There has been a good deal of attention brought recently to the obesity epidemic in the United States. Citizens are fastly growing bigger and bigger and with this extreme weight gain also comes a variety of serious and even deadly medical disorders. One of the most common and severe complications that comes along with obesity is type 2 diabetes. An interesting thing about the obesity epidemic in humans is that obesity among pets has mimicked those numbers closely. In particular, type 2 diabetes is extremely common among severely overweight felines.
About 1 in 400 cats is stricken with this type of diabetes and that number only continues to grow at alarming rates every single year. Dogs as a species do not seem to be as vulnerable. When a dog does get diabetes, it is typically the insulin dependent type 1 diabetes which does not have a relation with weight gain. Around 80-95 percent of cats with diabetes suffer from type 2. But despite the fact that this type of diabetes is not referred to as insulin dependent, generally by the time owners become aware of the ailment the cat is suffering from, the cat is already seriously insulin dependent.
But while it may seem very disheartening to find out that your cat is suffering from this disorder, if caught early enough and treated vigorously, the cat can have a completely normal life. If the cat's diet is greatly altered and it starts to lose weight until it is at a healthy weight, the diabetes can even in some cases go into remission.
But the most important thing is catching the disorder in the cat before it gets out of control. If it is left untreated for too long, the cat can go into ketoacidosis and/or become severely dehydrated and die swiftly. Because of this serious threat, owners of obsess cats should be very aware of the sings of diabetes so that they can keep a keen eye on the animal in case it begins to show signs. Once signs appear, the animal should be taken to the vet as soon as possible.
Some signs and symptoms to look out for include:
• Serious weight gain or loss
• Appetite changes
• Excessive drinking and urinating
About 1 in 400 cats is stricken with this type of diabetes and that number only continues to grow at alarming rates every single year. Dogs as a species do not seem to be as vulnerable. When a dog does get diabetes, it is typically the insulin dependent type 1 diabetes which does not have a relation with weight gain. Around 80-95 percent of cats with diabetes suffer from type 2. But despite the fact that this type of diabetes is not referred to as insulin dependent, generally by the time owners become aware of the ailment the cat is suffering from, the cat is already seriously insulin dependent.
But while it may seem very disheartening to find out that your cat is suffering from this disorder, if caught early enough and treated vigorously, the cat can have a completely normal life. If the cat's diet is greatly altered and it starts to lose weight until it is at a healthy weight, the diabetes can even in some cases go into remission.
But the most important thing is catching the disorder in the cat before it gets out of control. If it is left untreated for too long, the cat can go into ketoacidosis and/or become severely dehydrated and die swiftly. Because of this serious threat, owners of obsess cats should be very aware of the sings of diabetes so that they can keep a keen eye on the animal in case it begins to show signs. Once signs appear, the animal should be taken to the vet as soon as possible.
Some signs and symptoms to look out for include:
• Serious weight gain or loss
• Appetite changes
• Excessive drinking and urinating
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