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Healing & Alternative Health
Dr. Carson's Holistic Animal Care:
Signs of the Aging
Dog and Cat
Part 20:
Organs of the Abdomen: Diseases of the Pancreas: Diabetes Mellitus-Signs & Diagnosis
by Kathleen M. Carson, D.V.M
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What signs would your dog or cat show if he/she has Diabetes Mellitus (DM)?
As I wrote in my May 2006 column, animals with DM either 1.) don’t produce enough insulin (Type I DM, aka insulin-dependent diabetes or IDDM), or
2.) they produce insulin, but the insulin is unable to do its job (insulin resistance) (Type II DM, aka Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus or NIDDM).
Insulin’s most crucial role in your animal’s body is to promote the transfer of glucose from the blood into the body’s cells, where it is used for energy. If there is not enough insulin, or if there is insulin resistance, then the glucose is unable to pass into your animal's cells. The glucose just builds up in your animal’s bloodstream.
The old saying, “starving in the midst of plenty” is literally true in a diabetic animal. Since the glucose isn’t getting into your animal’s cells, his body starts breaking down his own tissues for more fuel, just as if he were eating nothing at all. Thus, one of the premiere signs of DM is:
*A ravenous appetite accompanied by progressive weight loss.
A second hallmark symptom of DM comes about because of the extremely high blood glucose (BG), which can’t get into his body’s cells from his bloodstream. When the blood gets filtered through his kidneys, his kidneys dump the excess glucose into the urine. The excess glucose pulls water with it, greatly increasing the volume of urine passed. This is called osmotic diuresis. With the loss of so much water through his kidneys, your animal’s body signals his brain to make him thirsty. Thus, the second foremost sign of DM is:
*Excessive urination and excessive thirst.
The third common sign of DM comes about because your animal’s body is starved for energy:
*Weakness and lethargy
A sign commonly found in diabetic dogs but rarely in diabetic cats is:
*Cataracts, especially ones which develop rapidly.
The cataracts come about this way: the excess glucose is metabolized to two other sugars, fructose and sorbitol. Unlike glucose, these sugars are not freely diffusible across the lens. The buildup of these sugars in the lens causes the lens to pull in extra water. This process results in swelling and rupture of the lens fibers with resultant cataract formation.
Diabetic animals are also more prone to infections since the diabetes interferes with their bodies’ normal defense mechanisms. Thus, diabetic animals commonly have:
*Infections of the urinary tract, skin, and respiratory tract
There are other signs associated with DM; these generally aren’t as common as the ones mentioned above and almost always occur in diabetic cats:
*Weakness in the hind legs
*What’s known as a “plantigrade stance”, ie, the cat walks on his hocks (the backward-facing joint above his hind foot).
This condition is called diabetic neuropathy, caused by damage to nerves from lack of glucose in his nerve cells.
There are other symptoms which are associated with a potentially life-threatening complication of DM, called diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA. DKA is a complex condition, and I will write about it in another column.
Take your dog or cat right to your veterinarian if you see the above signs. Your veterinarian will do both blood and urine tests. DM is fairly easily diagnosed: blood glucose (BG) higher than normal (hyperglycemia), and sugar in the urine (glucosuria). (Under normal conditions the urine contains no glucose).
Of course, diagnosing DM in a cat is more complicated than diagnosing it in a dog. (No surprise!) When a cat is stressed (and she often is during the taking of blood and urine for testing), her body releases the stress hormone epinephrine (aka adrenalin). This hormone causes a temporary increase in BG and the spilling of glucose into the urine.
How does your veterinarian differentiate between hyperglycemia and glucosuria due to stress only and that due to true DM in your cat? With stress only, the hyperglycemia and glucosuria are usually mild, and your cat won’t be exhibiting the signs of DM noted above. With DM, the hyperglycemia and glucosuria are more pronounced, and there are definite signs of DM in your cat.
With borderline cases, your veterinarian can always run repeat blood and urine tests on your fasting cat.
A diabetic dog or cat will often have other abnormal findings in his labwork:
1.) DM stresses the liver, so liver enzymes are often elevated.
2.) Blood cholesterol and fats are often elevated, due to the breakdown of fats in an attempt to stave off perceived starvation.
3.) The blood levels of the pancreatic enzymes, amylase and lipase, may be elevated if there’s concurrent pancreatitis.
4.) The urine may have increased bacteria, white blood cells, and protein if a urinary tract infection is present.
5.) There may be substances called ketones in the urine. (If they’re there in large amounts, this is probably due to diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA; as I said above, I’ll discuss DKA in greater depth in another column.)
Your veterinarian also find an enlarged liver in your dog or cat on physical examination, and/or this may show up on abdominal X-rays.
Next month I’ll write about the treatment of DM. |
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Dr. Kathleen Carson, DVM
Veterinarian & Author
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Dr. Carson received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California at Davis in 1968. She's been a small animal practitioner (dogs and cats ) for all the years since, except for a short stint at the San Diego Zoo when she first graduated.
She belongs to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Since 1974 she's lived and practiced in the South Bay Area near Los Angeles. She started the area's first house call practice in 1976 and the first pet crisis/loss group in 1989. The human-animal bond is of special interest to her.
She started exploring complementary veterinary medicine in 1987. Her practice became 100% holistic in 1996. She utilizes acupuncture, herbs, supplements, Bach Flower Remedies, homeopathic remedies, nutrition and medications for her patients in her practice.
She's currently taking a leave of absence from her house call practice due to health reasons but continues to do phone consultations and to write.
E-mail:
Critterhlr@aol.com
website:
http://www.holistic
vetconsult.com
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