Fluffy gets the beedies

According to Dr. Thomas Graves of the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, diabetes isn’t just a disease afflicting millions of Americans. It’s a problem for our pets, too.

As with humans, our pets often evade diagnosis until the disease begins to cause outward indications like urinary problems, long after they’ve developed diabetes.

Diabetes in our pets can take many forms, from a transient, insulin-resistant form seen in cats to a lifelong form seen in both cats and dogs resulting from an insulin deficiency.

Dogs tend to develop diabetes early in life and manage the disease with insulin supplementation. (Well, they don’t manage it personally. YOU try injecting yourself without thumbs.) Cats tend to develop insulin resistance later in life. Some dog breeds are more prone to diabetes, such as Schnauzers, poodles and Samoyeds, while any fat old cat can get it.

The signs that your pet may have diabetes are similar in a lot of ways to those for humans. They may drink an unusually large amount of water and urinate more frequently, for example, and they may suffer unexplained weight loss.

Diabetes in animals can be hard to control. “Diabetes is difficult to control in humans, and more so when dealing with pets,” explains Dr. Graves. “The insulin treatments we use are made from other species (humans, cows, and pigs) and a lot of the drugs that people take for diabetes to lower glucose don’t work in animals and/or have more side affects, especially for cats.”

The best way to avoid diabetes in your pet, especially your cat, is to avoid letting it become overweight. Dr. Graves cautions, however, to consult your veterinarian before beginning a weight loss plan for your cat since dramatic weight loss can cause a life-threatening liver condition called hepatic lipidosis.

Also, if you cat smokes, tell him to cut it out. And check behind the litter box for hidden cigarettes.

(via The Times, Ottawa)