Feline Diabetes: An Introduction & Guide to Internet Resources

• Feline Diabetes affects at least 1 out of 200 cats and probably many more.
• Factors that predispose cats to diabetes include obesity, lack of exercise, dental disease, and other chronic health problems. Many cats become symptomatic from previously latent diabetes when they are treated with steroids for other conditions.
• High carbohydrate diets may predispose to diabetes. Most dry foods are high in carbohydrates.
• At one point, veterinarians only encouraged controlling the clinical signs of diabetes. Many vets still do this but research and experience indicate that diabetes can be tightly controlled and diabetes can go into remission.
• Early and aggressive treatment of feline diabetes may allow the diabetes to go into remission.
• Long-acting insulins and low carbohydrate diets are the best way to control diabetes.
• Home testing of a cat’s blood sugar level provides the best way to monitor the success of the diabetes treatment.

Feline diabetes is a disorder of the endocrine (hormone) system related to insulin production and use. The type of diabetes that cats get is most closely analogous to Type II diabetes in humans where insulin resistance occurs. Cats have a unique physiology so the treatment is not the same as treatment in other animals and humans.

Untreated feline diabetes will lead to many complications and eventually death. Appropriate treatment of diabetes in cats can prevent most complications and these cats can expect a normal lifespan.

Environmental factors, especially obesity and a high carbohydrate diet, are the primary contributing factors to feline diabetes. Cats are obligate carnivores and need only 3-5 percent carbohydrates in their diet. No dry food, including veterinary prescription food, meets this requirement. Some wet foods are appropriately low carbohydrate but even many of these are not.

Increased thirst (polydipsia) and excessive urination (polyuria) are the most common signs of diabetes. Weight loss may also occur despite the cat eating well.

You may suspect your cat has diabetes based on symptoms, but your veterinarian must conduct urine and blood tests to confirm a diabetes diagnosis. The diagnosis cannot be based on a single blood sugar determination.

Your cat must be treated. Although this requires a personal and financial commitment, the treatment is very manageable. Please educate yourself about this before making a decision not to treat. If you do not feel that you can take on the commitment, please surrender your cat to a rescue organization (not a kill shelter) or re-home it yourself.

If your cat is otherwise well when diagnosed, there is absolutely no need for your cat to be hospitalized for its initial treatment. Initially, your cat will need home insulin shots, preferably of a long-lasting insulin, and monitoring. You should also switch your cat to a low carbohydrate diet. Diet alone may be enough to cause your cat’s diabetes to go into remission. If your cat is already taking insulin, do not change its diet unless you are Closely monitoring your cat’s glucose levels.

Some veterinarians still suggest monitoring only the clinical symptoms of drinking water and urinating. Such methods of monitoring are not currently recommended practices based on veterinary research. More tightly controlling the blood sugar levels can reduce complications and even cause diabetes to go into remission. Control at this level requires home monitoring.

Individuals must choose the type and frequency of monitoring they wish to do. Urine dipsticks can be used although this method is less accurate than blood testing. Glucometers can be used to test your cat’s blood sugar level without much difficulty. Many veterinarians will train owners in the methods to obtain a small drop of blood from their cat’s ear. There are also numerous websites that provide training videos, descriptions, advice and support.

• Cornell Feline Health Center is maintained by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University and provides an overview of feline diabetes.
• CatInfo.org. A veterinarian’s website that includes information and links to home blood glucose monitoring in addition to excellent dietary advice.
• FDMB or the Feline Diabetes Message Board is the largest and oldest community of cat diabetes caretakers. You can read posts without registering but to post you do have to register. FDMB is a subsidiary of FelineDiabetes.com that provides extensive information.
• FelineDiabetes.com has been on the internet for 11 years and is maintained by an MD. The site provides comprehensive feline diabetes education, treatment tools, and owner support. This is also the location of the FDMB (Feline Diabetes Message Board), the largest chat site on diabetes in cats.
• Pet Diabetes Wiki contains extensive information provided by caretakers of diabetic cats and numerous references.
• Sweet Talk is a reliable chat board with many experienced owners of diabetic cats. You must register to use any ezboard community.

• Behrend E VMD. Diabetes Mellitus: Update on Treatment and Monitoring. Auburn University Lecture, 2004. Reproduced by permission at http://www.felinediabetes.com/diabetes-update.htm
• Bennett N, Greco DS, Peterson ME et al. Comparison of a low carbohydrate-low fiber diet and a moderate carbohydrate- high fiber diet in the management of feline diabetes mellitus. J Feline Med Surg 2006;8:73-84.
• Pierson L DVM. Feline Diabetes and Diet: The High Carbohydrate Culprit. Website www.catinfo.org/felinediabetes.htm
• Price R MD. Diabetes in Cats for Beginners. www.felinediabetes.com/dummies.htm
• Rand J DVM, Marshall R DVM. Centre for Companion Animal Health Understanding Feline Diabetes Mellitus: Pathogenesis and Management. Internet source:http://www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/centrecah/index.html?page=43391&pid=0
• Zoran DL DVM. The Carnivore Connection to Nutrition in Cats. JAVMA 221:11 (December 2002). Internet reference: http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf