How to Care for Your Cat with Diabetes

Cat owners whose pets are diagnosed with diabetes are usually afraid of what may happen. But then again, it is possible for your cat to live long and happily, even with this disease. Your pet only needs dedication and care throughout the ordeal.  Diabetes might still be an incurable disease these days. But it can certainly be managed easily.

First and foremost, your cat needs consistent medical attention. Once you’re sure that your cat is suffering from this disease, regular visits to the vet become mandatory. The purpose of these checkups is to check the sugar level in your pet’s blood. It also ensures that your cat is getting the insulin that it needs. The vet would draw a blood sample from your pet and test it. Don’t feed your cat for 12 hours prior to the checkup. Bring your pet to the veterinarian every 3 months for disease monitoring.

Second, know that from here on, your cat will need the hormone insulin. Your cat would require insulin shots twice daily. The right dosage will be determined by the vet. This is the primary medication for your pet. Make it a habit to give the shots at a certain time of the day to make it a routine for your pet. Usually, insulin is given twelve hours after the first dosage of the day. 

The vet would show you how to inject your cat with insulin so you don’t have to bring it there all the time. Insulin is usually administered between the shoulder blades of cats. Don’t worry. In due time, your cat would get used to the slight pain caused by the needle. If you do it right, your cat might even be the one to remind you that it needs its shot for the day. This is the reason why it is important to give your pet insulin during the same time every single day.

Third, it is your responsibility to have a stock of all of the things you need. Your cat needs its shot every day, no excuses. Therefore, you should always see to it that you have adequate alcohol, syringe, and of course, insulin inside the medicine drawer. Order supplies before they run out. Give allowances because the vet may also lose stocks of them. The same goes true for supplements that the vet prescribed for your pet. Make sure that your pet receives all the medicine it needs all the time. Keep important numbers handy in case of emergency cases.

While a lot of people think that diabetes is cats is the end of their pet’s world, it isn’t really. In fact, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to take care of your sick pet. Insulin costs around $85 per vial but that’s already equivalent to 2 months’ supply. Syringes in boxes of 100 are a mere $30 and those are something you can use for 50 days. Make sure that you use a fresh syringe for every shot. You may have to change your cat’s food and add some supplements to the list. But those won’t make too much of a dent to your budget either. Your diabetic cat needs all the love and patience it needs. If you ensure your pet of that, then it can stay with you happily for quite some time.