November is Diabetes Awareness Month.
Just like people, pets can develop diabetes (sugar diabetes – full name diabetes mellitus). If left untreated, diabetes can cause serious illness in your pet and even premature death. However, once diagnosed, diabetes in cats and dogs is usually relatively easy to treat and manage using insulin injections. There is also a new oral treatment available for cats, which we have had good results with.
Like all illnesses, the earlier the problem is diagnosed and treated, the better. Unfortunately, your pet can’t tell you how they’re feeling. Clues that your pet may be diabetic include:
- Drinking more water than they used too
- Urinating more often than they used to
- Weight loss, despite a big appetite
- Lethargy
Diabetes is usually simple to diagnose with a urine test. Blood tests may be required to confirm and to check for concurrent diseases.
If you are worried your pet is showing signs of diabetes, book an appointment with one of our vets.