Unfortunately Feline Diabetes Mellitus is all too common and it is becoming more and more common due to the increase of obesity amongst cats. Of course obesity is not the only factor, hormone levels, problems with the pancreas and under-lying syndromes such as Cushing's disease can all cause a cat to become diabetic. Although it sounds scary, feline diabetes mellitus is easily treatable and most cats go on to live a long and happy life.

The symptoms are not unlike those of renal failure and can be easily mis-diagnosed by an owner. To help diagnose diabetes you are looking for the following symptoms:

*An increase in thirst and urine, medically called polydipsia and polyuria

*A decrease in appetite, eventually leading to complete anorexia

*Vomiting and diarrhoea causing dehydration

*Ketoic breath, which is when the breath smells like 'pear-drops'

Diagnosis is easily done by taking a urine and blood sample and measuring for the levels of protein and glucose. These will need to be done a regular basis to monitor how much insulin should be given. The cat will probably be kept in for a few a days when you first present the symptoms, so that the nurses and vets can monitor whether the treatment is taking effect or not.

Treatment will be an insulin injection given daily under the skin (subcutaneously) as shown by your vet. There are also foods on the market that are low in fat to help control your cat's weight. Exercise should also be encouraged as keeping the weight off will lower the risk of the diabetes becoming worse.

You should keep an eye on your cat for signs of hypo or hyper-glaecemia. When an isulin overdose is given the cat will become hypoglaecemic, this is when the sugar levels drop. In this case the cat will probably start with muscle tremors and having seizures. Once the seizure has stopped the cat should be taken to the vet who will give the animal a large quantity of a sugar solution. Hyper-glaecemia is when the cat does not have enough insulin and has too much sugar in it's blood, in which case the symptoms will be similar to those before the diagnosis. The vet will take a blood sample to test for the blood-glucose level and give insulin accordingly.

Most veterinary surgeries will offer a boarding service for animals with certain ailments so that you can go away without fear of your cat's condition worsening, they also have a 24 hour service so that if you have any queries they can be answered and your mind can be put to rest. A pet with diabetes can sometimes be seen as too much hard work and a lot of cats are either put to sleep or re-homed, but with the right care and support from your veterinary surgery it can be easily managed.

Learn more about this author, Charlotte Howard.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Feline diabetes symptoms?
We want to hear your view. Write now!