I'm curious as to what the goal is for a diabetic cat on insulin? Is it to get their glucose down to a normal pre diabetic level or is to get it down to what a normal healthier level would be for a diabetic cat? If it is explained here in the forum somewhere I have missed it. Please let me know if it is in our reading info here somewhere. Thanks.
Goals for diabetic cats?
- Thread starter Lillie
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Jill & Alex (GA)
Member Since 2009
The FDMB offers some guidelines in the FAQs. Specific to your question: Regulation
Copied & pasted from that section:
Which definition of regulation should be my goal?
That depends on your individual situation. Generally, it's thought that a cat will suffer less long-term organ and nerve damage if his average blood glucose is lower rather than higher. However, because preventing hypoglycemia is a top priority, it may not be practical to try for normal numbers. The ability of your cat to respond to food and insulin in a consistent manner and your own ability to monitor your cat are both important factors in setting your goal. For most cats who are receiving insulin, "regulated" is a reasonable first goal, after which you can try for "well-regulated". For the lucky minority who can be diet-controlled, normalization is often achievable. It’s important to realize that some cats never consistently stay in regulation range in spite of all efforts, and yet they can be happy and healthy anyway. Ultimately, you should tailor your goals to your cat's individual situation, and you should always consider your cat's quality of life as well as the numbers as you evaluate how well your treatment protocol is working.
Hope this helps!
Copied & pasted from that section:
- Not treated [blood glucose typically above 300 mg/dl (16.7 mmol/L), poor clinical signs]
- Treated but not regulated [often above 300 (16.7) and rarely near 100 (5.6), poor clinical signs]
- Regulated [generally below 300 (16.7) with glucose nadir near 100 (5.6), good clinical signs, no hypoglycemia]
- Well regulated [generally below 200-250 (11.1-13.9) and often near 100 (5.6), no hypoglycemia]
- Tightly regulated [generally below 150 (8.3) and usually in the 60-120 (3.3-6.7) range, no hypoglycemia, still receiving insulin]
- Normalized [60-120 (3.3-6.7) except perhaps directly after meals -- usually not receiving insulin]
Which definition of regulation should be my goal?
That depends on your individual situation. Generally, it's thought that a cat will suffer less long-term organ and nerve damage if his average blood glucose is lower rather than higher. However, because preventing hypoglycemia is a top priority, it may not be practical to try for normal numbers. The ability of your cat to respond to food and insulin in a consistent manner and your own ability to monitor your cat are both important factors in setting your goal. For most cats who are receiving insulin, "regulated" is a reasonable first goal, after which you can try for "well-regulated". For the lucky minority who can be diet-controlled, normalization is often achievable. It’s important to realize that some cats never consistently stay in regulation range in spite of all efforts, and yet they can be happy and healthy anyway. Ultimately, you should tailor your goals to your cat's individual situation, and you should always consider your cat's quality of life as well as the numbers as you evaluate how well your treatment protocol is working.
Hope this helps!
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