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symptoms of feline diabetes
Every cat owner knows that their pet is able to provide years of love and companionship. However, like other pets, your cat might sometimes become ill. As cats age, they can contract a number of different diseases, one of which is feline diabetes. This disease is serious, and health threatening, although veterinary treatment can make a big difference. Humans are more likely to contract diabetes than cats, or most other pets. Diabetes is caused by an imbalance of a sugar glucose - in the blood. Normally, blood sugar levels are kept in check by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Diabetes is the situation in which the pancreas fails to produce enough of this hormone to keep blood sugar levels low. Symptoms of feline diabetes vary by animal and with the severity of the disease. However, if you observe a loss of appetite, thin or patchy coat, or weight loss, there's a good chance your cat is ill. Combined with symptoms like excessive urination and thirst, feline diabetes is a very real possibility. If your cat empties his or her water dish more frequently, you might want to schedule an appointment with the vet. Although feline diabetes can be kept in check with good treatment, you can't allow the disease to progress without professional care. Cats who are allowed to suffer untreated will become inactive, begin vomiting routinely, and can enter a coma.
If diabetes is treated promptly, on the other hand, a relatively normal, healthy life can continue. Just remember that treatment is an ongoing process there's no pill you can give your cat to make this go away. If your cat has feline diabetes, it's important that he or she be fed at the same time every day, to maintain regular blood sugar. He or she must become an indoor cat, since it's not possible to monitor what your cat eats if escape to the outside is available. Many cats will also need to receive shots of insulin once or twice per day. Your veterinarian can tell you how to administer insulin, as well as how much to give and how often. Before administering insulin, be sure that your cat has eaten. An insulin injection given on an empty stomach could result in hypoglycemic shock. This can also happen if you give too much insulin. You should endeavor to avoid this at all costs, since hypoglycemic shock can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Always watch your cat for some time after an injection has been administered, and report unusual behavior to the vet immediately. Cats who have been on insulin for a long time can be given a reduced dose. However, they'll probably never be able to avoid the shot entirely. Insulin injections are what allow a cat with feline diabetes to live long, happy lives.
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