Do you have a cat with feline diabetes?  If you do, you need to know about feline hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.A pet owner may think that it’s good for a feline diabetic to have low blood sugar levels.  However, if the cat’s blood sugar levels get too low, your feline companion could go into a coma and die.   

What Does Hypoglycemia Have To Do With Diabetic Cats?

There can be several reasons for low blood sugar levels in cats with feline diabetes:

• Sometimes a cat owner makes a mistake, and gives the cat too much insulin.
• Two people in the family each gave the cat insulin, so he received a double dose.This problem is easily avoided by making sure only one person in the household is responsible for giving Kitty insulin injections.
• The kitty has had unusually high levels of physical activity.
• If the insulin was given before a meal, the cat may have either not eaten, or he threw up the meal.
• The feline diabetic no longer needs insulin because of dietary changes, or a spontaneous remission.

Symptoms Of Feline Hypoglycemia

The kitty may display unusual behavior because low blood glucose levels affect the brain first.  This is because the brain doesn’t store glucose to use later, like other organs in the body. 

If a cat with diabetes shows these symptoms, he may have dangerously low blood sugar levels:

• Shaking or shivering
• Becoming uncoordinated, and staggering around
• Acting like he’s blind
• Weakness and lethargy
• Restlessness
• Either very hungry, or not interested in eating
• Tilts his head
• Acts disoriented; he may walk in circles, yowl, or hide
• Glassy eyes
• Drooling
• Seizures
• Coma

What To Do For A Feline Diabetic With Hypoglycemia

Always keep honey or corn syrup around if you have a diabetic kitty, along with empty syringes (without needles).  If the pet’s sugar levels become too low, you can use the syringe to squirt a little corn syrup or honey into his mouth.  If the cat is unconscious, rub a little honey or syrup on his gums.  If doing this, take care to avoid being bitten, especially if the kitty is having seizures.

Wrap the kitty in a blanket, and take him to the vet right away, as this is an emergency.

Regulate Glucose Levels Naturally With Natural Remedies For Cats

Research has shown that natural remedies for cats are safe and effective for cats with diabetes.  Herbal pet remedies that contain goat’s rue, fenugreek, and astragalus, along with the mineral chromium, can help to normalize glucose levels in diabetic cats.Find an established company with a good track record for formulating high-quality natural pet remedies.

Many vets are quite open to using natural remedies for cats.Before making any changes to a diabetic cat’s medications or diet, it’s always best to check with the vet.  By using these natural remedies, you may be able to reduce or eliminate insulin injections for cats with diabetes.  Learn more by clicking on any link in this article.

You may be surprised to learn that one of the symptoms of feline diabetes is weakness in your cat’s legs.  If you notice your kitty walking on her “elbows” on her back legs instead of her feet, or on her “wrists” on her front legs, you may have a diabetic cat.Your kitty may also display weakness. She may need to lie down after a short walk, and her legs may go out from underneath her without warning.  This problem is called “feline neuropathy.”

Why Does Diabetes In Cats Cause Weak Legs?

It comes as a surprise to many cat owners that feline neuropathy is a symptom of feline diabetes.  This condition is a result of nerve damage caused by high blood sugar levels.  It’s very important that a diabetic cat receives veterinary treatment to lower blood glucose levels as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to her nerves.

Why Is Nerve Damage Often a Problem With Feline Diabetes?

When the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels, diabetes in the result, both in pets and humans.  Either your kitty’s body isn’t producing enough insulin (type 1 feline diabetes), or her body isn’t able to use the insulin being produced (type 2 feline diabetes).

High blood sugar levels are especially dangerous for nerve, kidney, and eye cells.  Why?  Because these cells are don’t need insulin to be able to absorb glucose from the bloodstream, which makes it possible for them to absorb so much glucose that it causes damage to these cells.  This is why it’s so important to control blood sugar levels in a feline diabetic.  

