Feline Diabetes Prognosis

Feline diabetes is more common in overweight cats. If detected in time, the prognosis for cats with diabetes is good. In some cases, diabetes may be reversible, but the cat needs to lose weight and follow a special diet.

Feline Diabetes

Feline diabetes is a condition that is caused by the inability of the body to assimilate glucose. This may be due to a high concentration of glucose where the cat's body cannot keep up the pace with assimilating it, and this type of diabetes is more common in obese cats. In other cases, the cat's body has an insulin deficiency and this condition will cause diabetes.

Early Detection

The early detection of diabetes is important in managing the disease. You should watch out for symptoms that may point to diabetes: frequent urination, increased thirst, increased appetite and weight loss. If the disease is detected in the early stages, you may prevent complications (such as blindness), and the disease may also be reversible in some cases.

Feline Diabetes Prognosis

Once detected and managed with regular shots of insulin, diabetes is not a dangerous disease. If your cat has diabetes, he can live a normal life, provided he gets his daily dose of insulin. The frequency of the injections may be varied, depending on the condition of your pet and his insulin deficiency. He may get two shots per day, or once every two days.

If the diabetes is caused by overeating and obesity, the condition may be reversible. The cat has to follow a special diet and lose some weight. The cat's body may start to be able to assimilate the glucose properly and the insulin shots will no longer be needed.

It may also happen that the cat has diabetes as a reaction to different medications (i.e., hormones or glucortocoids). Once the medications are discontinued, the cat may start producing normal amounts of insulin.

However, if the condition is not reversible, the prognosis is still good. The cat will be evaluated periodically to establish if the dose of insulin is sufficient or needs to be altered in any way. You should also check the blood glucose periodically. If the cat has any other health condition, the insulin dosage may have to be changed accordingly. Always inform your vet about your pet's current dosage of insulin.

If diabetes is not treated and the cat doesn't receive the regular insulin shots, the disease can be fatal. The cat may also go blind.

Diet and Lifestyle for Cats with Diabetes

A cat with diabetes needs to have a special diet that is low in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not needed for felines and these increase the blood sugar. Wet food will be more recommended than dry food. There is also special prescription food for cats with diabetes.

If the cat is obese, he should lose some weight, which may change the cat's condition and he may even be completely healed once he gets to a normal weight.

 

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