So you have just found out your beloved pet has diabetes? It’s not the end of the world and it’s not a death sentence for your pet either. It doesn’t necessarily mean a radical change in both yours and your pets life’s either.
The treatment courses are different depending on wither your pet has type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by a deficiency of insulin. Insulin is produced in the pancreas. This hormone is secreted from the pancreas to help regulate blood glucose levels. Deficiency of insulin could be a result of the pancreas not being able to supply the body with enough. Caring for type 1 diabetes can be time consuming process but well worth it if you love your pet. If you are well educated on the matter and make frequent appointments with your veterinarian to assess how your pet is doing then the disease will be manageable. Yes manipulating your pet’s diet can help control the disease but once type 1 diabetes is present you will have to inject your pet with insulin to keep the disease under control. Most pets need two injections a day. Insulin should be stored in a fridge and should be mixed by rolling gently and not shaking a container.
Pets can also develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is known as insulin resistant diabetes and is the more common of the two with 80%-95% of all diabetic cats having type 2. This condition is a result of having a high amount of insulin in the body and none in the cells which means no glucose can be absorbed into cells, leading to a post meal insulin spike. Type 2 diabetes is very treatable and should not shorten an animal’s life if treated managed well. An appropriate course of treatment will be laid out by your veterinarian when you consult him about your pet. This plan mainly revolves around manipulating your pet’s diet. When carbohydrates are consumed they are broken down into sugars like glucose which can raise your pet’s blood sugar levels because the pet’s cells are insulin resistant meaning the sugar will stay in the pet’s blood stream and not enter the cells.
To summarise, both types of diabetes are treatable. Type 1 being the more severe of the two. If you leave diabetes untreated it can be fatal. Failure to treat a pet with 1 diabetes can lead to a loss of sight in dogs and nerve damage in cats. Type 1 diabetes takes more time to treat than type 2 and injecting with insulin can be dangerous but if you follow the advice of your veterinarian then there should be no problems. Remember to gently roll the insulin mixture and don’t shake it, store it in a refrigerator and do not use it once it has expired. Type 2 diabetes can be managed and in cats it can sometimes be elevated, your cat could even go into remission if treated quickly and effectively. This is where a temporary or permanent freedom from insulin dependence occurs. Remember to look after your pets throughout their life to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.