Diabetic Pets
Diabetes Melitis (or DM) is one of the most common hormonal (endocrine) diseases of pets, especially cats and dogs. In a nutshell, DM is the lack of production of, or the body’s insensitivity, to insulin. This causes a catastrophic derangement of carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. In cats the prevalence is about 1 in 200, in dogs about 1 in 400. In dogs some breeds are more commonly affected ( keeshond, cairn terrier, poodles, dachshund, beagle, miniature schnauzer), although any breed of cat or dog can be affected. Generally it’s a disease of middle or older age. Male cats are more commonly affected, as are female dogs. As in humans, obesity is a risk factor for pets.
Early signs of DM include excessive drinking and/or urination, increased appetite and weight loss. Later signs may include lethargy, depression, anorexia, vomiting, personality changes, poor coat, and in cats, lower limb weakness. Dogsmay occasionally develop cataracts. Often older animals are presented with apparent incontinence as well. Not all animals with these signs will be diabetic of course. The flip-side of the coin is that diabetic animals may have other problems as well which make diagnosis and treatment more involved. Diagnosis is based on urine and blood tests, as well as the clinical signs.
Treatment of DM can be relatively straight forward in some cases, but also may develop into a complex and ongoing drama since not all animals respond to therapy in the same way. Dietry management, meaning the type and frequency of diet fed, is an important aspect of long-term management. Gradual weight loss in overweight pets is also important. However, most diabetic pets will need insulin injections twice daily for the rest of their lives. This is usually not as ominous a task for pets or owners as you would think. The insulin is not overly expensive, and the injections are small and usually well tolerated. The main issue is initial stabilization of the patient and working out the correct dose of insulin, and the ongoing monitoring of patients by vets and owners to ensure that the correct dose and type of insulin is given at the right frequency. This means periodic hospital stays and blood tests as well as home monitoring of things like appetite, water consumption, body weight and urine glucose.
DM is a complex life-threatening disease, especially if allowed to progress to more severe forms such as Diabetic Keto-Acidosis. Early detection is essential. If treated efficiently most animals have a good chance of a normal life-span. Ask your vet for more details!
P.S. Diabetes Melitis means “Sugar Diabetes”, referring to the sweet taste of patients urine. Hmmmm……..
Needless to say, I’m very pleased there are other methods of diagnosing DM available these days…….
Cheers!
Evan Kosack.