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How To Treat Cat Diabetes At Home With These Top 5 Holistic Options
1. Cat diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed, and currently
it affects more than 1 in 400 cats. Diabetes is very
treatable, and does not need to shorten your cat's life
span. This article will go over the signs of diabetes in
cats, along with the various suspected causes. I will review
the most common solutions, focusing on the lesser know
natural solutions that you can use to treat your cat for
diabetes at home.
2. Most pet owner's first suspect that their cat has diabetes
as their cat is drinking and urinating much more than
normal. This may be accompanied by increased
appetite, but also weight loss. Occasional there is
noticeable leg weakness, or dropping down on the rear
legs. Some people notice a sweet smell to the breath. If
not noticed early, your cat may become very ill with a
condition called Ketoacidosis. This requires immediate
veterinary treatment.
3. Diabetes is a result of the pancreas not producing enough
insulin to allow the body to utilize blood glucose (sugar).
This results in high blood sugar levels causing increased
drinking and urination. Some cats are genetically at risk of
developing diabetes. Cats that are obese typically are on a
high carbohydrate dry cat food, are at higher risk.
4. If you suspect your pet is diabetic, have this confirmed by
your veterinarian. Most cats begin with insulin, but with
some diet alterations may come off insulin therapy. Ask
your veterinarian about Glargine (brand name Lantus)
Insulin - it is longer acting and better at regulating difficult
to better at regulating difficult to regulate diabetic cats.
The insulin injections can be given at home, and at the
same time each day. Your veterinarian will show you how
to give injections - they are not painful and usually not
even noticed. The proper type of insulin, dose, and
frequency of administration needs to be determined by
your veterinarian.
5. If your cat is to have low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia), you'll need to be able to recognize it, and
respond quickly. This usually happens within an hour of
giving the insulin injection. Your cat will be
weak, trembling, dazed and may begin to shake or seizure.
If you suspect this, immediately give a sugar boost. Have
corn or maple syrup on hand and give 1-2 tablespoons.
Rub it on the gums if he cannot swallow, then take him to
your veterinarian immediately.
6. Recent studies have shown that cats benefit greatly from
higher protein, lower carbohydrate diets. These resemble
diets that they would eat in the wild. Changing to a less
than 5% carbohydrate, high protein canned food is the
single most important change to make. Eliminate the dry
kibble, and only feed canned. Some commercial diets in
this category include: Wellness Chicken or Turkey; Fancy
Feast Chunky Chicken or Chunky Turkey; Nature's Variety
Organic, and raw, frozen diets. This gives your cat the
greatest chance to come off of Insulin Therapy. I am
finding that we can control diabetes in about 50% of
diabetic cats by only feeding a higher protein canned food.
One big additional point is that a change to a high protein
canned food often means you'll need to lower insulin
doses to avoid hypoglycemia ( low blood sugar). Discuss
7. Chromium is a supplement that makes the cells more
receptive to taking up blood glucose (sugar). It may help to
lower the dose of insulin. The dose is 25 mg per 10 lbs of
body weight daily.
8. Diabetes affects the other cells in the body, damaging
tissue and organ cells. Antioxidants limit this damage.
Vitamin E (100 IU per 10 lbs twice daily) and Vitamin C
(100 mg per 10 lbs twice daily) are two common
antioxidants I would suggest.
9. One increasingly effective supplement helpful in treating
cat diabetes is fish oil. It is a source of omega 3 fatty
acids, and fish oil may increase insulin sensitivity. A feline
dose is one regular strength capsule per 10 lbs of body
weight given once daily. This equates to 1000mg of fish oil
daily.
10. Cinnamon is a tasty spice has been shown to help regulate
blood sugar- it is also a potent antioxidant. The active
ingredient is called MHCP which mimics insulin to improve
blood sugar regulation. The dose is ¼ of a teaspoon per 10
lbs daily.
11. You should now be able to recognize the signs of cat
diabetes, and know what to do if your cat is showing these
symptoms. You'll now have an understanding of what
causes diabetes in cats, and be able to take some
proactive steps in preventing it in your cat. Most
importantly you can now use a few of the holistic
solutions to decrease and potential stop your cat from
needing daily injections of insulin.
