Cats can also suffer from high blood sugar, i.e. diabetes mellitus. If diabetes in cats is treated in good time, they can live to a ripe old age despite having diabetes.
Cats with diabetes drink more and therefore need to urinate more often. They often also have an increased appetite. These signs, which are often the only indications over a longer period of time, do not necessarily point to diabetes in cats, but should nevertheless be taken seriously. Increased water intake in particular almost always has a serious cause.
Diabetes mellitus is a hormonal metabolic disease. For your cat, this means that there is a chronic increase in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). As the cells no longer have enough energy available in the form of sugar, fat and muscle tissue are also broken down.
At the beginning of the disease, many cats with diabetes are overweight, butas the disease progresses, the cats lose weight and may even become thin.
The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas and regulates the cat's blood sugar level. Only insulin can lower the blood sugar level. No other hormone is able to do this.
Insulin promotes the transport of glucose into the target cells. If too little insulin is produced and the target cells no longer respond to insulin, diabetes mellitus develops.
There are various possible causes for this:
The vet can determine whether your cat has diabetes by carrying out a blood test. If the disease is already advanced, a urine test can also provide a diagnosis. It is then necessary to lower the blood sugar level with medication, as otherwise various organs, including the eyes and mucous membranes, may be damaged. Sooner or later, it is possible that life-threatening complications may arise as a result of further derailment of the sugar metabolism.
The treatment of a diabetic cat consists of the regular administration of insulin and a special diet. The insulin can usually be injected by the owner after a short period of familiarization. The correct handling is explained by the vet. Regular administration of insulin and feeding immediately afterwards are important. Integra Protect Diabetes has been specially developed to meet the nutritional requirements of diabetic cats.
Your vet will provide you with further information on how you should organize everyday life with your diabetic cat and what you need to bear in mind as a cat owner. As soon as you know that your cat has diabetes, your daily routine will change. You and your cat will have to get used to fixed feeding times when you have to inject your cat with the amount of insulin specified by the vet. Make sure you always provide your cat with enough water.
The vet should check the blood sugar level at regular intervals. This is important as the amount of insulin required can change as the disease progresses. If diabetes mellitus is detected early and the cat is treated consistently with insulin and a suitable diet, it may be possible to dispense with the administration of insulin.