Have a Diabetic Cat? You Must Know These Four Dangerous Complications of Feline Diabetes

Let's face it; when you have a diabetic cat, you must pay more attention to your feline friend's health. Although cat diabetes doesn't lead to blindness or circulatory problems like it does in humans, there are certain problems that go with this disease that you must be aware of. Here are some complications that a kitty with feline diabetes may face.

Feline Ketoacidosis

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Your kitty's body normally breaks down glucose for energy. However, if your kitty is an untreated feline diabetic, glucose is not available for fuel, so his body will try to break down fat instead. When this happens, ketones are produced as a waste product. These ketones will build up in his body, leading to some very serious problems.

Symptoms of feline ketoacidosis include:
Either drinking excessive amounts of water, OR not drinking any water at all Urinating often Not eating for more than twelve hours Lethargy and weakness Dehydration Breathing fast Vomiting Breath smells sweet, or like nail polish remover

This is a veterinary emergency, and your kitty needs immediate treatment, or he'll die.

Feline Neuropathy

This may be the first symptom you'll notice of diabetes in cats. Your pet may walk on his "wrists" on his front legs, or on his hocks (the "elbows") on his back legs. This strange walk is due to nerve damage caused by high blood glucose levels.

Diabetic neuropathy is sometimes reversed when your kitty's blood sugar levels are regulated properly. It does take some time and patience, however, before this can happen.

Hepatic Lipidosis

Overweight kitties who suddenly stop eating are at risk for this problem. Like ketoacidosis, it's a result of the body trying to use fat for fuel instead of glucose. In this condition, the fat builds up in your kitty's liver, which causes swelling. The symptoms are similar to those of ketoacidosis, mentioned above, with the addition of jaundice. You'll notice a yellowish cast to the whites of his eyes, his gums, and the insides of his ears.

This is an emergency situation. If your kitty won't eat, your vet may have to tube feed him. Although hepatic lipidosis is fatal if not treated, most kitties get better after being fed by tube.

Hypoglycemia In Cats

If your feline diabetic gets too much insulin, or doesn't eat on schedule, or has an unusually vigorous exercise session, his blood sugar levels can drop to dangerous levels. This affects the brain first, since it can't store glucose like other organs can. Your pet may become dizzy, weak, listless, and uncoordinated. He can have seizures, and may go into a coma. This condition can be fatal very quickly.

Keep some Karo syrup on hand so you can put some into a syringe (without a needle) and squirt it into his mouth. If he's already unconscious, rub some syrup on his gums and under his tongue. Wrap him in a blanket and get him to the vet right away.

Can Complications In Cats With Diabetes Be Prevented?

The best way to avoid these complications in your kitty is to try to keep the glucose levels in his blood where they should be. Natural remedies for cats that include the herbs goat's rue, astragalus, and fenugreek, along with the supplement chromium, have been shown to help regulate blood glucose levels naturally. In fact, many people who live with diabetic cats have been able to reduce or even eliminate insulin injections by treating their felines with herbal pet remedies.

If your kitty has diabetes, you'll want to prevent these complications. Don't wait for your kitty to become a victim. Discover how you can protect your feline companion now.

Have a Diabetic Cat? You Must Know These Four Dangerous Complications of Feline Diabetes

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Diabetic Pathophysiology and Associated Diseases

Diabetic pathophysiology is the study of how the body changes when it is afflicted with diabetes. In other words what biochemical functions are affected, what physiological processes are altered, and what symptoms are exhibited? When scientists and researchers study diabetic pathophysiology, what they're looking for is what has gone wrong with the body's systems. This is of critical importance because researchers can't provide effective solutions to the problem until they know what kinds of damages it has caused.

The pathophysiology that underlies most of the body changes associated with diabetes - such as hypertension, heart disease, hardening of the arteries, and so on - is the body's inability to utilize and dispose of the excess sugar in the bloodstream. Even though type 2 diabetes can progress to type 1, the pathophysiology of diabetes type one is different from that of diabetes type two, hence the different methods of treating them.

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The pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes is a combination of a number of things. It is the failure of the body's tissues to increase glucose disposal in response to insulin or the failure of insulin to suppress lipolysis in adipose and muscle tissue. It is also the inability of insulin to suppress the hepatic glucose production. It is for this reason that some researchers focus on reducing the hepatic glucose production as their main means of treating diabetes.

Many people with type 2 diabetes develop ketoacidosis which is acidosis or a severe form of ketosis which is believed to be caused by the insulin and blood sugar levels being so out of balance that too much ketone accumulates in the body. In these cases, however, the pathophysiology of the ketoacidosis is not exactly clear although, normally, it seems to involve nausea and/or throwing up. In later stages, especially in the case of type 1 diabetes, the pathophysicolgy can lead to the body breaking down muscle tissue for its energy needs as well as dramatic weight loss.

The number of deaths associated with ketoacidosis is much higher than is should be (almost in the 5 percent range) mainly because of the delay in diagnosis and treatment. Just one more reason why it's critical that those suffering from diabetes or pre-diabetes monitor their health diligently. At any rate, more testing needs to be done to determine the exact pathophysiology of ketoacidosis.

Diabetes is also associated with more minor diseases. For example, many men who have diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction (or ED). When researchers look at the pathophysiology, it appears that this condition occurs because of the effect of hyperglycemia or high blood sugar on nerves and nerve endings. Ongoing excesses of high blood sugar affects all peripheral nerves including those such as fingers, toes, and those in the male sex organ.

And, lastly, the pathophysiology of other major diseases are being connected to diabetes. For example, early research seems to indicate that there is some link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, a progressive form of presenile dementia which is affecting more people in the population every day. It may eventually turn out that the root triggers for many of today's major diseases have a lot in common.

Diabetic Pathophysiology and Associated Diseases

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