Diabetes in Pets: Comparative Aspects

Did you know that diabetes in cats MAY be reversible?  This is because cats, like humans, can develop diabetes due to a relative lack of insulin – rather than a complete destruction of the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas.  In some cats, they develop diabetes because their cells have been exposed to high amounts of glucose (sugar) for so long that they just become exhausted and can’t keep up with what the body needs.  For these cats, if we control their blood sugar aggressively with insulin and diet change, we can give their pancreatic cells time to recuperate, and they may start producing insulin again. If that happens, the cat will go into remission and no longer need insulin.

This doesn’t happen in dogs – once a dog needs insulin, they almost always need it for life.  Not every cat goes into remission – studies have ranged from as low as 10% to as high as 90% remission rates.  The true rate most likely depends on what type of cats are studied and how they were studied, amongst other issues.   

If your cat develops diabetes, be prepared that your cat will need insulin, but you can hope that it may not be forever.  This is another reason why we say that cats are not small dogs – they are separate species with their own idiosyncrasies and different ways of responding to disease. 

To have a comprehensive understanding of how to manage diabetic pets, head over to the link below to read my past article on managing diabetes in dogs and cats.  

Diabetic dogs and cats can live long and healthy lives with proper management and veterinary care, even if they don’t go into remission.