Diabetes in catsTypes
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an endocrine disorder of glucose metabolism due to the absolute or relative lack of insulin secretion. disease.
Cat diabetes is divided into three categories, namely insulin-dependent diabetes (type I diabetes), non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type II diabetes), and secondary diabetes (type III diabetes).
Cat diabetes is very similar to human type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is relatively common in cats, but the good news is that it can be prevented.
Causes of diabetes in cats
Diabetes is caused by insufficient insulin secretion or A disease in which blood sugar levels rise due to the body’s poor response to insulin.
Insulin, as the only hormone with hypoglycemic function, can promote the body’s anabolism, promote the storage of nutrients and regulate the blood sugar concentration.
When cats suffer from diabetes, the body loses the ability to use insulin to balance blood sugar, which will cause a series of problems such as carbohydrate, protein, fat metabolism disorders and secondary water and electrolyte disorders.
The risk factors for diabetes include age, obesity, sterilization and gender.
Many people think that “obesity” is the main cause of diabetes in cats, but in fact the key to diabetes is “food” and “exercise”.
Although genes also play a role, a high-carbohydrate diet rich in sugars and starches is the real killer of diabetes.
Some people also suspect that it is a problem with commercial cat food. Most cat foods are loaded with excess carbohydrates, but cats have very short guts and don’t need excess carbohydrates.
If the proportion of carbohydrates in cat food is very high, the carbohydrates eaten will be converted into fat and stored in the cat’s body, and the cat will swell day by day.
Symptoms of diabetes in cats
In cats with diabetes, the most common The symptoms are: polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, weight loss.
1. The water intake is abnormally increased, and the urine output will increase to 3-5 times the normal urine output.
2. Eat a lot, drink a lot, don’t know if you’re full, but your weight will drop significantly.
3. Abnormally increased water intake and increased urine output.
4. Difficulty walking, abnormal posture, difficulty jumping or climbing.
5. Cats in the later stage of diabetes may have movement disorders, which eventually lead to cat paralysis.
Dangers of cat diabetes to cats
Diabetes can cause different complications, such as easy fatigue, hairy It becomes sparse, dry and dull.
In severe cases, it may cause anorexia, vomiting, dehydration or shortness of breath, and the exhaled gas may be sweet, and finally may coma or even die.
Prevention and Treatment
Maintain a Balanced Diet
The changes in blood sugar are inseparable from the diet, so the amount and feeding time of each meal must be fixed, and the ingredients are also high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
Scientific feeding, choose the right food for the cat, neither overeating nor making the cat feel hungry.
Maintain moderate activity
Exercise is also one of the indicators that affects blood sugar , Exercise can increase the cat’s blood or lymph flow, thereby accelerating the process of insulin metabolism and lowering blood sugar.
Therefore, cats with diabetes need more exercise than ordinary pets. Owners should accompany cats more, encourage and guide cats to move.
Monitoring Weight
Monitoring your cat’s weight regularly weight changes.
Regular physical examination
Regular physical examination is the key to early detection and early detection of disease. Treatment is the best option.
In summary, dietary adjustment is very important to prevent cats from developing diabetes.
To a certain extent, eating more meat and less dry food with a high proportion of carbohydrates is a very important way to prevent diabetes.
Although most diabetic cats need lifelong treatment,
there are also many cats who can still have the same happy cats as ordinary cats after drug treatment and good life management.
