HOW TO MANAGE
YOUR DIABETIC CAT
Your cat has been diagnosed with a condition called
Diabetes Mellitus
The following presentation is designed to help you
understand this disease, as well as guide you in how
to manage your diabetic cat at home.
Caring for a diabetic animal can be a big
responsibility, but with time and guidance, you
will soon become comfortable with the routine
of caring for your cat.
Let’s begin with a brief overview of the disease
itself.
DIABETES MELLITUS
 Diabetes is essentially a
disease of the
pancreas, or more
specifically, its ability
to produce insulin.
 Insulin is a substance
that regulates the
body’s blood sugar
levels.
DIABETES MELLITUS
Whenever your pet eats a meal, glucose (sugar) is
absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream.
Glucose is the essential fuel of the body’s cells.
The response of the pancreas is to
release insulin, which allows the
glucose to leave the bloodstream and
enter cells where it can be used for
energy and growth.
Think of insulin as the key that unlocks the door to let
glucose into the cells.
DIABETES MELLITUS
However, in a diabetic animal, the pancreas is
unable to secrete enough (or any) insulin to
allow the glucose to leave the bloodstream..
This leads to a condition called
hyperglycaemia
(too much glucose in the blood).
DIABETES MELLITUS
Without insulin, glucose will remain in the
bloodstream and be unavailable for use by the cells of
the body for energy. If the blood glucose levels rise
too high, glucose will also spill over into the urine.
If the body’s cells cannot utilise
the glucose for energy, they begin
to use other sources of energy,
such as fat breakdown. But this
process creates toxic by-products
called ketones that can make your
cat very sick
Clinical Signs of Diabetes
 By now you are probably familiar with how diabetes presents in
cats. The signs associated with an untreated diabetic cat are:
 Increased drinking and urinating (called polydipsia and polyuria)
 Weight loss accompanied by increased appetite (This can vary
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between some cats).
Lethargy or depression may be present
Muscle wasting and weakness are often present, and may be
evidenced as a reluctance or inability to jump.
Dehydration
Hind limb weakness or plantigrade posture (hocks touching the
ground) can occur in severe cases.
Acetone odour on the breath may be evident (only a small
percentage of the population can detect this. You may be one of
them!)
Poor unkempt scurfy hair coat.
Now that you understand what is happening to your cat,
it is important that you become familiar with all aspects
of their treatment, both at home and at the veterinary
clinic.
You are now one of the most important factors in
managing your cats health.
We do not want you to be
overwhelmed by this process,
however it is vital that you
understand the importance of all
aspects of your cat’s treatment.
INSULIN INJECTIONS
INSULIN INJECTIONS
 The first thing you must become comfortable with,
is giving your cat insulin injections.
 Since they can’t produce their own insulin, we have
to give it to them instead.
 This is done by injections of an insulin called
Glargine.
INSULIN INJECTIONS
Your vet will explain to you how much to give, and this
amount may change over time.
Normally, your cat will need 2 insulin injections per day
at the same time. It is best to select a time that is most
convenient for you, to allow the injections to be given
as close to 12 hours apart as possible.
For example, if you start work at 8:00am, and
are home by 5:00pm, you may wish to give the
injections at 7:00am and 7:00pm.
The time itself is not important, only that it remains the
same each day.
INSULIN INJECTIONS
 You will need the following items
to give an injection:
1. Glargine Insulin
2. 0.3ml Syringe (needle is
already attached)
3. Your cat!
Drawing up the Insulin Dose
Step 1.
Take your Glargine Insulin bottle out of the fridge
(it must be kept in the fridge at all times) and
gently swish the bottle in small circles to ensure
the insulin is suspended properly.
 Try to handle the insulin bottle very carefully.
 Do not shake it vigorously or leave it out of the fridge for any
length of time.
 This could cause the insulin to denature and become less
effective.
Drawing up the Insulin Dose
Step 2
 Turn the insulin bottle upside down as shown.
 Uncap your 0.3ml syringe and insert the needle into
the centre of the grey rubber port on the lid of the
bottle. Take care not to stab yourself!
Drawing up the Insulin Dose
Step 3
Pull back on the plunger to draw the insulin into the syringe.
 It is usually best to pull the plunger back
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further than the dose you are going to give.
Once the syringe has filled with insulin, it is
important to get rid of any air bubbles in the
syringe.
Do this by tapping the syringe gently to work
the bubble to the top of the syringe.
You can then depress the plunger to expel the
air back into the bottle of insulin.
Keep depressing the plunger until the top of the
plunger is level with the corresponding dose you
wish to give. Again, your vet will tell you how
much to give.
Drawing up the Insulin Dose
Step 4
 Once you have the correct dose of insulin, withdraw the needle
from the bottle.
 Replace the needle cap to protect the needle until you are ready to
inject.
