Can a cat with diabetes be treated with food and diet?
Tarantino is part of The Spruce Pets’ veterinary review board. If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, it means that his pancreas is not producing enough insulin to regulate the amount of sugar in his bloodstream. In most cases of feline diabetes, insulin is the treatment of choice.
When do cats with diabetes no longer need insulin?
Some cats with diabetes no longer need insulin after a few weeks or months of treatment, a condition known as clinical remission. This does not mean your cat’s diabetes has been cured, only that it’s stable.
How does diabetes mellitus affect dogs and cats?
Obesity also predisposes to insulin resistance in both dogs and cats. Cats with diabetes mellitus usually have specific degenerative lesions localized selectively in the islets of Langerhans, whereas the remainder of the pancreas appears to be normal.
What can I give my Cat for hypoglycemia?
Strictly Controlled Diet As Possible Alternative. If you are feeding your cat commercial food, canned cat foods are preferred (as opposed to kibble or dry food). A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can be combined with one of the oral hypoglycemic medications to further help regulate your cat’s blood glucose levels.
Tarantino is part of The Spruce Pets’ veterinary review board. If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, it means that his pancreas is not producing enough insulin to regulate the amount of sugar in his bloodstream. In most cases of feline diabetes, insulin is the treatment of choice.
Some cats with diabetes no longer need insulin after a few weeks or months of treatment, a condition known as clinical remission. This does not mean your cat’s diabetes has been cured, only that it’s stable.
How can a veterinarian tell if a cat has diabetes?
Diagnosis. Your veterinarian will diagnose diabetes mellitus by demonstrating persistently elevated glucose levels in a cat’s blood and urine. This testing, along with consistent clinical signs, will lead to the diagnosis of diabetes. A single blood glucose reading in a veterinary clinic may not be sufficient to diagnose diabetes in all cases.
Is there a natural replacement for insulin in cats?
“There is no ‘natural’ replacement for insulin. However, insulin itself is a naturally occurring hormone, and in cats who need it, we are just technically replacing what is lacking,” says Koble. “Other natural supplements that are marketed for diabetes just help support the overall health of the cat but they don’t treat the disease directly.”