Cat Diabetes Prevention

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Pets can get this disease too and it is just as harmful as it is for humans but there are some things you can do to be prepared if this ends up happening to your beloved companion. Cat diabetes prevention might be difficult since you don’t usually test the glucose levels of your pet so here is a guide on what you should do.

Some cats are predisposed to this disease (some breeds have more cases) and there are an alarming number of felines that are developing what is called diabetes mellitus, leading them to the inability to produce sufficient insulin to balance the levels of blood sugar or glucose.

The disease leads to weight loss, loss of appetite, dehydration, severe depression and if it advances the pet will have motor function problems, slip into a coma and could even die. The main signs are increased thirst and urination at first and it is more common with obese cats, but you can also see it in normal ones.

Regular veterinarian visits usually include blood tests and they should spot the disease but you can also do them whenever you suspect problems. The sad thing is that even if you find out about the diabetes early it still won’t be cured completely, but the diet change will slow its progress.

If you notice the disease the proper course is to get the blood sugar back in the normal parameters and with a reasonable diet it is probable that the diabetes will go into remission for months or even years, but the main idea you should have is that diabetes is controlled but not cured.

Sadly the current studies show no evidence that you can really prevent the disease from appearing through diet if there is a genetic predisposition for it, but some clinical studies have seen improvements if fed low carbohydrate diets. Obesity is also a factor.

So in conclusion if you end up having a pet with diabetes it doesn’t mean that you are a bad caretaker since there are so many causes that could trigger the disease and it can be controlled with some extra care.

It isn’t that difficult to get the pet used to the insulin shots once you know what you are doing and with a balanced diet the pet should be able to feel just as good as a healthy cat. The problem is that once you find out about it diabetes requires a lifelong daily commitment from your part and this is more than many of us can handle.

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