Your Diabetic Cat -- What You Need To Know About Feline Diabetes

If you've just learned your beloved kitty has feline diabetes, you're not alone. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is becoming more and more common among our feline friends. Here's some basic information you need to know about your feline diabetic.

What Is Cat Diabetes?

Although nobody's quite sure what causes this disease, diet and obesity are the most likely culprits. Most dry foods are loaded with grains, mostly because they're cheap and abundant. However, kitties should be getting their protein from meat, not grains. Grains are too high in carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain and insulin resistance, a forerunner of diabetes.  

The food your kitty eats is broken down into glucose during digestion. Glucose is the fuel your pet's body runs on. As the glucose goes into the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin, which is a hormone that helps to regulate the levels of sugar in the blood. There's a delicate balance between too much insulin, which causes lower glucose levels, and not enough, which causes levels to get too high.

Type 1 diabetes happens when not enough insulin is produced. In type 2, insulin is present, but the body is unable to use it. In either case, the levels of glucose in the blood become too high, which leads to damage over time to every organ system in the body.

Your diabetic cat may be ravenously hungry, but he'll lose weight because his body isn't able to use the glucose in his system. In essence, he's starving to death.

What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetes In Cats?

As mentioned above, weight loss, along with ravenous hunger, is often seen in cats with diabetes. Other symptoms include:

• Being excessively thirsty, and drinking large amounts of water
• Frequent urination
• Lethargy and weakness
• Weakness in his legs--you may see him walking on his "wrists" on his front legs, or on his hocks in the back.

How Is A Feline Diabetic Treated?

Learning how to monitor your kitty's blood sugar levels will be one of the most important things you can do to get his blood glucose levels on an even keel. You'll either use urine test strips to see how much glucose is in his urine, or you'll check the glucose levels in his blood with a glucometer. Your vet can show you how to use either one. 

Feeding your pet on a regular schedule is very important to avoid dips and spikes in the amount of glucose in his blood. You'll proably be feeding your kitty three or four times a day. Try to feed him a high-quality canned food, if he'll eat it. 

Getting and keeping your diabetic cat's glucose levels regulated can be a challenge, so don't get discouraged.

Natural Remedies For Cats Can Be Helpful In Treating Your Feline Diabetic

Many cat owners have had great success in managing their diabetic pets by using herbal pet remedies. In fact, some people have been able to reduce or even eliminate the insulin dosage required by their pets by using these remedies. 

Modern research studies have shown that certain herbs, including fenugreek, astragalus, and goat's rue, are safe and effective for regulating sugar levels in both people and pets. Chromium is a mineral that's essential for this purpose, too, but many diets don't contain enough of it.  

Talk with your vet. Natural remedies for cats may be the answer you're looking for in solving your problems with feline diabetes. You'll want to learn more today.