Diabetes and Kitties: How to Take Care of Your Diabetic Feline

Pets are part of the family, and hearing that your cat has diabetes can come as quite a shock.

You may be upset and have plenty of questions.

Fortunately, the condition is usually pretty easy to manage in cats in spite of what you might think.

Here is some helpful information to ensure your diabetic feline gets the best care.

Take Regular Trips to the Vet

With a chronic condition, you will need to take your cat into the vet for frequent pet consultations.

At these appointments, your vet will check up on your cat and monitor his condition. If anything changes, your vet can recommend new methods of treatment.

Don’t put off these trips because if something has changed you want to get care for your cat as soon as possible so he does not suffer.

Make a Change in Diet

A change in diet will likely be necessary to care for your diabetic cat.

Diabetes is usually caused by obesity, so putting your cat on a diet food is usually advisable.

Consult your vet for advice on altering your cat’s diet.

He or she will likely recommend a food that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, which will likely be a wet food.

Diabetic cats need to be fed regularly too, which means you need to make more careful arrangements if you are going to be away at any time.

Give Insulin Injections

Depending on the personality of your cat, giving the injections at home may be relatively simple.

Your vet can show you how to properly give the injection, usually at the scruff of the neck.

Although this may be uncomfortable for some people, you will save a lot of time and money, as well as prevent putting your cat through unnecessary stress, by doing the injections at home rather than taking him to the vet for each one.

Offering a treat your cat really loves can make injection time easier.

Monitor Your Cat

Aside from giving injections, you will also likely need to do some monitoring of your cat’s condition at home.

This includes testing your cat’s glucose levels regularly.

Be sure to record this information (including the date and time each sample was taken) and give it to your vet so it can go in your cat’s file.

Always consult your vet for specific care advice on your cat’s individual needs.

However, these general tips should help as well.

Getting used to the new routine might be rocky at first, but soon both you and your cat will adjust.