Diabetes in Cats
Numerous feline health experts will agree that diabetes and obesity are preventable diseases. Because obesity is a risk factor for developing diabetes, by keeping your cat’s weight to a healthy one, you can reduce the risk of your cat developing diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when the body’s pancreas cannot secrete the hormone insulin to balance blood sugar levels. Because sugar is processed into energy, a diabetic animal though may typically first be obese, she will eventually lose weight because she cannot process that sugar.
The older and more overweight the cat, the greater the risk for developing diabetes.
Signs of Diabetes
Signs of diabetes in cats are excessive urinating as the body attempts to flush sugar in the urine, increased water drinking, increased appetite but accompanied by weight loss and loss of energy. A condition called neuropathy can also affect the cat’s hind legs.
If early signs go unnoticed, the disease soon progresses to cause secondary conditions such as an unhealthy coat, liver disease and infections.
Your veterinarian will diagnose the cat based on signs observed and by running tests on the cat’s blood and urine.
Treatment
Treatment for a diabetic cat is much like that for a human with diabetes—diet control, blood sugar testing, insulin injections or oral medication and regular visits to the veterinarian for check up. Though some cats may first require insulin, they may later be maintained by diet later once the pancreas adjusts. But your veterinarian will need to keep a watchful eye on the cat’s progress and will determine when, how, and if changes should be made to the cat’s treatment and diet.
Your veterinarian will help you determine the healthiest diet for your diabetic cat—one that is high protein, low in carbohydrates. Many feline fanciers feel that diabetes can even be prevented if cats are started on low carbohydrate, high protein diets. Canned food is often preferred to dry because canned food is typically higher in protein. Dry food is usually higher in grains and fillers, which are carbohydrates.
Some commercial formulas are geared toward high protein diets and include canned Wellness with 3% carbohydrates, Purina DM with 8% carbohydrates, Hill’s Prescription Science Diet m/d 16% carbohydrates and Innova EVO (diet and canned), which is based on the cat’s ancestral diet of high protein. Several formulas, even Innova’s EVO dry, are grain-free. Plus, some less costly formulas, such as Fancy Feast, can offer less than 10% carbohydrates. Learn what your cat needs, discuss diet with your veterinarian and become an expert at reading cat food labels.
Especially for diabetic cats, experts recommend steering clear of cat foods that contain cornstarch, wheat gluten and rice. Also, if your cat is obese, he needs to lose weight. Talk with your veterinarian about the caloric intake, in addition to the percent protein and carbohydrates, that your cat should receive each day.
With your help, your diabetic feline friend can live a long healthy life for years after being diagnosed with diabetes.