well as eliminating the clinical signs of excessive thirst and urination.

When your cat has diabetes, insulin injections may be required around two times on a daily basis, usually 12 hours apart after a meal, this injection is given in the scruff of the neck an should be a painless procedure. Your vet may show you the procedure of giving the insulin injection and conducting urine glucose test. You must bear in mind as a pet owner, the importance of obeying the guidelines and stick with the daily routine of ensuring the insulin level of your pet is kept safe.

Conclusion.

Keeping the weight of your cat under control is important and a necessary means of managing diabetes, exercise is an helpful procedure for weight loss. Diets low in carbohydrates are helpful to diabetic cats, there are even specific diets that are specially designed for diabetic pets, speak to your vet to prescribe one for you.