About Feline Diabetes Medications

Just like humans, cats can be diagnosed with diabetes. The most common signs of feline diabetes are excessive thirst and water consumption, excessive urination and fast weight loss. Veterinarians typically approach feline diabetes with both a dietary and medicinal approach to wellness. Special diabetic food replaces the cat's normal diet, and a regime of medication is added to stabilize blood sugar. The medication used to treat feline diabetes, just as in humans, is injected insulin. This insulin comes in several varieties and is derived from different sources. Some cats react well to one kind of insulin, while other cats will not react at all.

Injectable Human Insulin

One of the first and most popular forms of feline diabetes medication is called NPH. NPH is a form of insulin derived from human beings, and has been widely used in the U.S. veterinary community for a long time. It supplements the insulin your cat's body is producing, thereby controlling blood sugar. It's important to note that feline and human insulin are not molecularly the same. NPH is dissimilar from feline insulin; while some cats can adapt to this type of insulin, some cannot, making the drug unreliable. Because of its instability, NPH is being replaced by other forms of insulin that are more readily absorbed into the feline's body; however, it is still being distributed. Your vet will monitor your cat in the first few months of insulin use to make sure treatment is working.

Beef or Pork-Derived Insulin

Beef-derived or pork-derived insulin, known as PZI, is insulin mixed with premethazine zinc, a substance that slows the dissipation of the insulin in the body. PZI can be made from human sources, but is also derived from either purely beef or from a beef and pork combination. Bovine insulin is the diabetes medication that matches closest to the cat's natural insulin, so it is the best tolerated of all the insulins. Unfortunately, because beef-pork derived sources are easier to produce and more widely manufactured, beef-only PZI is increasingly difficult to find in the United States. Many who rely on PZI for the treatment of their feline's diabetes order the drug from international sources. The drug works in the same way as human-derived insulin, replacing the missing hormone in the feline's bloodstream.

Prescription Diet

Aside from insulin, feline diabetes is treated with a prescription diet. Veterinarians have developed specific prescription foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates and quickly metabolized sugars. If you cannot afford or do not have access to prescription food, feed your cat over-the-counter cat food that has high amounts of protein and fewer wheat- and corn-derived additives. See the Resources section for information on how to feed your cat, as well as lists of foods and manufacturers in the United States.

Glucose

If your cat suffers from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), your vet may prescribe a glucose syrup. Glucose syrup is applied to the gums and under the tongue of the feline. It is not necessary that the cat swallow the liquid, because the sugars will absorb through the tissue of the mouth. Your vet may recommend you keep maple syrup or corn syrup in your home instead of glucose syrup. You can treat the symptoms of hypoglycemia in the same way, using these household products.

Glucose & Testing Supplies

While not exactly a medication, your veterinarian will likely prescribe you a glucometer, lancets and test strips, much as a human would use to monitor blood sugar at home. While humans usually check blood sugar by pricking their fingers, feline blood sugar is tested by collecting a sample of blood from a visible vein in the cat's ear. The blood sample is applied to the test strip and analyzed by the glucometer to determine if insulin therapy is effective, or to assess the cat's blood sugar levels. If you are unable to perform this testing at home, it can be done at your vet's office; however, it is more expensive for an office visit.

Resources

• About feline diabetes