Diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in cats. It affects adult - mainly neutered - cats, especially if they’re obese or overweight.
Fortunately, there are treatments to manage diabetes in cats. And since prevention is better than cure, it's possible to reduce the risk of your cat developing diabetes by ensuring he leads a healthy lifestyle and providing a premium diet, mainly wet with low carbs, especially if your cat is neutered and lives indoor.
What is diabetes mellitus in cats?
Diabetes is characterised by an increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood (known as increased glycaemia, or hyperglycaemia). And hyperglycemia is toxic to numerous organs in the body.
Normally, after a meal with carbohydrates, glycemia increases, and consequently insulin is produced by the pancreas. Insulin interacts with specific cell’s receptors which makes glucose enter into the cells and decrease in the blood, in order to maintain glycemia steady.
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by impaired insulin function. This can either be caused by a genetic predisposition where the body produces little or no insulin (known as type I diabetes) or progressive insulin resistance (less receptors) linked to lifestyle (type II diabetes). Unlike dogs, type II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in cats, accounting for 80% of all cases.
It's a relatively common disease in cats, and a feared one, due to its serious consequences and the difficulty of treating it.
What are the symptoms of diabetes in cats?
Diabetic cats are typically very hungry and thirsty - drinking more water than usual, peeing a lot and also suffering weight loss.
The most visible signs are unexplained weight loss, continued or increased food consumption (the cat may seem insatiable), and increased water consumption and peeing.
Another clear sign is a drooping of the hindquarters. This results in a cat walking a bit like a bear with his hind legs permanently bent which is not normal for a cat. But sometimes the signs are less noticeable. He might just seem tired, sleep more, and develop a dry, dull coat.
The serious signs that should be treated as an emergency are linked to what is known as a diabetic ketoacidosis attack. This includes loss of appetite, dehydration (the skin loses elasticity and doesn’t snap back as normal when pinched), slow breathing, vomiting, coma (the cat does not react when stroked, remaining in an abnormal asleep).
In the case of diabetic ketoacidosis, you must take your poor little friend to the vet immediately. They’ll administer insulin or glucose, and put them on an IV drip.
Diabetes in cats: what are the causes?
Being overweight, a risk-factor
Just like in humans, being overweight and obesity increase the risk of diabetes.
A neutered adult cat that doesn't spend time outside and has low physical activity will be more at risk of becoming overweight. To prevent our fluffy friends from becoming overweight and obese, it is recommended to provide mostly a balanced wet diet, low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Read our advice in our article on providing the right diet for diabetic cats.
A cat that eats high quality wet food will have a lower risk of becoming overweight, and even less obese, compared to a cat fed only on dry food. Wet food is better suited to the environmental constraints of neutered and sedentary adult cats that are more prone to conditions such as becoming overweight or obese, and developing urinary stones.
Treating obesity in diabetic cats decreases the risk of diabetes. A healthy diet, combined with physical and mental stimulation, and adjusted dietary intake, is the best way to help your cat lose weight and feel good.
According to the study by Öhlund, conducted in 2017, there are other risk factors. Certain breeds seem to be more prone to diabetes, such as Burmese and Norwegian cats. Other breeds seem less at risk, like Persian and Birman cats. The results also show that male cats who receive corticosteroid treatment are at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus.
Could starch be linked to diabetes?
Our cats are strict carnivores whose diet in the wild consists of protein-rich low-carbs prey.
It's suggested that industrial dry food could increase the risk of developing diabetes mellitus in indoor neutered cats. Starch is compulsory in industrial dry cat food but not in wet food. The starch content of cat food is then underlied by two reasons:
- A minimal amount (approximately 15% starch on dry matter) is essential for the production process of dry food.
- Other sources of energy such as proteins and fat are more expensive, even in wet food
To ensure our feline friends’ good health, we have designed wet food suited for diabetic cats: Ziggy Vet Diabetic Wet Food.
With very low sugar and starch content (below detection thresholds of <0.2% and 0.4% respectively), thanks to the absence of specific source of starch, this food is perfectly suitable for cats suffering from diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus) or type 2 diabetes and helps regulate their glucose intake
Diagnosis for cat with diabetes
A single blood test may not be enough to confirm diagnosis in cats. Indeed, mild hyperglycemia can be caused by stress. Hyperglycemia may require multiple tests under fasting conditions for cats.
Starting treatment with a suitable diet
Many of our furry friends suffer from this condition, and it requires medical treatment (generally insulin injections) and a suitable diet. This must be balanced, as low in carbs (sugars and starch) as possible and sufficiently rich in proteins. The overall aim is to support the treatment and limit the risk of complications.
After an initial insulin treatment and a low-carb diet, remission with no more insulin injections required. In such cases, blood sugar levels return to normal, but the cat remains medically diabetic. A life-long low-carb diet is absolutely necessary to maintain this remission state. In the event of a relapse, the chances of a second remission are greatly reduced...
To find out more, head to our blog to read our article on feeding cats with diabetes.
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