 Diabetes in Cats is being diagnosed with increasing frequency and the number of cats in the practice now exceeds the number of diabetic dogs. Ten years ago, it was a very rare condition – so what are we doing to our cats that has changed it.
Sadly, like we humans, feline obesity is a prime cause, putting the hormone system which controls the glucose balance in the body, under severe stress. It may be that the carbohydrates that we feed to our cats are also having an effect; exercise and lifestyle their part to play as well.
The management of a diabetic cat will rely on diet modifications and, in most cases, regular insulin injections. Cats can be more of a challenge than dogs as they tend to “graze” in their eating habits and get stressed by blood tests, which makes it hard to get the insulin dose balanced. However, once stable, cats do well. Treacle has been diabetic for several years and his owner has reported that he is happy and lively, still eager to play and socialise.
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