A Look At Feline Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is also known commonly as "sugar"
feline diabetes and can be quite common in cats. In diabetic cats they are unable to utilize glucose properly and this may manifest in a couple of ways. Your cat may develop hyperglycemia, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels. Additionally your cat may begin to drink in large amounts and have more frequent urination. Because your cat us unable to utilize glucose properly, your cat may loose or gain weight and this would be your first cause for concern.
While females can contract feline diabetes it is predominantly found in males and may be characterized by overweight in your animal. As in many cases with feline illnesses, this affects mostly older cats.
Other ways to determine whether you cat has feline diabetes is if you happen to notice that their back legs have become weaker. You may notice that your cat has poor skin and coat appearance and secondary infections may become more prevalent. Ketoacidosis is a very serious condition that may develop. Symptoms of this may include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, lethargy and weakness. In some cases there may be breathing difficulty. You must respond to these symptoms immediately because if you do not it could prove to be fatal in the end.
Cats with Ketoacidosis will need immediate emergency care but in other cases of feline diabetes, it can be treated with insulin and diet. In the case of obese felines the Vet will put your cat on a diet to loose weight. This should be a gradual weight loss so as not to shock the cat’s system. In some cases there may be a case of the cat being underweight. These cats will be put on a high fiber diet to reach their ideal weight.
Cats with Feline Diabetes will also be put on insulin therapy to keep insulin levels normal. In some cases you may be required to administer insulin to you cat. In cases where the cat has high levels of insulin in its system it will be characterized with a sudden weakness, listlessness, seizures and in severe cases coma. Feed immediately if you can and if the cat is too weak to eat you might try rubbing Karo syrup on the gums. You can also give the cat the Karo by using a syringe in the mouth.
Your Vet will give you precise instructions for the feeding of your cat while you administer the insulin. It is common for the Vet to instruct you to feed your cat half of its food prior to giving it the insulin and then have you give the remaining half of food after it receives the insulin.
With Feline Diabetes you will need to monitor your cat closely because symptoms can appear very suddenly. Also keep in contact with your Vet and they will give you very specific instructions for home care. They will discuss how to store and administer insulin, the proper diet, and home monitoring for feline diabetes.
Remember that you must be firm with your cat, they will beg for food and you must instruct household members to refrain from indulging them. Cats on a diet are very much like humans, they like to eat and they will be very convincing to get the desired food. Be strong and keep them on their diet. With diligence your cat can live a happy life while it has
feline diabetes. In some much less sever cases have been found to correct themselves with proper diet and medication.