What is diabetes in pets?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Diabetes mellitus is a lifelong condition in which a dog or cat cannot make or use enough insulin, so sugar builds up in the blood. Signs are drinking and peeing more, hunger and weight loss. Most diabetic pets live well on insulin injections given at set times with meals, and some cats go into remission.
Also called diabetes mellitus, sugar diabetes in dogs, diabetic dog, diabetic cat, feline diabetes.
Key facts
- In dogs, diabetes usually happens because the immune system destroys the cells that make insulin; it can also follow pancreatitis. PDSA
- Diabetic dogs usually need insulin twice a day, every day, 12 hours apart and within an hour of a meal, with the same food at the same times. PDSA
- Between 1 in 100 and 1 in 500 cats are diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetime; obesity, age, inactivity, being male and steroid medicines raise the risk. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
- With early, thorough treatment many diabetic cats go into remission; if not within six months, lifelong insulin is likely. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Low blood sugar (a hypo) and diabetic ketoacidosis are both emergencies; cataracts are a common complication in dogs. PDSA
What are the signs of diabetes in a dog or cat?
The classic four: drinking more, peeing more, eating more and still losing weight. Call your vet if you notice them.
Sugar spills into the urine and pulls water with it, so the pet pees large amounts and drinks to keep up. Because the body cannot use the sugar it has, the pet stays hungry and loses weight. Dogs may also seem tired. In India's heat, owners sometimes put extra drinking down to the weather; a pet that suddenly empties its bowl several times a day, or starts having accidents indoors, needs a vet check and a urine or blood test.
Untreated diabetes can turn into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): vomiting, diarrhoea, refusing food, wobbliness, collapse and breath that smells sweet. DKA is an emergency. In dogs, cataracts are a common complication and can cause blindness, and female dogs are usually advised to be spayed because their seasons make diabetes harder to control.
What does daily life with a diabetic pet look like?
Routine is the treatment. Insulin, food and exercise all move blood sugar, so each needs to be the same every day.
- Insulin at the times and amount your vet sets, usually 12 hours apart in dogs, within an hour of feeding. Your vet will show you how to inject. PDSA
- The same food, in the same amount, at the same times, with no treats between meals unless your vet allows them. PDSA
- Similar exercise every day: a sudden long walk or a lazy day can push sugar down or up. PDSA
- For cats, a low-carbohydrate diet, often wet food, and slow, vet-supervised weight loss if overweight. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Regular check-ups and blood tests as often as your vet advises. PDSA
- A written plan for anyone else caring for the pet: insulin type, amount, timing, storage and what to do if the pet does not eat.
What should you do in a diabetic emergency?
Never change or repeat an insulin dose on your own. If in doubt, phone the vet before the next injection.
If Hypo in a dog: vomiting, wobbliness, looking vacant, unusual hunger, twitching or collapse.
Rub something very sugary, such as honey or jam, on the gums, keeping fingers clear of the teeth, and call the vet straight away. PDSA
If Hypo in a cat: weakness, lethargy, vomiting, wobbliness, seizures or coma.
Offer food at once. If the cat will not eat, put honey or glucose gel on the gums and call the vet immediately. Never force anything into the mouth of a fitting or unconscious cat. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
If Vomiting, not eating, weakness and sweet-smelling breath.
Possible ketoacidosis: go to a vet the same day, as an emergency. PDSA
If The pet has not eaten its meal before an insulin injection.
Do not inject the usual amount without advice. Call the vet for instructions.
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Questions owners ask
Can a diabetic dog be left with a pet sitter?
- Yes, with planning. The sitter needs to give insulin at fixed times with meals, so a stay-at-home sitter or a home boarder who is there morning and evening suits best. Leave a written plan, the insulin, syringes, food and your vet's number, and do a practice injection together at the meet and greet.
Can diabetes in cats go away?
- Sometimes. Cornell's Feline Health Center says many diabetic cats go into remission with early, thorough treatment, usually insulin plus a low-carbohydrate diet and weight loss. If a cat has not gone into remission within about six months of diagnosis, it will probably need insulin for life. Your vet monitors this with blood tests.
What causes diabetes in dogs?
- Most often the dog's immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, so the dog cannot make enough of it. Diabetes can also follow pancreatitis. It is lifelong in dogs, but most respond well to treatment and can live long, happy lives with insulin and a steady routine.
What does a hypo look like in a diabetic pet?
- Low blood sugar can cause weakness, wobbliness, a vacant look, twitching, vomiting, seizures or collapse. It is an emergency: rub honey or a glucose gel on the gums, or offer food to a cat that can still eat, and call your vet straight away. Never put anything in the mouth of a pet that is fitting.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in health conditions
- ArthritisArthritis, or osteoarthritis, is a long-term joint disease in which worn cartilage lets the joint surfaces rub, causing stiffness, swelling and pain. It is very common in older dogs and cats. It cannot be cured, but pain relief from a vet, a healthy weight, gentle regular exercise and a few home changes keep most pets comfortable for years.
- Bloat (GDV)Bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), is when a dog's stomach fills with gas and twists on itself, cutting off its blood supply. It mainly affects large and giant deep-chested breeds. Unproductive retching, a swelling belly, drooling and restlessness are the signs. It is a surgical emergency that can kill within hours.
- BOASBOAS, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, is a breathing disorder of flat-faced dogs. Narrow nostrils, an overlong soft palate and a small windpipe block airflow, so affected dogs snore, snort, tire quickly and overheat easily. It is worse in heat, humidity and obesity. Surgery can widen the airway, and a lean weight helps.
- Canine distemperCanine distemper is a serious viral disease of dogs that can attack the skin, airways, gut and nervous system. It spreads in droplets from coughing, sneezing and barking, and through body fluids. There is no specific cure, and some dogs do not survive even with treatment. The D in the DHPPi vaccine prevents it.
- Canine parvovirusCanine parvovirus, or parvo, is a highly contagious virus that attacks a dog's gut and immune system. It spreads through infected faeces, survives a long time in the environment and hits unvaccinated puppies between 6 weeks and 6 months hardest. Vomiting and bloody diarrhoea can kill within days, and it is prevented by the core vaccine.
- Cat fluCat flu is the everyday name for an upper respiratory infection in cats. More than 90% of cases are caused by feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus or both. Cats sneeze, have runny eyes and nose and may stop eating. Most recovered cats remain carriers, and stress can bring the virus back. Vaccination usually prevents severe disease.
- Cherry eyeCherry eye is when the tear gland inside a dog's third eyelid slips out of place and shows as a smooth, red, cherry-like lump in the inner corner of the eye. It is common in young Bulldogs, Beagles, Shih Tzus and Pugs, and needs a vet, usually for surgery to put the gland back.
- Chronic kidney diseaseChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a slow, lasting loss of kidney function, common in older cats and also seen in older dogs. Early on there are often no signs; later a pet drinks and urinates more, eats less and loses weight. It cannot be cured, but a kidney diet, water and regular checks can slow it.
- DehydrationDehydration means a pet's body has lost more water than it has taken in, through heat, panting, vomiting, diarrhoea or illness. Early on the gums turn sticky; then the skin loses its spring and the eyes sink. A mildly dehydrated pet needs water and a watchful eye; a weak, vomiting or collapsing one needs a vet now.
- Dental diseaseDental disease in pets is mostly periodontal disease: plaque bacteria inflame the gums (gingivitis) and then destroy the tissue and bone holding the teeth (periodontitis). It is the most common disorder vets diagnose in dogs, and very common in cats. Bad breath, tartar and red gums are the early signs. Daily brushing prevents most of it.
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Sources
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