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Feline Diabetes
This web page has some general recommendations for cats with diabetes. We recommend reading all of the information in the links at the bottom of this page. Then, please contact your veterinarian if you have more questions.
Home Glucose Testing:
Controlling diabetes quickly and efficiently will sometimes allow the pancreas and insulin receptors to recover enough that insulin actually is not necessary. This is ideal for both you and your companion. Glucose levels can fluctuate widely over a very short period of time, and stress can greatly influence glucose levels. As a result, there is a lot of guesswork when trying to establish insulin dosages. The required insulin dosage often changes over time too. Being able to obtain blood glucose levels in the home setting is very useful for controlling diabetes quickly and efficiently. Obtaining a home glucosometer will almost always pay for itself in the long run because fewer hospital visits and glucose curves performed in the hospital setting will be necessary. It can be intimidating and difficult to use the glucosometer at first but is really easy for both you and your cat with a little practice. We recommend keeping a log of glucose levels, appetite, energy level, thirst, and urination. This information on a day-to-day basis will help us fine tune the insulin dosage. Please talk to your doctor if you are interested in testing your cat's glucose levels at home.
Diet:
We strongly recommend feeding only the Purina DM diet. This is a fantastic diabetic food and your chances of eventually becoming non insulin dependent are much greater on this diet. We recommend feeding the canned version of this diet, since the dry forms of any food tend to have higher levels of carbohydrates based on the nature and manufacturing of the kibble itself. Also, if your cat is overweight, please discuss weight loss options with your veterinarian, as obesity is a contributing factor.
Glucose Levels:
Ideally glucose levels will remain between 100 and 250mg/dL. If blood glucose is measured before an insulin dose is due and the blood glucose is less than 100, insulin should not be given.
Ideally the cat should eat a meal with the insulin dose. If the cat does not want to eat for some reason, the blood glucose should be checked. If this is not possible, give 1/4 of the regular insulin dose. If the cat eats, give the remainder of the insulin dose. If the cat does not eat by the time the next insulin dose is due, they should be examined. If a cat ever has a seizure or loses consciousness, corn syrup (Karo) should be rubbed on the gums and the cat should be seen immediately.
Contact a veterinarian if you note:
-- your cat seems to feel ill
-- your cat has a ravenous appetite or loses its appetite
-- your cat seems to be drinking or urinating excessively
Monitor your pet very closely for signs of hypoglycemia: Grogginess, lethargy, listlessness, hypothermia, incoordination, stumbling, seizures.
If any signs of hypoglycemia occur, immediately offer your pet food. Light Karo syrup may also be spooned or syringed into the mouth, the sugars in the syrup will be absorbed into the blood stream through the mucous membranes and do not need to be swallowed. The next step would be to contact your veterinarian, some pets will need to be hospitalized for sugar containing IV fluid therapy for several hours. Do not administer more insulin after an episode until directed by your veterinarian. Severe hypoglycemia can result in brain damage and/or death and needs to be addressed immediately.
More Information:
- Diabetes - A General Overview from the Veterinary Information Network (VIN)
- Feline Diabetes - A great site with lots of information and resources, including articles, a message board, links, and more.
- Home Blood Glucose Testing - A how-to Video
- Videos from the Cornell Feline Health Center - including how to give an insulin injection, recognizing and treating hypoglycemia, and more.
- Vetsulin - information for owners who are treating with Vetsulin and general information about diabetes
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