Management of Diabetic Cats

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1 Management of Diabetic Cats What is Diabetes? Cells in our body require sugar (also called glucose) to function. Insulin is the vital hormone in the body that removes glucose from the bloodstream so that cells can absorb it. Another way to think about it is that insulin is the key that opens the door of the cell to allow the blood sugar to leave the bloodstream and enter the cell. Cells then use sugar to make energy. Insulin is produced in the pancreas. In some animals, however, the pancreas loses the ability to produce insulin. This inability to produce insulin is the diabetic's main problem. The inability to move sugar from the bloodstream into the cell results in very high blood sugar. However, since the cells can't get to the sugar, they feel as if they are starving! As the end resu lt, your cat feels as if it is starving as wel l. Therefore, we see a pet that eats a lot, but loses weight. Other symptoms of diabetics are excessive thirst and excessive urination. These are a direct result of the large amount of sugar in the blood. As we treat your cat by supplying insulin, you will see a decrease in your cat's drinking and urine output. To treat diabetes, we have to supplement your cat with insulin. We do that by injection. Cats generally require an insulin injection 2-3 times a day. Many people are afraid of the idea of giving their cats injections. However, most cats do very well with injections for a couple of reasons. First, you should feed your cat prior to giving it a dose of insulin (if your cat doesn t feel well enough to eat, then you should not give the insulin). Cats (especially diabetics!) love to eat, so most cats quickly learn to come get their meal and thus their injections. The second reason cats do well with insulin injections is because the insulin syringe needle is very small and fine. Most people find that the cat doesn t even notice it had an injection! So don t let fear of giving injections stop you from treating your diabetic cat. First thing in the morning, the blood sugar will be high, because your cat has not had any insulin for

2 12 hours (or since the last dose). After your cat eats a small meal, you should give the insulin. The insulin does not take effect immediately. It takes 2-4 hours (in the average cat) to have its maximum effect in lowering the blood sugar. How low the blood sugar goes depends on how much insulin you give, and when and how much the cat eats. After lowering the blood sugar, the effects of the insulin begin to "wear off, and the blood sugar rises again until the next injection. Therefore, the blood sugar of a diabetic on insulin rises and falls in cycles throughout the day. Hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the blood sugar level has fallen too low to provide energy to the brain. This is a life- threatening emergency. If the blood sugar is too low for too long, then the brain will go into a coma. If the blood sugar level continues to fall, your cat will die. If he or she doesn t die outright, but has been in a hypoglycemic coma for too long, irreversible brain damage is likely to occur, and the pet will never return to normal consciousness. A cat whose blood sugar has fallen dangerously low will have behavior changes that you can recognize. Your cat will be weak, and it may not recognize you. If your diabetic pet starts acting oddly, or doing anything that is out of the ordinary, it s safest to assume that their blood sugar is low. Immediately offer a very palatable food, such as A/D. Eating a meal will raise your cat s blood sugar level. You may have to go so far as to put the food in the mouth to get your cat to start eating. If your cat won't eat, then you should syringe feed 3-4 tablespoons (45cc-60cc) of Karo syrup (or any other sweet, syrupy liquid you have on hand) to it. It is possible for the sugar in Karo syrup to be absorbed into the blood right through the gums. If you are successful, then your cat will recover its strength in 5-10 minutes. You should call us so we can discuss changing the insulin dose. If none of these things are working, then you need to contact us, or a 24-hour emergency hospital, and bring your cat in immediately. If your cat is vomiting, or does not have a normal appetite, then it may be getting sick. In that case, we need to examine your cat to determine why it doesn't feel like eating (Remember, diabetic cats love to eat, so if your cat doesn't feel like eating, something must be very wrong). If your cat is not eating, do not give any more insulin before consulting with us. There are two reasons why a diabetic might become hypoglycemic: 1. The administered dose is too high, which will result in the blood sugar level falling dangerously low

3 2. The cat doesn't feel well enough to eat when the insulin is having its maximum effect. (Note: If the insulin you have for your cat has been diluted, be very careful not to administer the undiluted insulin. I suggest that you clearly mark the bottle of undiluted insulin, and keep it in a separate place in the refrigerator from the diluted insulin. What can you expect long term? Often you can manage your cat's diabetes very well at home. From time to time, most diabetics have some sort of "crisis" that causes them to stop eating, and/or start vomiting. Changes in your diabetic cat's appetite should be taken seriously. Diabetics frequently get infections, because bacteria love sugar. Kidney, bladder, liver and mouth infections are common. As you can tell, maintenance and care of a diabetic cat is not easy, and it probably won t be expensive, unless your particular cat happen s to do unusually well. You have to be capable of maintaining some sort of regular schedule, and of paying close attention to your cat. Especially at first, we will need to frequently talk by telephone as we help you learn everything you need to know and do to care for your cat. From time to time we will need to see your car and run bloodwork to determine if the kidneys are still doing their job (diabetics are prone to kidney failure). As a result, some people choose not to treat their cat for diabetes. Thar decision is yours alone and we understand if you decide not to treat your cat. Notes about Administering Insulin Insulin is an injectable medication that is measured in units. Insulin syringes are marked in units. Insulin syringes are manufactured to have I 00 Units, 50 units, or 30 Units per syringe. Insulin should always be kept refrigerated. You should shake it well before you draw up the dose. If, as you are giving the injection, you inadvertently squirt the insulin dose out of the syringe onto the car's fur, do not give more insulin. Just give the next dose of insulin at the regularly scheduled time. In Conclusion In this handout we have discussed what diabetes is, insulin dosage and administration, hypoglycemia, and long-term expectations. Diabetes is a complex disease, and it takes most people awhile before they get comfortable with it. We are here to help you, so be patient, and you'll know what

4 you're doing soon enough! Instructions: Your pet's current weight is: Your pet's ideal weight is: cups & cans per day, divided into 2-3 feedings. Al l the prescription diets have unconditional, money-back guarantees. There are several to choose from, so if your pet won't eat the prescribed diet, then we try another. Feeding the proper diet is an extremely important part of managing your diabetic dog. Give units of _ insulin every 12 hours, then adjust the dose according to the above schedule. You will need insulin syringes from a pharmacy, units per syringe with gauge needles

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