Glargine for Feline Diabetes

Glargine for the treatment of newly diagnosed diabetic cats is safe and effective. When diabetic cats eat a high protein-low carbohydrate diet, it results in a high remission rate. Glargine's brand name in the U.S. is Lantus. Glargine achieves the rapid reversal of beta cell glucose toxicity and early diabetic remission by reducing the level of glucose to normal. It is a fast-acting hormone that the diabetic cat needs to take every 24 hours. Positive results occur in the first hour after injection.

  1. Symptoms of Diabetes

    • The main symptoms of feline diabetes are drinking a lot, frequent urination, over-eating, weight loss, lethargy and increased glucose in the blood. Often this accompanies a urinary tract infection. Weakness in the cat's back legs often occurs. Senior cats, not young ones, risk getting this disease. Generally, male, neutered cats are more at risk than female cats.

    Treatment

    • Feline diabetes is treatable. Some cats with diabetes can reverse their own diabetes with a pill instead of the usual insulin injection. Others need the insulin shots. Healthy diet and good glucose control can resolve the issue at times.

    Identification

    • Diabetes occurs when the body thinks it is starving. It cannot take glucose, the essential sugar that the cells need, from the blood. Although lots of glucose is there, it can't get to the tissues that need it because the pancreas does not produce the needed insulin. The kidneys have too much glucose and it escapes into the urine.

    Prognosis

    • Most cats recover from diabetes, though it is a complex disease. You can learn to treat your cat in such a way that it lives a long and happy life. Each cat responds a different way to the insulin and treatment. Try many different things and find the one that works best for your cat.

    Diet for the Diabetic Cat

    • Owners will have to feed fat cats a high protein-low carbohydrate diet. Do not allow your cat to lose more than 2 percent of its weight. If the cat loses more than that, the risk of liver failure occurs. Skinny cats need to eat more, so leave the food out at all times. These cats should eat many meat-based foods. More canned foods exist with these requirements than dry foods. L- carnitine and arginine are essentials in a diabetic cat's diet. To help control diabetes in cats, add beef and pork.