Question:
I have a 9 yr old male cat who has just been diagnosed w/diabetes/blood
sugar in the 400's, polydypsia,polyuria,polyphagia. Some confusion. Some
lethargy. What are the chances of being able to treat this w/oral
hypoglycemics and diet? I can't afford aggressive treatment with insulin
and frequent labs, etc. I need to know what alternatives I have here other
than euthanasia.
Answer:
There are small chances your cat will be ok with oral hypoglycemics
only. The most usual form of diabetes in cats and dogs are
insuline-dependent. But that should not be too difficult nor too
expensive. The cats usually tolerate the shots well, and if you use an
insuline-penn, you can use the same needle over a period of time, and
thus the costs are smaller than in humans. As for the labs-costs, you
could do with very few bloodsamples to ensure proper control over the
diabetes. Just look at the cat. If the cat feels fine, and
drinks/urinates and eats normally, then the treatment is good enough.
You will have a much happier cat that will live a longer life.