 You should not touch the needle directly yourself, as this may
contaminate it. Similarly, do not leave the needle uncapped as
contamination can occur if the needle touches a bench top, etc.
 It is also a good idea to keep the needle
capped as much as possible to prevent any
needle stick injuries to yourself.
 Replace your insulin bottle back in the
fridge.
 Now you are ready to inject!
Injecting the Insulin
 This may seem like a scary step when you first
begin, but with time, both you and your cat will
develop a routine for giving these injections, and it
will become second nature.
 It is important that you try to make your cat as
comfortable as possible when giving the injections.
We do not want this experience to be stressful for
either you or your cat.
 Remember, if you are relaxed, your cat is much
more likely to relax with you!
Injecting the Insulin
Step 1 – Site of Injection
 Insulin is injected under the skin, and then absorbed
into the bloodstream from here.
 It is usually best to inject the insulin under the skin of
the flank or side of your cat.
 It is often a good idea to alter which side you inject on
each time.
 If you cat is particularly fluffy, you may need to part the
hair first so that you can see the skin clearly.
 Insulin injected into the hair coat will not do anything
to lower your cat’s blood glucose levels!!
Injecting the Insulin
Step 2
 Once you have identified where you are going to inject
the insulin, try to place your cat in a position that will
allow you to give the insulin most easily.
 Placing them on your lap and stroking them gently may
help to relax them and give you good access to the
injection site.
 Alternatively, some cats may prefer to sit on a table,
bench or chair (or the floor) to receive their injections.
 Be careful not to clamp down on your cat when giving
the injections. This tends to stress cats and they may
begin to resent the process.
Injecting the Insulin
Step 3
 Once your cat is comfortable and you have good access
to your injection site, gently pinch a small area of skin
at the injection site with your thumb and middle finger
of your left hand (if you are right-handed).
Injecting the Insulin
Step 4
 Uncap the needle from the insulin syringe.
 Using your left index finger as a guide, insert the needle under the
skin just below your left index finger (be careful not to stab
yourself!)
Now inject the
insulin by
depressing the
plunger fully.
 Tip for beginners: Make sure your needle is not poking out the other side of the skin, i.e.
that the needle is all the way under the skin. That way when you inject, the insulin will
definitely be injected under the skin and not end up in the hair coat!
Injecting the Insulin
Step 5
 Once you have injected the entire dose of insulin, remove the
needle from under the skin.
 Replace the needle cap onto the needle, then place the needle and
syringe into the yellow sharps container provided to you by the
veterinary clinic.
PLEASE NOTE - ALL NEEDLES MUST BE
PLACED IN THIS CONTAINER AND THE
CONTAINER RETURNED TO THE
VETERINARY CLINIC FOR DISPOSAL WHEN
FULL.
Congratulations!
You have now given your cat an insulin injection!
If you are ever unsure about your technique, or feel like you just
need a refresher course, your vet will be only too happy to go
through this with you again in the clinic. Please do not be afraid
to ask as many questions as you need to become comfortable with
the process.
DIET FOR DIABETIC CATS
DIET IN DIABETIC CATS
 Another important aspect of managing your diabetic cat is the food
that we feed them.
 Diabetic cats require a high protein, low carbohydrate diet to
minimise blood glucose fluctuations.
 The wrong diet can have a huge effect on the overall management
of diabetes, so it is important to get it right.
 Some people may prefer to make a homemade diet, however if the diet is not perfectly
balanced, this could make the condition worse
instead of better. For this reason, we do not
recommend you feed your diabetic cat a
homemade diet.
DIET IN DIABETIC CATS
The good news is that there are a number specially
formulated diets designed to provide optimal
nutrition for diabetic cats.
These diets provide a high protein, low
carbohydrate formula to minimise blood glucose
fluctuations, provide increased fibre to keep them
feeling full, and help to reduce fat and increase
muscle levels.
Hills Prescription Diet m/d
 The main diet we
recommend is the Hills
Prescription Diet m/d
(metabolic diet).
 This diet comes in both
dry and tinned forms,
and is usually very
palatable to most cats.
 Your vet will tell you
how much to feed your
cat each day
Royal Canin Diabetic Cat Food
The alternative brand of
diabetic cat food is the Royal
Canin Diabetic Cat formula.
It is very similar to the Hills
m/d, although is only available
as a dry food.
When do I feed my cat?
 Generally it is a good idea to offer your cat food after
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each insulin injection.
However, cats are naturally grazers, meaning they tend
eat small amounts throughout the day.
It is fine to leave dry food out for your cat to graze on
throughout the day, as long as they have received their
insulin injections.
Be sure to only feed them the specified amount given to
you by your vet. Eating too much is just as bad as not
eating enough in diabetic cats.
The most important thing is to be consistent!
Any Questions?
If you have any questions regarding anything to do
with your cat’s treatment, please do not hesitate to
contact the clinic.
Phone: 8952 9899