5 Reasons To Test Your Cat For Diabetes

5 Reasons to Test Your Cat for Diabetes

One of my least favorite diagnoses to make in cats is diabetes. I have a deep dislike for feline diabetes because of two indisputable facts:
1) It’s largely preventable and unnecessary
2) It’s a real challenge to treat for many owners
Fortunately, diabetes is also one of those diseases that benefits from early detection. I’d like to share my top five reasons you need to test your cat early and often for diabetes:
One of the most interesting aspects of feline diabetes is its potential reversibility or remission, especially when diagnosed in the earliest stages. Over the past twenty-three years, I’ve seen scores of kitties weaned off insulin when diagnosis and treatment was initiated quickly. Research has shown up to 60% of cats will experience diabetic remission within the first few months of treatment, reports Alice Huang (VMD, DACVIM) from Purdue University. Combining strict blood sugar regulation with precise insulin therapy, changes in diet and weight loss are a recipe for reversing diabetes in many cats. Some cats will remain diabetes-free for many months to years. My advice is to have blood work and urinalysis performed yearly, twice yearly if you have a flabby feline.
Many cat owners focus solely on blood sugar levels. That's good, but too often we forget the continuous and severe damage hyperglycemia is causing throughout the body. The longer diabetes goes unchecked, the more potentially irreversible damage occurs. Prolonged high blood sugar levels can lead to nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy that typically causes weakness in the rear legs), chronic infectio Continue reading

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Diabetes & High Blood Pressure: It’s Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Diet Plan

It is a known fact that diabetes is a disease which is today affecting a large population of people around the globe. Tackling diabetes often becomes really challenging because of the several other complications that it brings along. One of the varied complications includes hypertension or high blood pressure.
Several studies and research fhave established the correlation between the two diseases. While an ideal blood pressure reading for a normal average adult should be 140/90, a person suffering from diabetes is often kept under examination to maintain a blood pressure which is lower than 135/80. This is particularly true of type 2 diabetes. In most of the cases with diabetes patients, this is the first and foremost thing which the doctor would want to ensure.
In the following article, we discuss ‘Diabetes and High Blood Pressure: their relation, causes, symptoms, and whether the same can be treated?’
What is the Meaning of Hypertension or High Blood Pressure?
Let us first begin by understanding the meaning of hypertension or high blood pressure.
Hypertension or high blood pressure refers to a condition in which the flow of blood from the blood vessels and the heart occur with an abnormally high force. Over the period of time, the patient develops a host of complications and cardiovascular diseases.
What is the Relation Between Diabetes and Blood Pressure?
Let us now understand the relation between diabetes and hypertension or high blood pressure.
There is a close relation between the two diseases: diabetes and high blood pressure and if a patient suffers from one of Continue reading

High-Fat Dairy Products, Like Whole Milk And Cream, Can Lower Diabetes Risk

Fats in our diet play an important role in type 2 diabetes development, whether it be good or bad, by affecting glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. A recent study presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria suggests that consuming dairy products high in fat, such as whole milk and cream, can reduce our risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 23 percent.
"Our observations may contribute to clarifying previous findings regarding dietary fats and their food sources in relation to T2D,” lead researcher Dr. Ulrika Ericson said in a statement. “The decreased risk at high intakes of high-fat dairy products, but not of low-fat dairy products, indicate that dairy fat, at least partly, explains observed protective associations between dairy intake and T2D.”
Ericson and her colleagues gathered their data using the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort that included 26,930 participants between the ages 45-74 years, 60 percent of which were women. After 14 years of follow up, it was determined that 2,860 participants had developed type 2 diabetes. The research team used hazard ratio modeling to determine each participant’s risk of diabetes, which included age, sex, season, diet assessment method version, total energy intake, BMI, leisure time physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and education.
Higher intake of high-fat dairy products lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 23 percent in the highest consuming 20 percent of participants (eight portions per day) compared to t Continue reading

Diabetes Mellitus in Dogs

Overview
Diabetes mellitus is a common condition in people and relatively common in dogs, as well. It is a chronic condition in which the body either isn’t making enough insulin or isn’t responding to the insulin being produced. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps regulate blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is a by-product of the food our dogs eat; it provides energy to the cells in their bodies.
There are two common types of diabetes mellitus. The first type occurs when your dog’s body can’t produce enough insulin; this is called type 1 diabetes. The second type of diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t respond to insulin; this is called type 2 diabetes. Dogs almost exclusively have type 1 diabetes. Occasionally, diabetes can be secondary to underlying disease, such as severe pancreatitis.
Risk
Diabetes usually affects middle-aged to older dogs, and those who are overweight are also at higher risk. While both male and female dogs can become diabetic, it is much more common in females. Some breeds are at a higher risk as well.
These include:
The breeds that are at higher risk of diabetes in the UK are:
Signs
The most common symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst (polydipsia) and increased urination (polyuria).
Other symptoms include:
Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam and take a detailed history of your pet’s health. The symptoms of diabetes mellitus are very similar to other diseases, such as Cushing’s syndrome, liver or kidney disease, Addison’s disease, and hypothyroidism. Sometimes, underlying diseases or condi Continue reading

Bitter melon and diabetes: How does it affect blood sugar levels?

Diabetes is a condition that affects blood sugar levels and can lead to health issues if not properly managed. Could eating bitter melon be healthful for those looking to manage diabetes?
The bodies of people with diabetes do not produce enough insulin or are not able to use insulin effectively, which leads to there being too much glucose in the blood. Insulin is required so that cells can use it for energy.
A healthful diet and exercise are important for people with diabetes to help them manage their condition. Certain foods can cause blood sugar levels to spike, which is problematic.
In this article, we explore whether bitter melon is healthful for people looking to manage diabetes. As part of this, we analyze the impact bitter melon may have on blood sugar.
Contents of this article:
Treating diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, high blood sugar is the result of the body not producing enough insulin.
Type 2 diabetes, however, occurs when the body does not respond correctly to insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and people of any age can develop it.
Many people with diabetes manage their condition well and do not experience further health problems. A range of medications and lifestyle changes can help people with diabetes live healthy lives.
However, drug therapies may have some side effects. As such, some people look to try natural treatments that are free of side effects. To make an informed decision about these, it helps to understand the science behind these options.
One such natural treatment method is better melon. Although further research is neede Continue reading