Diabetes mellitus, often called sugar diabetes, is not uncommon in cats. A cat with diabetes is either not producing adequate amounts of insulin or insulin isn’t being used effectively.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and is responsible for regulating the use of glucose by all the body’s cells. Consumed foods are broken down by the digestive tract into carbohydrates, protein, and glucose. Glucose is the component that fuels the energy that sustains life.
In diabetes, because insulin is inadequately produced or ineffectively utilized, the body will use fat and protein as an energy source, resulting in elevated glucose in the blood which is then eliminated in the urine. All this causes four classic signs often noticed by the cat’s owner and reported to the veterinarian: weight loss and increased urination, thirst, and appetite.
Diabetes can affect any cat but is most common in older, overweight cats and also more frequently seen in females. Once diagnosed, treatment is started immediately, as untreated diabetes can be fatal. Most cases require insulin therapy given twice daily by injection.
Bootsie Motley was an eight-year-old calico cat owned by a couple with no children (except for Bootsie). She was their baby and pretty much ate what the owners ate. She especially enjoyed Edy’s vanilla ice cream. Bootsie weighed 24 pounds. She had a hard time walking and was unable to jump on the sofa.
Mrs. Motley would call the hospital for the slightest change in Bootsie’s routine. Although she required a lot of reassurance, she was always a pleasure to see and was an excellent example of how important pets are in our lives. Although she was told many times how important it was for Bootsie to lose weight, she found it impossible to withhold her favorite treats. Sure enough, one day Mrs. Motley brought Bootsie in with classic signs of diabetes. It always amazed me how in-tune clients were to the least change in their pets’ health, which helped so much in making a diagnosis.
Even though Mr. and Mrs. Motley were very uncomfortable and afraid of needles, they became very adept at giving Bootsie injections in a matter of days. They were also able to use a home monitoring glucose test kit. With careful observation, blood and urine tests, and a high-fiber diet, we were able to adjust Bootsie to a dose of five units of insulin twice daily.
Within a matter of months, she was walking (and running) around the house and jumping on the couch to sit on Mrs. Motley’s lap.
Although diabetes cannot be cured, a diabetic cat can live a long and healthy life. Bootsie lived to the age of 14 and died from a problem unrelated to diabetes.
East Bare Hill Road resident Fred Karotkin is a veterinarian.