Can Feline Neuropathy Be Reversed?

Sometimes the nerve damage is reversed when the high blood sugar levels are brought under control, and the cat is able to walk normally again.

It’s also possible that the weakness in the cat’s legs is due to muscle wasting, which is a result of untreated feline diabetes.  Once the blood sugar levels are controlled, the cat owner may wish to gently exercise the feline to rebuild the muscle.  

Some owners have had some success in reversing feline neuropathy by treating their cats with methylcobalamin, also known as methyl B-12.  This product is available at natural food stores.

The Best Treatment Is Prevention

The best way to avoid complications of diabetes in cats is to prevent the disease in the first place.  Avoid letting your feline friend get too heavy.Too much weight predisposes a feline to many health problems.Instead of overfeeding high-carb dry cat food, try to switch your pet over to a high-quality canned food instead.

Regular exercise is a natural way to control blood sugar levels, besides keeping your pet slim and in good condition.

Can A Feline Diabetic Be Helped By Giving Her Natural Remedies For Cats?

Many human diabetics are using herbal remedies, including fenugreek, astragalus, and goat’s rue, along with chromium, to control their blood glucose levels naturally.  Would these herbs work in cats, too?  The answer is yes.   

Many cat owners have been successful in using a combination of diet, exercise, and herbal remedies to regulate their pets’ blood sugar levels naturally.  You can learn more about natural remedies for cats with diabetes by clicking on any link in this article.

It’s unfortunate that the feline diabetes incidence is rising among the pet cat population.  Unfortunately, there are several myths circulating about diabetes in cats.  If you have a diabetic cat, you need to know the facts about how you can help your diabetic pet. 

Myth #1. Putting Your Feline Diabetic To Sleep Is The Only Treatment

This isn’t necessarily true.If your cat is not elderly and has no other health issues, it’s possible to successfully manage this disease. 

It’s not difficult to learn how to check your diabetic cat’s blood sugar levels and give him insulin injections, but there is a learning curve. 

Myth #2. Feline Diabetes Cannot Be Prevented

Quite a few pet experts believe that this disease is a man-made condition that can be prevented by feeding your kitty a high-quality canned food, not dry cat food.

What’s the problem with dry food?This food is composed mostly of grains, which contain too many carbs for kitties.  Cats have evolved to eat meat, not grains.  Free-feeding dry cat food will more than likely lead to a fat cat, and overweight kitties are predisposed to many health problems, including diabetes in cats.   

Myth #3.  It’s Too Hard To Check Your Kitty’s Blood Glucose Levels At Home

It can be challenging at first, but anyone who lives with a feline diabetic should learn how to check their cat’s blood sugar levels.Never administer an insulin shot unless you know what your cat’s blood glucose levels are.  Plus, it’s much less expensive for you, and less stressful for your cat, if your vet teaches you how to do this simple test at home.

Myth #4. Your Kitty Will Need Insulin Injections For The Rest Of His Life

This isn’t true.You may be surprised to know that a simple change in diet from dry food to canned food may be all that’s needed to reverse feline diabetes.  Losing weight can help, too.If you kitty loses weight too quickly, it can cause serious problems for him, so always check with your vet first.

Mild exercise is a natural way to manage blood sugar.Start slowly to get your cat into shape.  Gradually work up to two or three ten-minute exercise sessions every day.

Myth #5. Don’t Waste Your Time With Natural Remedies For Cats

On the contrary, researchers have found that the mineral chromium, along with certain herbs, including goat’s rue, astragalus, and fenugreek, are all very effective in helping to control blood sugar levels in human diabetics.  These remedies are also effective for kitties, as well.  Many cat owners have found that a combination of dietary changes, daily exercise, and natural remedies for cats has made it possible to discontinue insulin injections for their pets.

Don’t believe any of these myths about feline diabetes.  Click on any link in this article to find out how natural remedies for cats can help keep your favorite kitty healthy.