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VCA City Cats Hospital 665 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington MA 02476 Tel: 781-641-3673 |
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Diabetes mellitus ("sugar" diabetes) is a chronic endocrine disorder in cats. It is caused by either insufficient production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas (type 1 diabetes) or inadequate response of the body's cells to insulin (type 2 diabetes). Because diabetic cats are not able to utilize glucose properly, they ultimately develop high blood sugar levels(hyperglycemia) and subsequent sugar in the urine (glucosuria). This leads to excessive urination (polyuria) and excessive thirst (polydipsia). Despite maintaining a good appetite, diabetic cats lose weight because the body's tissues are unable to use glucose properly. Progression of the disease ultimately leads to further metabolic disturbances and causes vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, and dehydration.
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Factors that cause diabetes are obesity, genetic predisposition, poor diet, hormonal abnormalities, stress, and drugs. Gender can also be a factor; male cats are more commonly afflicted than females. Polyuria, polydipsia, increased appetite, and weight loss are hallmark signs of diabetes mellitus in cats. In the earlier stages of the disease, cats remain active and alert with few other signs of disease. However, as the disease progresses, poor skin and haircoat, liver disease, and secondary bacterial infections become more common. An infrequent disorder called diabetic neuropathy may cause cats to become progressively weaker in the rear legs and assume a unique, plantigrade stance. A dangerous condition called ketoacidosis may develop in some cats. Signs of ketoacidosis include a loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, dehydration, and breathing abnormalities. Without proper and prompt treatment, this condition ultimately proves fatal. Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed based on the cat's clinical signs, physical examination findings, laboratory test results, and the persistent presence of abnormally high amounts of sugar in the blood and urine. Proper treatment of diabetes mellitus is based on the severity
of the disorder. Cats with ketoacidosis require intensive care.
Treatment includes fluid therapy to correct dehydration and electrolyte
abnormalities and short-acting insulin. Diabetic cats that are not
ill usually require insulin injections once or twice daily under
the skin and a carefully controlled diet. As an alternative to insulin,
treatment with an oral hypoglycemic drug (see below) may be attempted. Overdosage of insulin causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Signs of this potentially dangerous complication include weakness, listlessness, incoordination, convulsions, and coma. If left untreated, death may result. If hypoglycemia develops, the cat should immediately be offered its normal food if it is able to eat. Alternatively, a tablespoon of Karo syrup should be rubbed on the gums or, if the cat can swallow, given slowly by syringe into the mouth. Never force fingers, food, or fluids into the mouth of a convulsing or comatose cat. Your veterinarian should be contacted immediately if your cat experiences an episode of hypoglycemia so that further treatment instructions can be given and a modification of insulin administration, if necessary, can be made. Cats requiring excessively high insulin doses (greater than 1-2
units of insulin per pound per day) should be evaluated further.
Other diseases may be underlying or complicating the diabetes mellitus
and, as a result, may necessitate high insulin dosages. Problems
with insulin injection, poor absorption or too rapid metabolism
of insulin, or even insulin overdose are potential causes of an
apparently excessive insulin requirement. Diet Cats receiving insulin once daily should be fed half the daily food requirement at the time of the injection and the remaining half at the time of peak insulin activity (as determined by a blood glucose profile). Cats receiving twice daily insulin injections should be fed half the daily ration at each administration. Cats receiving oral hypoglycemic medication should be fed a high fiber diet, but ideally as multiple small meals consumed throughout the day. Managing a diabetic cat requires good communication between you and your veterinarian. A diabetic cat may live many healthy years with owners who are willing to put forth the effort to monitor the cat's condition daily. Cats tend to be difficult to maintain on the same regimen for long periods of time, and increases or decreases in drug dosages may need to be made. Diabetes mellitus is often associated with obesity, so prevention of excessive weight gain may reduce the likelihood of its development. Certain drugs, particularly high doses of some types of steroids and progesterone derivatives used to treat behavioral abnormalities and skin diseases, can possibly lead to the development of transient or permanent diabetes mellitus in cats. |
PLEASE NOTE:
Caring for a diabetic cat is time-consuming and requires a thorough
understanding of treatments. These instructions are provided as a reference,
but do not try this without proper guidance!
The dose
The type of insulin and the daily dose are tailored for each cat, so make
sure that you speak to a City Cats staff member and fully understand your
cat's treatment.
Measuring insulin.
Insulin should be kept cool at all times, and the bottle should be rolled
gently in your hand prior to dosing. Syringes are marked for measuring
small amounts of insulin; make sure that you understand how to read the
measurements correctly (fig. 1).
To draw insulin into the syringe, set out the syringe and bottle, and have your cat ready. Then:
1. Remove the needle guard and draw back the plunger to the desired dose level.
2.
Insert the needle into the insulin bottle.
3. Push down on the plunger. This will inject air from the syringe into the insulin bottle to prevent a vacuum from forming in the bottle. (fig. 2)
4. Withdraw the plunger, filling the syringe with the correct dose of insulin. (fig. 2)
Check for air bubbles in the syringe. If you see an air bubble, draw up slightly more insulin than the exact dose. Withdraw the needle from the bottle, and tap the syringe barrel with your finger to move the air bubble to the nozzle of the syringe. Then push the plunger upwards to expel the air bubble.
To give the injection, hold the syringe in your hand. Have another person hold your cat; pick a fold of skin along the cat's back with your free hand (pick a different spot each day).
1. Push the needle quickly through the skin. This should be easy and painless, as insulin needles are very thin and very sharp. Take care to push the needle through ONE fold of skin - not into your finger, or underlying muscle.
2. Pull back gently on the plunger to make sure no blood fills the syringe.
3.
With your thumb on the plunger, push the plunger to dispense
the insulin. (fig. 3)
4. Withdraw the needle from your cat's skin, and immediately cover with the needle guard.
5. Praise your cat for sitting quietly, and reward him or her with affection. This may quickly create a cooperative cat who may not even need to be held.
"Sterilizing" the skin with alcohol is not necessary and can even sting and cause your cat to fear the injections.
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