Feline Diabetes – Complications

Blindness and kidney disease are but two of the metabolic disturbances that can result from unregulated feline diabetes. Feline diabetes turns a body upside down.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most life-threatening complications of feline diabetes. DKA is a buildup of ketones (acetone, acetoacetic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid), the waste products of fatty acid breakdown. Fatty acids break down when the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. DKA is a real medical emergency as it progresses rapidly, creating severe illness, and can result in death even when treated. Immediate veterinary attention is imperative to the cat’s survival.

The signs of DKA include:

• Either polydypsia or no water drinking at all, resulting in dehydration;
• Polyuria;
• Lethargy and depression;
• Appetite loss for a period lasting 12 hours or more;
• Vomiting;
• Weakness;
• Rapid breathing; and
• Ketone smell on breath (smells like nail polish remover or fruit).

Hypoglycemia, or insulin shock, occurs after an overdose of insulin. It develops rapidly and requires immediate life-saving measures or the cat will die. Caregivers must be prepared for the possibility of insulin shock, as home emergency treatment will
often mean the difference between life and death.

Feline Diabetes Signs, from least to most severe, include:

• Either abnormal hunger or a disinterest in eating;
• Restlessness;
• Weakness and lethargy;
• Head tilting;
• Shivering;
• Staggering movements or lack of coordination;
• Vision problems;
• Disorientation, such as yowling, walking in circles or hiding;
• Convulsions or seizures; and
• Coma.

The caregiver’s immediate concern should be to bring blood glucose back up by rubbing corn syrup, maple   syrup or honey on the cat’s gums or under the tongue and getting her cat to the veterinarian. The mucous membranes immediately absorb the substance into the  blood stream. This method also prevents choking.