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Early Diagnosis and Aggressive Treatment of Diabetic Cats Can Result in Remission |
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2007-05
Diabetes mellitus, a condition in which the blood sugar is elevated to high levels, is a common disease in cats. And like humans, the incidence of diabetes in cats is rising steadily. The reason for this is that more cats are obese and are not getting much exercise. The major symptom seen early on is a huge increase in thirst and urination. Other symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, vomiting, poor hair coat, and weight loss occur as the disease progresses.
It has now been shown that cats diagnosed with the disease fairly quickly, put on insulin injections (usually twice a day), placed on low carbohydrate, high protein diets, and exercised daily to get their blood sugar levels under control quickly, will often have their condition reversed. In other words, the diabetes can fully resolve in 85-90% of the feline cases meaning insulin injections may not be required for more than a few months.
Once the diabetes is resolved, it can actually be prevented from returning. Cats must be kept lean which would be facilitated by the low carbohydrate diets previously mentioned. In addition, owners must figure out ways to exercise their cats once or twice daily for 10-20 minutes at a time. Utilizing toys, harness and lead to allow the cats to play safely outdoors, and getting the cats a playmate are all things that can be done to help with the exercise requirement.
If cats are kept active and lean, diabetes may never develop in the first place. It really mirrors humans in which physically inactive people have three times the risk of acquiring diabetes. |
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