🐾 Diabetes in Cats
❓ What Is Diabetes?
🐾 Feline diabetes is similar to type II adult-onset diabetes in humans.
🐾 Diabetic cats typically start out overweight but lose weight as the disease progresses.
🐾 Common signs include increased thirst and urination, weight loss, lethargy, poor coat condition, and difficulty walking with the back legs.
🐾 Diabetes is managed through a low-carbohydrate diet and/or insulin injections, depending on severity.
🥫 Diabetic Diet Recommendations
🐾 Feed grain-free, meat-based canned food—avoid rice, gravy, and fish flavors. Commercially prepared raw diets are also acceptable.
Recommended healthy canned food brands:
• Blue Basics
• Call of the Wild
• Evanger’s
• Identity Pet
• Innova
• Honest Kitchen
• Natures Variety
• Natural Balance
• Tiki Cat
• Walk About
• Wellness Core
• Ziwi
🐾 Look for grain-free, preferably organic meat flavors with recognizable ingredients.
🐾 This diet is similar to a human Atkins-style diet: it supports stable blood sugar and weight loss.
🐾 Daily Portions:
• 2–3 cans of a 3 oz size (e.g., Fancy Feast), or
• 1–1.5 cans of a 5.5 oz size (e.g., Friskies)
🐾 Approved treats: cooked meat, lunch meat, or freeze-dried meat.
🐾 If your cat refuses canned food: use grain-free dry food or Purina DM dry.
• Feed 1/8 cup, 3–4 times per day.
• Note: Cats on dry food cannot go into remission and will require insulin.
🩺 Monitoring Your Diabetic Cat
🐾 For cats managed with diet alone:
• Check blood glucose every 4–6 weeks until it normalizes.
🐾 For cats on insulin:
• Recheck exam and fructosamine test every 3 months to monitor long-term regulation.
• Feed and medicate your cat as usual—no fasting required.
• This test can be scheduled at any time of the day.
🐾 For all diabetic cats:
• Chemistry panel and CBC recommended annually.
• These tests detect complications early, including infections and fatty liver disease.
💉 Insulin Guidelines
🐾 Insulin is given subcutaneously once or twice daily.
🐾 Cats on dry food may require higher doses.
🐾 Never give more insulin than prescribed—overdosing can cause dangerous hypoglycemia or death.
🐾 Do not give insulin if your cat has not eaten.
❄️ Storage & Handling
🐾 Store insulin in the refrigerator and protect it from light.
🐾 Do not use if cloudy or discolored—replace immediately.
🐾 Warm the syringe between your fingers before injection to reduce stinging.
📦 Syringes & Disposal
🐾 Use U-100 insulin syringes as prescribed by your pharmacy.
🐾 Dispose of used needles in a hard-sided container such as a sharps bin, detergent bottle, or coffee can.
🐾 Do not return used needles to the clinic—it is illegal to transport medical waste.
⚠️ Signs of Hypoglycemia
🐾 Warning signs: drunken gait, weakness, seizures, or coma.
🐾 If this happens:
• Rub 1–2 tsp of Karo syrup, maple syrup, or honey on the gums
• Offer food
• Contact our office immediately
🧪 Monitoring & Remission
🐾 One month after starting insulin, a blood glucose test should be performed.
🐾 After that, fructosamine levels should be checked every 3 months to evaluate regulation or remission potential.
🐾 If blood sugar normalizes and remission occurs, insulin can be discontinued under supervision.
🎥 Learn to Give Insulin
🐾 Visit www.youtube.com and search for ‘vetvid diabetes’.
🐾 Recommended videos:
• How to Give Your Diabetic Cat an Insulin Injection
• How to Prepare an Insulin Syringe to Inject a Diabetic Cat
Have questions or need support with your diabetic cat?
We’re here to help—contact our feline-focused team:
📞 610-398-3556