New Options for Diabetic Pets

Diabetes is on the rise in people living in the United States; unfortunately it is also a common disease in dogs and cats. Until recently there were few alternatives regarding insulin therapy for our pets, and dogs were limited to products specifically designed for use in humans. Now veterinarians have a handful of insulin options to choose from to treat our pets.

Review - what causes diabetes?

Diabetes is one of the most common hormonal diseases of dogs. These dogs usually have a deficiency in insulin production, which makes their syndrome similar to what we consider "Type I" diabetes in humans. Researchers report that there is autoimmune destruction of the dog's own insulin-secreting pancreatic cells. Other diabetic dogs may actually suffer from insulin resistance, as opposed to a lack of insulin. This means that they are able to produce insulin but their cells are unable to respond properly to it. Insulin resistance may be caused by obesity or other concurrent diseases such as Cushing's Disease.

In cats, diabetes doesn't easily fit into the category of being either Type I or Type II. Their syndrome appears to be more similar to Type II diabetes, except that many of these cats suffer from both an insulin deficiency and an inability of the cells to respond to it (insulin resistance).

What role does insulin play?

When we eat food, our blood sugar rises. Our cells need this sugar in order to feed our bodies, so insulin is then secreted to carry this sugar into the cells. This causes our blood sugar levels to become low, until we eat again.

If we can't produce adequate levels of insulin or our cells don't respond to it, our blood sugar will be too high. This means that our sugar (energy) can't get into our cells and we will effectively starve ourselves. If left untreated, a diabetic patient will eventually become very sick. In dogs, this can also lead to cataract formation.

If our body produces too much insulin or we are given an overdose of insulin, our blood sugar will go too low and can be fatal.

How is diabetes treated in dogs and cats?

The treatment of choice for both dogs and cats is daily insulin injections given by the owner. The options used to be very limited. However, we now have several types of insulin available to treat our pets thanks to modern medicine. There are human recombinant insulins, which are bio-engineered versions of human insulin, and there are two types of animal-derived insulin available. One is a pork-derived insulin and the other is a mixture of beef- and pork-derived insulin.

The human recombinant insulins available include NPH (with brand names such as Humulin N or Novolin N) and Glargine (brand name Lantus). Glargine is particularly unique because it forms micro-precipitates under the skin, which slowly release insulin to the pet throughout the day.

Vetsulin, a pork-derived insulin, is the only product that is FDA-approved for use in dogs. It was recently approved by the FDA for use in cats as well. Their website contains helpful information for owners of diabetic pets. (www.vetsulin.com)

The beef-pork combination insulin, PZI Vet, was discontinued by the manufacturer in April of this year. Veterinarians can still acquire this product through compounding pharmacies, but purchasing insulin in this manner is not recommended due to the potential for inconsistency from batch to batch. Manufactured insulins are more likely to have the same potency in every bottle.

Your veterinarian will be able to tell you which of these products is ideal for your pet, as every patient is different. If insulin is absolutely not an option, there are oral medications available that have had limited success in cats.

Most veterinarians also recommend dietary therapy for diabetics, such as lower carbohydrate diets for cats and higher fiber diets for dogs. "Dietary management of feline diabetics can be very beneficial, while the effect of diet on canine diabetes is more variable," reports Dr. Wayne Eldridge of Pets First Veterinary Center in San Antonio, Texas, (www.petsfirstvet.com). Control of obesity and adequate exercise is also important to help control this disease. Consult your veterinarian regarding what to feed your diabetic pet.

Other important considerations:

If you have a diabetic pet that is being treated with insulin, it is imperative that your veterinary clinic assist you in learning how to properly handle, store and draw up/dose your insulin. They will also teach you how to inject your pet and will go over what to do in a diabetic emergency. Make sure you never re-dose your pet if you're not sure the injection went in and never give the dose if there is a possibility someone else in the household already gave it. It is better to err on the side of blood sugar being too high than to risk it becoming too low.