What are the functions of diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diabetes is diagnosed and managed by checking your glucose level in a blood test. There are three tests that can measure your blood glucose level: fasting glucose test, random glucose test and A1c test.

What is the most serious complication of diabetes?

Nerve damage (neuropathy): One of the most common diabetes complications, nerve damage can cause numbness and pain. Nerve damage most often affects the feet and legs but can also affect your digestion, blood vessels, and heart.

What is diabetic diabetes mellitus in cats?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body cannot properly produce or respond to the hormone insulin. This results in elevated levels of the sugar glucose in the blood, which is the main source of energy for the body. Like the human body, the cells in a cat’s body need sugar in the form of glucose for energy.

What are the long term effects of diabetes in cats?

Diabetes mellitus results from the dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells or from insulin resistance. Compared with diabetic people, diabetic cats seem to develop fewer long-term complications. The most common complication is simply an inability to keep good control of blood glucose concentrations.

Why is my diabetic cat losing so much weight?

Unregulated diabetic cats are at risk of weight loss due to lack of glucose. When glucose is not able to move into the cells from the blood, the body switches to an alternate fuel supply to provide the cells with energy. This comes from your cat’s fat reserves.

How do you treat diabetes in cats?

The goals of treating cats with diabetes include: Restoring normal blood glucose concentration (glycemic control) Minimizing or eliminating signs of weight loss Minimizing or eliminating signs of increased thirst and urination Normalizing the appetite Avoiding inducing inappropriately low blood glucose levels with therapy