9539 Liberty Road, Frederick, MD 21701 • (301) 898-4009 Gentle, complete veterinary care for the felines in your family

My Cat Has Diabetes…Now What? Most people, upon hearing that their cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, panic about what this may mean for their cat, and themselves, in regards to long-term care. Having to give insulin shots can be intimidating. Monitoring their cat’s glucose levels regularly can be expensive or they may fear that their cat may not have a long, productive life. That’s why providing you with more detailed information is of the utmost importance to us. Diabetes is a manageable health condition! Diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas. It is common in pets and is caused by the inability of the hormone insulin to properly balance blood sugar (glucose) levels in the body. In a diabetic, the pancreas stops producing enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the cat’s body cells don’t respond well to insulin (type 2 diabetes). Both type 1 and 2 result in high blood sugar levels because the cat’s body is unable to process the available glucose. (High blood sugar is referred to as ‘hyperglycemia’ as opposed to low blood sugar which is called ‘hypoglycemia’ – and can be deadly). Just because a cat has been diagnosed as a diabetic doesn’t mean that they will require insulin treatments. Diabetes can be managed by diet as well as by medication. Regular monitoring by your veterinarian is an essential step as well. Clinical Signs of Diabetes There are a combination of clinical signs that let us know we may be seeing a diabetic cat: Weight Gain / Loss – In early stages, diabetics may gain weight as their appetite will increase and their internal insulin levels will rise and fall. Typically, in spite of having a good appetite, diabetics will eventually lose weight since their bodies are unable to process sugars into energy. Excessive Urination – This is the ‘classic sign’ of diabetics and typically what led to a diagnosis. Diabetics that develop hyperglycemia will begin passing the excess sugar (glucose) into their urine. As glucose builds in the urine, the body responds by trying to flush the excess from the kidneys through urination. (polyuria, or ‘PU’) Excessive Thirst – Excessive urination is usually accompanied by excessive thirst. (polydipsia, or ‘PD’) The combination of both of these clinical signs is a red flag that this is most likely a diabetic cat. Lethargy – If your pet is expelling excess sugars from carbohydrates in his / her diet, then they are not converting much, if any, into energy. The cat’s activity level will drop and you may notice that he doesn’t play as much or climb the stairs as eagerly as before. By checking blood samples, urine samples as well as by talking with you, the pet owner, about any clinical signs being seen at home provides us with the information we need to diagnose your cat as a diabetic and offer a treatment plan. Treatment for the Diabetic Cat Treatment generally involves one of two things: Diet – Changing the cat’s diet to a mainly canned diet, preferably a prescription diabetes management food like Purina’s DM or Hill’s MD, can assist with the protein to carbohydrate ratio. Insulin Injections – The most common way to treat diabetics is to get them started on injectable insulin. Adequate control requires long-acting insulin injections to be given once or twice daily. Each cat responds differently to insulin, so the proper choice of insulin type, dose and frequency of administration will need to be individually determined. Determining Insulin Needs The Glucose Curve – This is a series of blood tests done in a 6 – 10 hour span of time while your cat is at the hospital. Your cat is fed early in the morning and then given insulin and then periodically monitored to check the blood glucose level. This is an all-day test and will require you to drop the cat off in the morning and then pick him / her up at the end of the day. Blood Glucose Spot Checks – This is a blood test done six hours after morning meal and insulin injection. Giving Insulin Injections Once we have established that your cat will benefit from daily injections, we will have a consultation with those in your family that will be responsible for giving your cat insulin. We will demonstrate the proper handling, care and use of the insulin as well as the syringes used. A few tips: Insulin MUST be refrigerated (preferably not stored in the fridge door) Insulin vials should NEVER be shaken: only “rolled” to warm them (shaking breaks the molecules apart) Syringes are single-use only and sterile ‘Drawing up’ liquid in a syringe can be tricky – we will show you how to clear air bubbles as well as how to read the dose Giving the injection in varied body sites reduces scar tissue (don’t give Fluffy the injection in the same spot everyday) Staying on schedule (typically once every 12 hours) with insulin is VERY important…if you miss a dose, you have up to 2 hours to give injection, but alter the next day’s schedule then by the same amount of time and gradually get back on track Example: Normal dosing: 7:00 am & 7:00 pm Went out to ballgame and forgot to give pm dose at 7:00; give dose at 9:00 pm (and then next am dose is due at 9:00 am) Next dose for am can be moved up to 8:00 am, etc. until your pet is back on his normal schedule. The Big Picture on Diabetes Diabetes is a treatable disorder and should not be considered a death sentence. Many cat owners are able to monitor and control their cat’s condition for years, and the cat can have a normal, healthy life. Diabetes is a complex condition, but there are numerous venues that can provide you with information; your veterinary staff, support groups, websites, etc. If you don’t understand something always ask. Diabetic cats may live for many years with an attentive owner that is willing to put forth the effort required to maintain and monitor this disease.