World Diabetes Day

Today is World Diabetes Day - and it's time for the majority of the population to actually learn what having diabetes (or "Sugar", if you're from the South or Midwest) means.  Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger).
There are three main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes: results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin. (Also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, IDDM for short, and juvenile diabetes.)
• Type 2 diabetes: results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. (Formerly referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM for short, and adult-onset diabetes.)
• Gestational diabetes: is when pregnant women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 DM.

My paternal grandmother was a Type 1 diabetic, long before insulin was discovered.  Her doctor told her family that she wouldn't survive through puberty, and that, if she somehow did live that long, she would never have children.  Grandma Grace lived to be 68 and had 7 kids.   My husband was a Type 1 diabetic, diagnosed when he was 10 years old.  He was a "brittle diabetic", and once again, was told he would die at an early age.  He passed away at 55, from a blood clot in his lungs.  "Brittle" diabetes, also known as unstable diabetes or labile diabetes, is a term that was traditionally used to describe to dramatic and recurrent swings in glucose levels, often occurring for no apparent reason in insulin-dependent diabetes.
Any mammal with a pancreas can develop diabetes. The most common in domesticated animals is Type 2 diabetes. This is caused by its diet straying too far from what the animal evolved to eat. The present pet food products tend heavily towards a base of grains, which is not suitable for dogs and cats because they are predators who eat their prey and supplement with occasional leafy vegetation. I take care of several cats and dogs who are diabetic - and it's hard, at the initial diagnosis, to figure out exactly how much insulin a pet should receive.  Please follow your vet's orders.  I have seen and read of documented cases of diabetes in cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, birds (parakeets, love birds, cockatoos, etc.), and a pig.
Please, if you or your pet shows the symptoms of diabetes, have a blood glucose test taken by your doctor, or your pet's vet.  Remember, the three most telling warning signs are: increased urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger.
Take good care of yourself and your companions!

Symptoms of Feline Diabetes

*The following information may be found on numerous websites and in various forms. This info is from the Becton, Dickinson and Company website about diabetes. They produce very fine one-use insulin syringes (my husband used them and Spike uses them) - and I like their information on all types of diabetes.*

Signs of diabetes in cats are subtle and may build over a period of months to years. The cat may not show any classic diabetes symptoms until chronic high blood glucose leads to sugar in the urine. By then, the cat is always thirsty and urinates very large amounts of liquid, seen as big clumps in the litter box. The cat may act sad and mopey. Because its body is using up fat and muscle protein for energy, the cat might lose weight quickly even though it may have a ravenous appetite.
A cat with diabetes often develops muscle weakness due to nerve damage (neuropathy). It may have trouble climbing stairs, jumping, and getting into and out of the litter box. This might cause it to urinate in places other than the litter box. A classic sign of nerve damage is a ‘plantigrade’ position. The cat walks on its entire back hocks instead of just walking on its back toes. The hocks are the joints that look like elbows on the back legs. A cat with this problem often has ‘frosty paws’, because cat litter sticks to its hind legs and paws.

Symptoms of Diabetes - Although obesity is a risk factor for feline diabetes, by the time the cat shows symptoms it can be either obese or very thin, depending on how much insulin the cat's beta cells are still able to produce. The most common symptoms of diabetes in cats include:
Extreme thirst
Lethargy, mopey attitude
Excessive urination
Weight loss
Usually, a ravenous appetite
Weakness
Unkempt hair and coat
Difficulty climbing and jumping
Abnormal walking position (plantigrade stance)

Symptoms of Ketoacidosis - Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a condition that happens when a severe lack of insulin cause the cat’s body to break down fat to use as energy. The breakdown of fat creates chemicals called ketones, which build up in the blood and urine. Ketoacidosis is a medical emergency. If your cat shows several symptoms of DKA, it should be rushed to a veterinarian for treatment. Untreated, ketoacidosis can lead to coma and death.
Diabetic ketoacidosis can happen if a cat has not yet been diagnosed or treated for its diabetes, or if it is not responding to its diabetes treatment. DKA can also happen in a cat that has a serious medical condition in addition to the diabetes, such as a severe infection. The most common symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis are:
Extreme lethargy
Weakness
Reduced appetite or complete refusal to eat
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Fruity breath
Rapid breathing

*My husband's ex-wife was able to home-diagnose one of her cat's diabetes due to his fruity-smelling breath. Her veterinarian was surprised that she knew what was wrong with the cat, and she explained she'd had plenty of experience with her husband's fruity breath when he was "running sugar." **