Orchard Vet's Blog

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

11/11/2022

Knowing the signs of diabetes is the first step in protecting your pet’s health. If any of these statements describes your pet, call us today to book an appointment with one of our vets.

How common is it?

Diabetes in cats and dogs is more common than you might think. In fact, diabetes is one of the most common endocrine conditions found in cats. Anywhere between 1 in 100 to 1 in 500 cats and dogs develops diabetes, and those numbers are expected to increase.

While diabetes is typically diagnosed in older cats and neutered male cats are most commonly affected, diabetes has been diagnosed in cats of all ages, both sexes (intact and neutered), and all breeds. In dogs, certain breeds are more likely to develop the condition with diabetes occurring in dogs aged between 4 to 14 years old. Unneutred female dogs are twice as likely as male dogs to suffer from diabetes.

What causes it?

Insulin affects how your pet’s body uses food. When your pet eats, food is broken down into very small components its body can use. One component, carbohydrate, is converted into several types of simple sugars, including glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, where it travels to cells throughout the body. Inside cells, insulin helps turn glucose into fuel. If there’s too little insulin available, glucose can’t enter cells and can build up to a high concentration in the bloodstream. As a result, a diabetic pet may want to eat constantly but will appear malnourished because its cells can’t absorb glucose.



Management

Sadly, diabetes can affect our dogs and cats, but it is manageable with good care, with most able to lead happy active lives. If your pet is diagnosed with diabetes, our vets will advise on medication and an appropriate diet. High-fibre diets may be recommended to help with the management of body weight and blood sugar. Low carbohydrate diets may also be of benefit in some diabetic cats.

Insulin is generally regarded as the benchmark treatment for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Owners of diabetic pets should discuss how best to prepare the insulin, and how much insulin is needed for pets, with our vets.

Preventative Care

Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes in cats and dogs. It’s important to feed your pet a balanced diet, exercise them regularly and be careful with treats and snacks!

We offer free weight clinics here at Orchard vets, so give us a call if you’re concerned about your pets’ weight.

Our nurses are also available to chat with you about your pet’s diet and can help to recommend the most appropriate diet for your pet.

Too many treats can risk weight gain. We aren’t saying you shouldn’t treat your pets, but just be mindful of the amount and type of treat you’re feeding them – it should always be less than 10% of your pets’ overall food intake.

With consistent, effective treatment, lifestyle adjustments, and adequate monitoring, a diabetic pet should have the same expected life span as a non-diabetic cat or dog of the same age.

We hope you’ve found this month's information useful – if you want to check your knowledge visit the Pet Diabetes Month website using this link!