What is Feline Diabetes?

You probably ever hear the word diabetes. It is a metabolic disease affects the sugar (carbohydrate) metabolism in your body. Like human, Feline/cat can also suffered this disease.

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus, or "sugar" diabetes, is a complex but common disorder in cats and dogs, caused by the inability of the hormone insulin to properly balance blood sugar (glucose) levels.  

During digestion, the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins that are consumed in the diet are broken down into smaller components that can be utilized by cells in the body. One component is glucose, a fuel that provides the energy needed to sustain life.

Glucose is processed by the body into energy. After food is digested, glucose enters the blood stream -- in a healthy body, insulin is then secreted signaling the cells to begin the process of converting the sugars into useable energy. As more food is consumed, more insulin is secreted, and the needed glucose is consumed. The pancreas secretes small amounts of insulin -- just enough to ensure blood glucose levels don't rise too high (hyperglycemia) or fall dangerously low (hypoglycemia).

Two Type of cat diabetes

Type 1 feline diabetes occurs when the cat’s pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. This condition known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Approximately one-half to three-quarters of diabetic cats have and thus require insulin injections as soon as the disease is diagnosed. The rest have  Type 2 feline diabetes.

Type 2 feline diabetes also occurs when the cat’s body cells don't respond well to insulin. This type of disease also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)

Both condition above result in high blood sugar levels because the body is unable to process the available glucose. In the early stages, diabetics may gain weight as appetites increase and their insulin levels rise and fall. However, in spite of maintaining a good appetite, diabetics ultimately lose weight since the body isn't able to process sugars into energy. Essentially, in feline diabetes, cats begin to starve to death.

While diabetes mellitus can affect feline of any breed, sex, or age, it most often occurs in older, obese cats. Male cats are more commonly afflicted than females. The exact cause of the feline diabetes is not known although genetics, obesity, pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalances, and certain medications are all possible factors.

Although obesity (the major predisposing condition), chronic pancreatitis, other hormonal diseases (e.g., hyperthyroidism, Cushing's disease, and acromegaly), and certain medications (e.g., megestrol acetate and corticosteroids like prednisolone) have all been linked to the disease. Burmese cats in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom are prone to developing to diabetes, but this doesn't appear to be the case in North America.