Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Daily Care
• Part 2 of 3: Insulin Injections
• Part 3 of 3: Monitoring your cat's health
• Tips
• Warnings

Finding diabetes in a cat can both frighten and overwhelm its owner. Many wonder how a cat can get this disease at all. While this diagnosis can be a shock, caring for a diabetic cat is quite manageable. When the disease is detected early, it can even be reversed with the right care. If your cat has diabetes, there are a number of things you can do. You need to provide her with daily care, learn how to inject insulin, and learn the symptoms to look out for in diabetic cats.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Daily Care

1. 1 Provide your cat with a healthy diet. Many people know that people with diabetes need to watch what they eat, and the same goes for cats. The ideal diet for a cat should be high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, most supermarket foods are high in carbohydrates and low in protein. You need food that meets your cat's needs.
   • Many premium cat food companies offer their own dietary protein products. Among these manufacturers, Purina, Hills and Royal Canin should be mentioned. For example, Purina DM is available both dry and canned. If the cat has constant access to water, then it can be safely fed with both types of food.
   • Keeping your pet on a protein diet will help reduce the body's production of excess glucose. This will help the body stabilize on its own. Some cats require nothing more than switching to a high-quality, protein-rich diet.After a few months of dietary nutrition, such animals may even return to normal life.
2. 2 Feed your cat on a schedule. Until recently, it was believed that it was best to feed a diabetic cat immediately after an insulin injection. However, scientists now recognize that insulin levels rise to their maximum level 3-6 hours after injection, and this makes the cat feel hungry. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the main meal with a high level of insulin, which is observed 3 hours after injection.
   • Before giving your cat an insulin injection, you also need to check that the animal has an appetite (that is, the cat is eating normally). Therefore, it is a good idea to give your cat a pre-injection snack. If you notice that your cat refuses to eat, call your veterinarian before giving the injection. If your pet is sick, giving it a full dose of insulin can lead to an overdose.
   • In other words, you need to divide your cat's daily amount of food into four small portions. Two small snacks should be given immediately before insulin injections, and two larger meals should be given 3-6 hours after. Normal mode might look like this:
     • 07:00 - snack + insulin injection;
     • 10:00 - main feeding;
     • 19:00 - snack + insulin injection;
     • 22:00 - main feeding.
3. 3 Take your cat to your veterinarian regularly. Your cat will need regular veterinary visits. Your veterinarian will teach you how to self-administer insulin injections and check glucose levels, but this will also require some tests that only a veterinarian can do. These tests may include checking the functioning of the kidneys and liver.
   • If feline diabetes can be managed well enough without any problems, see your veterinarian every three months, that should be enough.
   • Examine the warning symptoms. A change in your cat's usual thirst, appetite, or urine volume may indicate something is wrong. If you notice that a diabetic cat is drinking more than usual, this may indicate a violation of the glucose level. In this case, it is necessary to show the animal to the veterinarian.
4. 4 Find someone who can care for the cat if you need to leave. Provide reliable care for your cat when you are unable to be present at home due to work, school, or travel.
   • Hiring a dedicated person who is knowledgeable to properly care for your cat while you are away can provide peace of mind for both yourself and your pet. Most veterinary clinics can offer you pet overexposure or recommend special nursing services for diabetic cats.
   • If your cat is being looked after by a friend, be sure to show them how to administer insulin injections and monitor blood glucose levels. Instruct your friend about the symptoms to watch out for, what to do, and where to call in an emergency.
5. 5 Find online support groups or forums dedicated to feline diabetes. For example, diabet-cats.livejournal.com and other similar websites can be a good help for you. It is always helpful to have important information and support from others on hand.
   • Ongoing veterinary care can be expensive. In some cases, you can seek help from charities that support diabetic cat owners in need.

