The word diabetes mellitus is a broad term to signify an inability to regulate blood sugar levels in the body because of a lack of insulin. But did you know there are different types of diabetes? There is a type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin dependent diabetes) that arises from a permanent insulin insufficiency. This happens because the immune system for some reason destroys the cells in the pancreas responsible for secreting insulin. This type 1 diabetes mellitus is common in dogs and rare in cats.
Type 2 diabetes (also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes) is a partial insulin deficiency caused by a dysfunction of those pancreatic cells that secrete insulin. This type 2 diabetes can be reversible. This type 2 diabetes in most common in cats and rare in dogs.
So now that we know the two types of diabetes mellitus, let’s review what insulin actually does in the body. Insulin is like a key that unlocks cells to promote storage of glucose as glycogen in liver cells, amino acids as protein in muscle cells, and fatty acids as fat in the fat cells of the body. Insulin helps promote or build up cells and helps decrease degradation or destruction of cells in the body. So if there is not enough insulin being secreted, glucose in the body cannot enter into their destined cells and then just circulates in the blood stream unusable to the body. Overall, a destructive process begins in the body at a microscopic level and continues until insulin is provided to stop this process.
Unfortunately diabetes in cats is commonly seen in practice and more than three quarters of the cats with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. We do know that obesity is a major risk factor for cats to develop diabetes since an excessive amount of fat in the body blocks tissues from responding to insulin. Other risk factors include inactivity, chronic steroid administration, age (between 10-13 year olds), and being male may also play a role. Having concurrent disease like hyperthyroidism, pancreatitis, and Cushings disease can also predispose cats to developing diabetes. Signs cats show when developing diabetes include increases in thirst, urination, and appetite while at the same time showing signs of weight loss, decreased energy levels and a dry dull hair coat that appears ungroomed. Sometimes we also see abdominal pain, dehydration, and even abdominal distention with diabetes as well.
Diagnosis is by bloodwork (showing signs of elevated glucose levels), and even analyzing a urine sample can reveal possible diabetes mellitus.
The treatment of choice for our cats with diabetes is insulin therapy. Oral products in the human medical field used to regulate blood sugar levels are not commonly used in kitties as the drug requires working insulin secreting cells in the pancreas and this may not be the case in some diabetic cats. Your veterinarian can best guide what treatment plan will work best for your furry companion as multiple components like diet change and weight loss can all help to ensure treatment is a success.
The great news in for cats, the potential to reach remission (where insulin therapy is no longer needed) is possible! This typically happens 1-4 months after treatment and may or may not be permanent. Again, your veterinarian can guide treatment to give your cat the best possibility of reaching remission with insulin therapy and other aids. Here at Shaver Road Animal Hospital we create a treatment plan tailored to our feline companions to give them the best chance of reaching remission and cherish those wonderful success stories!
