Feline Diabetes & Glargine Insulin

Many cats develop diabetes. Diabetes provides many challengers for cat owners because of finances and the constant care the cat needs. A new treatment helps cats with diabetes. Glargine insulin, also known as Lantus, treats many cats that have the disease.

  1. Feline Diabetes

    • A cat's inability to process glucose effectively causes feline diabetes, according to felinediabetes.com. In a healthy cat's body, the glucose turns into energy by the insulin the body secretes. Cats have type 1 diabetes when the cat's pancreas does not produce enough insulin to process all of the glucose. Type 2 occurs when the cells in the cat's body do not react well to the insulin. Both types of diabetes lead to excess sugar levels in the blood.

    Symptoms

    • As the 2ndchance website states, diabetes affects a cat's eating and drinking habits. Increased thirst is one of the most common symptoms, as is increased urination. Because of this, the cat often loses a lot of weight. This causes the cat to become more lethargic and less playful. The cat's outward appearance also alters, and its coat loses fur.

    Glargine Insulin

    • Sanofi-Aventis manufacturers glargine insulin, one of the most popular methods for treating type 2 diabetes. It provides the body with the hormones that help lower glucose levels in the cat's blood. The insulin releases slowly into the body, which cuts down on the amount of shots the cat regularly needs. It stays active for about 12 hours a day. Most diabetic cats receive two injections daily.

    Guidelines

    • Refrigerate glargine insulin when not in use, warns Vetinfo. If it stays outside too long, its effectiveness and safety become compromised. It takes time to find the right dose for the cat because it varies for each animal. Sometimes vets advise the cat's owners to put the cat on a low-carbohydrate diet.

    Side Effects

    • Most cats tolerate glargine insuline well, but vetinfo warns of side effects associated with the drug. In some cases, the cat's skin becomes irritated, and the injection site develops a thickness around it. Signs of low blood sugar like pale skin, tremors and nervousness present themselves in some instances. Report to the vet any signs of an allergic reaction, like hives or tremors.