Download Diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus is a condition which can affect

Diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus is a condition which can affect dogs and cats. It is most commonly found in middle‐aged bitches, or middle‐aged neutered male cats. It occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to meet the body’s needs. Insulin is a hormone which is needed to transport glucose (blood sugar) as well as certain amino acids and minerals through the blood to energy‐producing cells. An animal becomes diabetic when the insulin it produces is insufficient to match the sugar level; if the pancreas should fail to produce insulin (cell exhaustion or disease / inflammation); or if it produces defective insulin which does not work at the receptor sites on the cells. Very rarely insulin antibodies are formed by the body which renders the insulin ineffective. Predisposing factors include genetic predisposition, poor diet, stress, obesity, hormonal abnormalities and certain medications e.g. steroids. Signs of diabetes mellitus 
‐Excessive thirst with increased urination 
Increased appetite but the animal exhibits weight loss 
Repeated urinary tract infections 
Sudden clouding of eyes due to cataract formation Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus Your vet will need to perform a number of blood tests sometimes requiring your pet to be an in‐patient overnight and some tests on the animal's urine. These will help the vet determine whether this is the diagnosis. The diagnosis is confirmed if your pet has persistently high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and glucose on the urine (glycosuria) despite being fasted. Concurrent diseases e.g. Cushing’s disease (which affects the adrenal glands) may also need to be ruled out. There is no cure for diabetes mellitus but it can be controlled with insulin injections, diet, and exercise management. Some obese cats can be managed through dietary control and weight reduction alone, if they have a non‐insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). However, the vast majority of diabetic cats, and all dogs, requires daily insulin therapy. With such therapy, your pet can lead a happy, comfortable life. Once your pet has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, its specific insulin requirements need to be determined. As each pet's insulin needs are unique and often vary from day to day, your pet may need to be hospitalized for 2‐4 days in order to determine its specific needs. This is accomplished by your vet giving the pet an insulin injection and testing the blood sugar levels at regular intervals throughout the day. These results are used to determine your pet's initial insulin requirements. Your vet may indicate these on a Glucose Curve Chart. Because your pet's insulin needs may change once it returns home, due to changes in diet, exercise and certain environmental stresses, periodic reevaluation over the next two weeks is recommended until satisfactory control is achieved. Once control is achieved, your vet will organize a routine that includes the following: 
Regular health checks ‐ probably every three months then six monthly once stabilized. 
Daily or twice daily injections of insulin. You will be taught how to give these. 
‐ A regular exercise routine to suit you and your pet. This exercise routine is an important part of the treatment and should be stuck to. 
A special diet that releases its nutrients slowly, over a longer period of time compared to normal foods. This allows the insulin to work better and prevent the animal from experiencing high peaks of nutrient (sugar) rich blood. Your pet will need to stay on this routine for the rest of its life.