Feline Diabetes

Are you worried because doctor has just diagnosed that your cat is suffering from feline diabetes? If this is the case then take a deep breath and just relax. We are here to help you. It is not very hard to maintain your cat's health in a reasonable budget. Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic illness and develops gradually in cats. There are chances that the disease remains unnoticed for several weeks. The early symptoms of cat diabetes vary a lot which makes the diagnosis even more difficult.

• The short term effect of feline diabetes is that cats start to gain weight.
• The diabetic cats feel extremely hungry and attempt to eat even triple of their normal daily requirement.
• Some diabetic cats lose their hunger from the moment the disease hits them.
• Most diabetic cats drink plenty of fluids and urinate almost the same amount. These diabetic cats become really obsessive about water. They start to lurk around hose pipes, taps and garden furniture.
• Another more common warning signs of diabetes in cats is that their hind legs become extremely week which cause the cats to become wobbly while walking.

All these symptoms of feline diabetes onset when insulin in the body starts to decrease as a result the glucose in the blood is not broken down to produce energy. For getting the required energy the cat's body starts to utilize proteins and fats for the production of energy. This is the point where skin of the diabetic pet starts to become thin as well as fragile. This metabolic change causes another serious diabetic complication termed ketoacidosis. In this condition ketones start to accumulate in the body. Ketone is an organic compound that carries a carbon group that is linked to an atom of carbon (as in acetone). This makes the blood even more acidic. Basically when the body breaks down fat for energy, this makes the blood more acidic. If the symptoms of diabetes in cats are ignored for some time the cat may become dehydrated. The tests for the presence of ketones in diabetic sufferer cats are simple and can be done at the comfort of your own house with the help of urine - ketone strip. Treatment of Feline Diabetes Cats who are less than 7 years of age rarely suffer from feline diabetes. Diabetes in cats can develop at any time in the later life. Extremely important here is to know the signs of pet diabetes and then keep a close eye on the behaviour of cats. If the feline diabetes is diagnosed at an early stage then the condition can be easily controlled with the help of diet adjustment. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can even help in curing feline diabetes. The cure as well as the treatment depends upon the extent of damage to beta cells. If the cells of the body are still working at a moderate pace then the chances are that lowering down the need of insulin can reduce the work load of beta cells; however if the beta cells are killed then the cat may require insulin injection for the rest of her life. Diet The body of cat does not need a lot of carbohydrates. Reducing down the amount of carbohydrates in the cat's diet plan is good for diabetic cats. An early diagnosis of signs of diabetes together with diet management helps the diabetic cats to get rid of feline diabetes. There is a difference in the mechanism in which the cat's body process proteins and carbohydrates. This process of digestion makes a high protein and low carbohydrate diet best for the cats. Carbohydrates and proteins both provide energy to the body but the carbohydrates are digested easily. This result in a spike in the level of glucose soon after the cat has taken her meals. On the other hand proteins are digested slowly and serve as a slow burning source of energy. Proteins produce less glucose thus create a lesser need for insulin. Vets generally recommend a low carbohydrate diet for cats. Dry foods contain plenty of carbohydrates so they must be avoided while feeding diabetic cat. There are some canned foods specifically designed for diabetic cats available in the super stores.