Diabetes Mellitus
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes in pets (Diabetes Mellitus) is caused by a lack of production of insulin (Type 1) or the body’s inability to respond to insulin (Type II). Insulin is produced in the pancreas, an organ in the abdomen near the stomach. Insulin allows glucose (sugar) into cells so they can function. When an animal does not produce (or respond normally to) insulin, glucose is trapped in the bloodstream and glucose levels increase in the blood but can’t be accessed by the cells.
How is Diabetes in pets diagnosed?
Diagnosis of diabetes in pets is usually straightforward. A blood test will reveal the increased levels of glucose. However, urine tests and further blood tests can help determine the severity of disease.
Risk factors for developing diabetes:
- Diabetes in dogs and cats can occur at any age though most animals are middle aged.
- Diabetes occurs in female dogs twice as often as male dogs.
- Certain breeds of dogs may be predisposed to diabetes.
- Obesity is a significant risk factor for development of diabetes.
- Concurrent disease including overactivity of the adrenal gland in dogs (hyperadrenocorticism) or overactivity of the thyroid gland in cats (hyperthyroidism), pancreatitis, heart disease, kidney disease.
- The long-term use of corticosteroids is also a risk factor for diabetes.
Clinical signs of Diabetes in pets include:
- Weight loss
- increased thirst and increased urination
- increased appetite (often increase in early stages, but can have loss of appetite when severely affected)
- depression
- lethargy
- vomiting
- sweet, ‘acetone’ breath
- dehydration
- cataracts in the eyes
How is Diabetes in pets treated?
Treatments for diabetes depend on the severity of the disease. Most pets with diabetes require insulin injections twice daily. Once diagnosed as diabetic, more tests to determine how the diabetes is affecting the body are necessary.
Uncomplicated diabetics who are eating well will often start insulin injections straight away and spend only a short time in the hospital for monitoring. The patient can then go home and continue injections at home. We recommend using FreeStyle Libre app to monitor the dosing for the first few weeks and intermittently in complicated cases.
Pets with more complex diabetes will require different treatments and monitoring. These pets require a longer period of hospitalisation, and intravenous fluids to correct dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. It can take a long time to stabilise particularly sick diabetics, and some do not respond well to treatment. Owners must be aware of the time, high costs and possible treatment failure before treatment is started.
With regular monitoring and treatment, good control of blood glucose levels is possible in most cases. This reduces the risk of long-term side effects like cataracts causing blindness. It is also important to rule out concurrent diseases that may affect disease management.
Overall, with the right treatment and monitoring, most diabetics can look forward to a happy, healthy life.