Archive for December, 2009

Some of you may be familiar with Diabetes in humans. We see two types of this disease in our domesticated friends. But I am getting ahead of myself. What is Diabetes? Basically, a diabetic body has a lack of insulin. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas when we consume a meal. Sugar is released after we eat and insulin is there to help drive the glucose into our cells for energy. Without insulin your body would starve itself because the fuel cannot get to the tissues that need it.  
 
There are two types of Diabetes. Cats get Diabetes which is very similar to human Type 2. Type 2 Diabetes means some insulin may be produced by the pancreas but not enough for the body. Most cats need insulin but there are some that may not . Dogs, however, are always insulin dependent. 
 
The classical clinical signs of Diabetes are: 

• Excessive Eating 
• Excessive Drinking 
• Excessive Urinating
• Weight Loss 

Many clients think that when their pet drinks a lot of water, that they have Diabetes. However, there are many illnesses that cause a pet to drink more water. The diagnosis of Diabetes is achieved through blood and urine testing. If high levels of glucose are detected in both the urine and the blood, a diagnosis of Diabetes is likely. 
 
What happens once a diagnosis is reached? 
 
First, an insulin type and dose has to be selected.  There are several types of insulin to select from and it is not possible to know how much insulin an individual pet will require. Most pets require injections twice a day, approximately twelve hours apart, following a meal. The owner will need to learn how to give insulin injections to their pet. The technique of subcutaneous insulin administration should be thoroughly demonstrated by the doctor or a qualified technician. You may be surprised to find that the most common reason for a pet having difficulty achieving regulation is that the owner is not giving the injections properly. The owner needs to  know how to hold the bottle, manipulate the syringe, hold their pet and give the injection. Some situations require that the pet be hospitalized for a few days for the initial regulation but usually the pet will be at home receiving injections shortly after the diagnosis has been reached. One should never alter the insulin dosage recommended by the doctor. To determine whether dosage adjustments are needed, or if a different type of insulin would be more appropriate, the pet will need a glucose curve in which blood sugar levels are monitored every two to four hours over a twelve to twenty-four hour period. This kind of testing tells the doctor how long the insulin injection is lasting as well as what the lowest and highest glucose levels of the day are. It is important to find out when a pet’s curve is due. Often in the beginning, it takes several dosage selections and several curves before the right dose is determined. 
 
The Rules of Diabetes. At Little Silver Animal Hospital we have developed a guideline of some important reminders concerning the diabetic patient. 
  

• Make sure your pet eats before giving insulin. No Food No Insulin. 
• Rock or roll the insulin, do not shake. 
• Try not to give the injection in the exact spot every day. Try to vary it slightly. 
• Try to be consistent. Give the same amount and type of food daily and try to give the insulin approximately 12 hours apart. 
• Insulin shock is when the body’s sugar levels drop too low, which causes the pet possibly to seem weak or disoriented. Too much insulin, or if the pet has not eaten and insulin has been given can cause the sugar levels to drop. If you notice this give Karo pancake syrup immediately. If your pet has not returned to normal within 15 minutes, contact Little Silver Animal Hospital for help immediately and to discuss why the event occurred. 
• Monitor your pet’s water consumption. This gives us vital information in determining your pet’s regulation. 
• We will periodically want to check your pet’s average blood glucose which is called a fructosamine level, until we feel your pet is regulated. 
• It is not uncommon for diabetic pets to have undiagnosed urinary tract infections. It may be necessary to culture your pet’s urine to rule this out. 
• 25% of cats will spontaneously “cure” their diabetes, though this is usually temporary and will often require insulin again. 
• Sometimes special diets and supplements are used to help regulate a pet’s Diabetes. 
• Remember this is a treatable disease. Most people get very nervous about giving their pet an injection. The needle is very small and most pets are easy to give the medicine to. 

As with humans obesity is a contributing factor to diabetes. By keeping your pets weight under control you may be able to help avoid this.