Diagnosis of "diabetes" in a cat: symptoms and treatment than feeding

Due to malnutrition and living in a city apartment, almost without movement, many cats suffer from diabetes. This is the most common violation of metabolic processes in the animal's body, it occurs in 2% of furry pets. The difficulty is in time to determine that diabetes has begun in a cat. Symptoms and treatment of this disease are known mainly to veterinarians, and many owners lose the animal because of ill-treatment to the doctor.

What happens in the body with diabetes mellitus

The disease is associated with impaired pancreatic function. Under normal conditions, it produces insulin, necessary for the assimilation and processing of glucose. This substance is necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and other organs. It is a source of nutrients and energy. If the gland functions are violated for some reason, glucose in the body is not enough. It is not digested, but freely circulates by blood. All organs suffer from this.

First of all, glucose accumulates in the kidneys, taking with itself all the liquid. In this case the body suffers from dehydration, the animal feels a strong thirst and the need for frequent urination. In addition, cells lack nutrients and energy. The brain begins to use glycogen stores in the liver, extract energy from proteins and fats. This leads to disruption of the work of different organs in the animal.

Features of the disease in cats

The pancreas functions in the body of animals as well as in humans. But not all owners of pets understand this. Therefore, many are surprised when they receive a positive answer to the question of whether the cats have diabetes mellitus. In fact, the forms of the disease differ slightly from the course of the disease in humans. Animals have three types of diabetes.

1. With this form of the disease, the pancreas of the animal completely stops producing insulin. Most often, it is destroyed. As a result, animals die in most cases.
2. The second form resembles type 2 diabetes in humans. Insulin is produced in the body, but cells can not absorb it. You can treat such a diabetes without insulin injections. Most often this form of the disease is obese.
3. Diabetes mellitus in cats can develop after infection or as a complication of chronic inflammatory diseases. With proper treatment, this form of the disease is easily cured.

If time is recognized, then it is easy to overcome diabetes in a cat. Symptoms and treatment of it are almost the same as in humans, but it is important to take care of the animal properly.

Causes of the disease

According to statistics, diabetes mellitus in cats is found in 2 cases out of 1000. For some reason it is more common in males, especially castrated. The group of risk includes also sedentary animals having excess weight. Most often the disease develops in old age. Most cases of diabetes mellitus are observed in cats after 5-6 years. But even young animals can get sick. The reasons for this have not yet been fully clarified, but it is believed that the disease develops in such cases:

• With malnutrition;
• Excess weight of the animal;
• Frequent use of hormonal drugs;
• With a genetic predisposition, for example, among representatives of the Burmese breed;
• Due to the violation of metabolic processes;
• At problems with immunity;
• In the presence of endocrine diseases;
• As a complication after infectious diseases or inflammation of the pancreas.

Diabetes mellitus in cats: symptoms

It is very important not to miss the first signs of the disease in order to start treatment in time. Only the owner, attentive to the condition of his pet, can help him cope with the disease. Recently, more and more often you can see diabetes in a cat. Symptoms and treatment of the disease should be studied by all owners of elderly and sterilized pets. That the animal does not suffer, it is important to know also the preventive measures and to visit the veterinarian more often, especially if the pet has a malaise. What are the most characteristic signs of diabetes in cats:

• Weight loss with increased appetite;
• Constant thirst;
• Frequent urination;
• Nausea, vomiting, digestive problems;
• Deterioration of skin and coat condition;
• Weakness and depression of the animal;
• Sensitivity to infections;
• Dysfunction of the hind limbs;
• Deterioration of vision or even cataract.

How to treat the disease correctly

After confirmation of the diagnosis for the host comes a difficult time. The treatment of this disease is very long, it includes a set of measures. Therefore, some owners decide to put the animal to sleep. But the patient host can cure the cat and live for many more years. The main thing is to follow all the doctor's recommendations. Only a specialist understands how to work on diabetes in a cat. Symptoms and treatment of it are similar to the course of the disease in humans, so most often injections of insulin are prescribed.

The difficulty is to correctly choose the dosage of the drug. Therefore, after the first administration of an approximate dose, the blood glucose level should be measured every 2 hours . Based on these data, the doctor draws conclusions about the features of assimilation of insulin and adjusts the dosage and time of administration of the drug.

