Prognosis for a Diabetic Cat

If your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, you might be understandably worried about its future. The bad news is that diabetes is a complicated disease to manage in your pet, but the good news is that if you communicate often with your vet and follow her directions precisely, your cat can lead a long and happy life.

  1. Feline Diabetes

    • Feline diabetes is similar to Type I diabetes in humans in that it occurs when the cat's pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the hormone that regulates the body's absorption of glucose (a sugar needed for energy). Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood and leaves the body in large quantities in the urine. Sometimes cats develop diabetes as a result of hormone or steroid treatments for other diseases, but often the cause is unclear.

    Symptoms

    • Signs that your cat might be diabetic include increased thirst and increased urination. Your cat might eat constantly yet still lose weight. If you think your cat might be diabetic it is important to see a vet for a proper diagnosis and for full treatment instructions.

    Complications

    • Left untreated, your cat's diabetes can lead to infections in the bladder, kidneys or skin. In even more extreme cases, acids and ketones can build up in your cat's blood (a process called ketoacidosis) and cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or depression. Untreated diabetes can be fatal.

    Treatments

    • If your cat's diabetes is a relatively new development and hasn't led to complications, the treatment, as decided by your vet, will probably include one or two daily insulin injections or oral medications. You should give the medication at the same time every day, feed the cat at the same time every day (or monitor its food intake from a "free feed" bowl), and adjust the dosage in consultation with the vet if your cat's activity level, weight or appetite changes. Your vet might show you how to test the cat's urine to confirm that its sugar levels are normal, and might suggest high-quality cat foods to replace less healthy ones.
      If your cat's diabetes has already progressed to include ketoacidosis, your veterinarian will arrange for quick-acting insulin and intravenous fluids until your cat stops vomiting and starts eating.
      If your cat has diabetes, you should bring it to a vet for evaluation every two to four months, and any time it develops other health problems (which might necessitate changing its dose of insulin).

    Prognosis

    • If you are diligent in treating your cat's diabetes, it is possible that your cat will enjoy a normal life span. Caring for a diabetic cat is often a lot of work, involving food and activity logs, daily injections and regular visits to the vet, but your persistent work pays off in the form of an excellent prognosis.