Did you know that 1 in every cats may be affected by diabetes mellitus DM? November is National Diabetes Month, and while this month was originally designed to increase awareness of this common endocrine disease in humans, we need to be aware of the growing prevalence of DM in dogs and cats also. Untreated, diabetes mellitus can be fatal in dogs and cats. Type II DM is when the body has some insulin being produced from the pancreas, but it is an inadequate amount or something is interfering with its ability to be used by the body. This is most commonly seen in cats and can be transient. In other words, if your cat has recently been diagnosed with Type II DM, he or she may only need insulin injections via a syringe twice a day for a few to several months, not necessarily for life. Clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats include. Certain breeds are more predisposed to DM.
And while diabetic dogs once faced a much shorter life expectancy than their healthy counterparts, living on average only two to five years after their diabetes diagnosis, things are turning around for canines living with this disease. Contact Contact us Media contacts. To conserve glucose within the body, the kidneys do not filter glucose out of the blood stream into the urine until an excessive level is reached. Type I diabetes mellitus results from total or near-complete destruction of the beta cells. In simple terms, diabetes mellitus is caused by the failure of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar. Dogs are usually diagnosed with Type I diabetes because there is a deficiency in the way the pancreas produces insulin. Watch for the signs of an insulin overdose, which can include weakness, tremors or seizures, and loss of appetite. The two main risk factors for animals are weight and age. Related symptoms.
How is it diagnosed? Veterinary websites by GeniusVets. As long as their owners help them maintain a proper diabetes, a month lifestyle, and check their blood glucose levels pet directed by their veterinarians, cats with diabetes usually live just as when as cats without. In cats, males are over-represented. Caring for diabetic pets Dogs and cats with diabetes usually require lifelong treatment with special diets, a good fitness regimen and, particularly in dogs, daily insulin injections.