Insulin is a hormone which is needed to transport glucose (blood sugar) as well as certain amino acids and minerals through the blood to energy-producing cells. When a lack of insulin occurs, glucose cannot move into the cells and the glucose level in the blood rises to abnornally high levels.
An animal with diabetes mellitus will exhibit some or all of the following symptoms: weakness, increased thirst, frequent urination, rapid weight loss, depression, and abdominal pain. An animal may also show signs of either increased hunger or lack of appetite. In some animals, the sudden development of blindness due to cataract formation may indicate diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats is caused by damage to the pancreas. Predisposing factors are: obesity, genetic predisposition, poor diet, hormonal abnormalities, stress, and drugs. The sex of the animal can also be a predisposing factor. In dogs, females are affected twice as often as males and in cats, diabetes is more prevalent in males.
Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination of your pet and ask you questions about your pet's health history. Next, it will be necessary for your pet to fast for a short period of time so that its blood sugar level can be tested and a urine check can be done. Often your pet is hospitalized for one or two days to help insure the accuracy of this test. Diabetes is often complicated by urinary tract infections, other hormone disorders, infections, or a build-up of chemical compounds called ketones in the body. Provided these or no other complications are present, the fasting and the blood sugar and urinalysis tests will help determine whether or not your pet is diabetic. If there are complications, more testing may be necessary.