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FELINE DIABETES COMPLICATIONS THAT YOU MUST AVOID

By Tess Thompson

If left untreated, feline diabetes like diabetes in all animals and humans can lead to complications. The complications that arise may be difficult and in some cases, impossible to treat. Continuous and abnormally high levels of blood sugar, hyperglycemia, can adversely affect the nerves, kidneys, retina and bones leading to complicated diseases.

Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of chronic hyperglycemia leading to a peculiar symptom of diabetes in cats.

The femoral nerve is the most commonly affected. An affected femoral nerve can lead to a plantigrade gait, which is walking on the whole sole of the foot like rabbits, bears and humans. In cats this takes the shape of walking on hocks, the tarsal joints of hind legs.

Diabetic nephropathy or renal disorder is a more serious complication of diabetes and takes precedence over heart disease as far as illness or death from diabetic conditions are concerned. Flooded with more blood sugar than the kidneys can handle, the overworked organ gradually stops functioning and ultimately leads to death of the cat.

Chronic diabetes leads to early hardening and thickening of the walls of blood vessels, a condition normally associated with advanced age. With the passage of time the cat develops atherosclerosis, a condition in the blood vessels become narrow as fatty deposits accumulate.

Hardening, bulging, bleeding and severing of the veins and capillaries of the retina are typical to diabetic retinopathy. From diminished vision and decrease in field of vision, the disease proliferates to bleeding and detachment of the retina leading to total blindness.

Another complication of diabetes surfaces is in the shape of digestive disorders that manifest as ulcers, inflammation of the colon, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain.

Perhaps one of the most feared complications is that of hypoglycemia, abnormally low blood sugar. Diabetes must necessarily be treated with insulin injections if oral medications are not successful in treating diabetes in cats.

If you miscalculate the quantity of insulin needed, accidental infusion of excess insulin can reduce blood sugar levels drastically. Such a condition can also result from a missed meal after insulin has been injected. Hypoglycemia can result in instant death of the cat.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder. Ketones are a natural by product of metabolism of fats. Lack of insulin in the body can lead to accumulation of ketone bodies in cases of uncontrolled or poor management of diabetes. This results in another acute complication known as diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to a life threatening diabetic coma.

Treating diabetes involves regular monitoring of blood sugar levels. It also involves regulated insulin injections. Managing of diabetes involves dietary modifications while keeping in mind the obligate carnivorous nature of cats.

Cats are poor in processing carbohydrates and their diet must necessarily include animal proteins from where they can derive energy easily and most efficiently. Regular insulin injections with strict adherence to dosage and timing of injections and correlating them with mealtimes are of utmost importance if you want to avoid diabetic complications.

References:
http://www.caninsulin.com/Complications-cats.asp
http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/diabetes-complications.html
http://www.netpets.com/cats/reference/diabetes.html