Part 2 of 3: Insulin Injections

1. 1 Prepare the syringe. A new sterile syringe must be taken for each injection. This will help avoid infections. Fill the syringe with your veterinarian's recommended dose of insulin.
   • Do not try to keep your cat by your side while you prepare the syringe. Let the cat go about its business, and calmly prepare the syringe and treats for the pet, and only then go in search of the animal.
2. 2 Organize a regimen. Try to inject your cat at the same time every day. Approach the cat with a low-carb protein treat and a prepared syringe. Treating the cat before the injection will create a positive association between the treat and the injection in the pet.
   • If you get your injections at the same time every day, you are less likely to forget about them. You can also set yourself a reminder on your phone if you're still worried about forgetting to inject your cat.
3. 3 Sit comfortably next to the cat. If you are worried that the cat may try to escape during the injection, have someone (the one the cat trusts) hold her firmly but carefully. Make sure you can reach it comfortably.
   • Help your cat get used to this routine by providing maximum relaxation and rest. Try not to scare the animal.
4. 4 Pinch the cat's skin. Pinch the skin gently with your thumb and forefinger. Usually the injection is given in the shoulder or thigh. It is easier to insert a needle into tight skin, and the cat is less painful.
   • If your cat has long hair, try to spread it apart with a brush or comb so that you can see the skin when you inject.
   • If you are unsure of how to inject correctly, contact your veterinarian.
5. 5 Insert the needle into the skin. Insulin injections must be injected directly under the skin, not into the muscle. Injecting insulin into the muscle will be painful for the cat. To correctly inject, the syringe must be held almost parallel to the skin. Insert the needle in the place to which it was attached. Do everything as quickly and smoothly as possible.
   • It is not necessary to jerk the needle in as it will be painful for the cat. Typically, the needles of insulin syringes are sharp enough to be gently inserted into the skin with a quick and smooth motion.
   • Make sure that the bevel of the tip of the insertion needle is facing up. This will help remove the needle as accurately and painlessly as possible.
   • After inserting the needle, push the plunger of the syringe to inject insulin under the skin. Then remove the syringe.
6. 6 After the injection, reward your cat with your attention and generous praise. Be sure to reward your cat after the injection. For example, she can be stroked or combed, and she can also be praised with affectionate words. The cat must be aware that it has behaved correctly, so do not skip this step.
   • Creating a positive atmosphere around the injection will not cause the cat to hide the next time it is time for the next injection.

Part 3 of 3: Monitoring your cat's health

1. 1 Monitor your cat's blood sugar. The golden rule of diabetes control is to check your blood glucose levels. Human digital blood glucose meters can also be used to test glucose in cats. For cats, a glucose level of about 4.4-6.6 mmol / L is considered normal. After a meal, blood sugar levels in healthy cats can rise to 13.8-16.5 mmol / L. Since the blood glucose level in diabetic cats is controlled by insulin, it should be within the normal range.
   • Regular monitoring of your blood glucose levels can help avoid conditions such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Hypoglycemia can occur with an accidental overdose of insulin. In this case, the animal may develop weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, and in extreme cases, a coma.
   • If your cat's blood sugar remains high even after an insulin injection, contact your veterinarian immediately.
2. 2 Check your urine test. Your veterinarian may suggest that you purchase cat urine test strips about twice a week. Typical test strips, such as DiaFAN, include two absorbent pads that change color based on glucose and acetone (ketones) levels in the urine.The main purpose of the tests is not to check the sugar, but to make sure that there is no acetone in the cat urine. Your veterinarian will instruct you on how to properly use these strips.
   • Ketones are toxins that are released by the body when blood glucose levels remain high for too long. The presence of ketones in cat urine indicates an unstable condition of the cat, so an urgent need to consult a veterinarian.
3. 3 Observe the cat's behavior. Whether your cat is diabetic or not, you should always be aware of its typical behavior. Cats are not able to tell a person that they are not feeling well. Therefore, it is very important for the owner of the cat to pay attention to what is uncharacteristic for his animal.
   • Contact your veterinarian if you notice your cat is drinking significantly more than usual, has frequent or heavy urination, has trouble coordinating, is losing weight for no apparent reason, or is apathetic.
4. 4 Learn information about feline diabetes. Like humans, cats can suffer from two different types of diabetes: the first and the second. Type 1 diabetes requires injections of insulin because the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar at normal levels. With type 2 diabetes, insulin injections may or may not be necessary for your cat. It all depends on whether the pancreas is producing enough insulin.
   • Diabetes has four main symptoms. These include: frequent and profuse urination, increased water intake, unexplained weight loss, and increased appetite.
   • In some cases, when the disease is detected early on, with proper care, cats can return to a healthy life.
   • Oral hypoglycemic agents (medications that lower blood glucose levels) are not good for cats. For this reason, insulin injections must be used to control their condition.

Tips

• Although being overweight is not the cause of diabetes, overweight cats are more likely to develop the condition. If your cat is overweight, change its diet for the better to help your cat lose weight and become healthier and happier.
• Feeding your cat dry cat food is not good. If your pet is eating dry food, consider switching to high quality canned food for better health. If you are unsure of which food is best for your cat, consult your veterinarian.

Warnings

• Do not start self-administering insulin to your cat without first consulting your veterinarian. Giving the wrong dose of insulin or using it when not needed can be fatal.