November is American Diabetes Month. While exact data is not available, diabetes is probably the second most common hormone disorder in cats, after hyperthyroidism. Approximately 0.08–1.24% of cats develop diabetes. Today’s blog focuses on prevention, remission and new treatments for feline diabetes.

Preventing Diabetes in Cats

Though undeniably cute, our sedentary, overweight indoor cats are at high risk for developing diabetes. Indoor cats get limited exercise and, as they gain weight, their body becomes less sensitive to the blood sugar reducing hormone, insulin. This decreased sensitivity to insulin allows blood sugar to climb. High blood sugar paradoxically decreases insulin secretion, so blood sugar climbs further. Getting indoor cats to lose weight is challenging but work with your cat’s veterinarian to develop a weight loss plan. That plan might include feeding toys or an automatic cat feeder. Encourage your cat to exercise with interactive toys and provide a place for climbing to increase activity to help your cat maintain an ideal body condition.

Reversing Diabetes in Cats

Feline diabetes is analogous to Type 2 diabetes in people. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s poor response to insulin and elevated blood sugar. If the body’s resistance to insulin can be reversed, the diabetes can go into remission. Achieving diabetic remission requires intensive management using home blood sugar monitoring, twice daily insulin injections and a low carbohydrate diet. With this type of therapy, about half or more of diabetic cats will no longer need insulin injections within a few weeks to a few months after starting treatment.

New Treatment for Feline Diabetes

Veterinarians are always looking for new treatments for diseases like diabetes. Insulin works fine in cats, but oral medications commonly used to treat human diabetes have thus far not been effective in feline patients.

If you watch television at all, you have likely seen advertisements for Jardiance® and Forxiga®, two brand names for a new class of diabetes drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). SGLT2i block sugar resorption by the kidney as urine is made, thus lowering blood sugar. Fortunately for cat owners, two oral SGLT2i medications have been approved for feline use and appear to work as well as insulin. While a once daily oral medication sounds easier than twice daily insulin injections, the SGLT2i medications are not for every cat. These drugs still require close monitoring of your cat by a veterinarian.

To learn more about diabetes in dogs and cats, watch “Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs and Cats,” a presentation by an AMC Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Elizabeth Appleman.