How else can you affect diabetes in a cat? Treatment is also in a special diet and diet. Sometimes hypoglycemic drugs are used in the form of tablets, but they very often have side effects. Cats are prescribed the same medication as people, but in a different dosage. Most often this is "Acarbose", "Metformin", "Glipizide."

Control

It is very important that there is constant monitoring of the doctor. Already after the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease, a complex examination of the animal is conducted: in addition to blood and urine tests, it is necessary to make tests for hormones, acid-base balance level, ultrasound and electrocardiogram. But even after the diagnosis and the appointment of therapeutic measures, you need to regularly visit a doctor to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. It is necessary to constantly take blood and urine tests to check how the changes in the cat's body go. The owner needs to have a special magazine, where all the data on insulin injections, the amount of liquid consumed, the feed used, the test results and the weight of the cat should be regularly entered.

Why treatment does not help

Many owners of cats do everything possible, but the condition of the animal does not improve. This can happen for several reasons:

• Use a medicine that is not properly stored, or has expired;
• The master incorrectly injects;
• Some drugs, for example, hormones, can reduce susceptibility to insulin;
• The cat has a very fast metabolism, or there are antibodies to the drug in the blood;
• Improper feeding of the animal, leading to increased concentration of fats in the blood;
• Concomitant infectious or chronic diseases.

Diabetes mellitus in cats: diet

When disease 2 and 3 forms may not require the introduction of insulin and the use of other drugs. Sometimes it is enough only to change the regime and diet of feeding the animal so that its condition improves. Feeding cats with diabetes should obey such rules:

• Feed the animal at the same time, in small portions;
• The pet should not overeat, since excess weight will further aggravate his condition;
• Feed should be chosen such that it contains less carbohydrates and calories, but more protein.

The best food for diabetes

Often the cause of diabetes is malnutrition of the animal. Cheap low-quality fodders cause metabolic disorders in cats. Therefore, the first step on the way to cure an animal should be a special diet. Food should be low-carbohydrate, but with increased protein content. Now there are special foods for cats with diabetes mellitus. They belong to the super-premium or holistic class.

• The best choice is the therapeutic food from Purina, which normalizes metabolism and provides the animal with adequate nutrition;
• Food for cats diabetics from Royal Canin contains a lot of protein, and cereal in it are added those that have a low glycemic index;
• Dietary food from Hils is suitable for animals with diabetes, and for its prevention for obesity of the pet, since it contains a large number of proteins and very few carbohydrates.

Care of a sick animal

If a cat is diagnosed, she needs special attention. Often, treatment and special care continues throughout her life. First of all, this is a regular injection of insulin. It should be administered subcutaneously twice a day after meals. To the animal quietly tolerated injections, you need to learn how to do them calmly and quickly. It is very important to accurately observe the dosage of the drug, since an excess of insulin can lead to hypoglycemia, which is dangerous for the life of the animal.

To properly care for a sick cat, you need, in addition to the medicine, to buy insulin syringes, test strips, a glucometer. You need to learn how to alternately rotate different types of insulin, for this it is important to measure glucose three times a day. It is recommended to maintain it at around 11-16 units. Dangerous for the life of the animal state is to reduce its level to 1 unit or rise to 30 units.

Complications of the disease

Diabetes mellitus leads to disruption of the functioning of all organs and systems of the animal. The most serious complication is ketoacidosis. With improper treatment and a constant lack of glucose, the cat's body processes fats from the liver stores. This leads to the formation of ketone bodies that poison the blood. With an overdose of insulin, hypoglycemia may develop. These two conditions require immediate medical attention, otherwise the animal will die.

In addition, diabetes mellitus causes violations in the liver, frequent infectious diseases. In diseased cats, the condition of the coat worsens, skin diseases appear.

Prevention of diabetes mellitus

Modern cats get a lot of carbohydrates, especially those that feed on inexpensive dry food like "Whiskas". Continuous feeding with such food disrupts the pancreas in an animal. Therefore, to prevent the development of diabetes, you need to change the diet of the cat: go to a better feed or to natural meat. If a cat eats ordinary food, you need to choose more carefully what to give to it. The animal should receive boiled low-fat meat, cereals, sour-milk products, vegetables. In no event should you give the pet sweets. And to prevent obesity, the cat needs to move more.

From diabetes in cats, it is quite possible to get rid of if the treatment is started on time. But the owner will need patience, perseverance and considerable financial costs. But with proper care and observance of the doctor's recommendations, the pet can live for a long time.