My son is a veterinarian. We often discuss diabetes because I "caught" it from somebody a couple of years ago.
I have the Type II variety where insulin is not processed properly. The C-cells in the pancreas are blocked by fat cells as shown by the New Castle University study.
That is how I dropped my blood sugar levels to normal. I stop using dairy, except for the fat-free varieties, and went to natural grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. It took five weeks but I got rid of the problem. I hope once and for all. I avoid most processed foods.
I limit myself to chicken and fish, but do allow some lean beef as a garnish or in a sandwich. Just not too often. I also learned that some Mexican restaurants will give you ranch beans instead of re-fried beans and will leave the cheese in the kitchen.
But enough about me. I'm not a cat. I'm an eighty-year-old man with a wondering mind.
Cats are not humans. Their anatomy knows how to process a heavy diet of meaty critters. It is when they eat processed foods that they get diabetes.
My son says that cats are cured of diabetes in a very short time just by changing their diet to a meat diet. Purina, and at least one other company, is now making food for diabetic cats. It is only right that they are doing something to help the situation.
If your cat is getting along in years, it will be more subject to diabetes. The pancreatic C-cells are not functioning properly and insulin is blocked from processing sugar. Your cat will probably urinate often, crave water to the extent that he just can't get enough of it, will start eating way too much and will gain weight, and then will not eat and will lose weight. He is in big trouble.
I say "he" because he is more likely to get diabetes than "she."
Ketones can form and damage body organs. The kidneys are sometimes affected. It is the same for cats and humans.
What do you do if your suspect that your cat has diabetes. I would read the labels on cat foods and find foods that are mostly meat. Your veterinarian can advise you on this issue. Are there mice around your house?
It's amazing how much diet is responsible for disease in animals and humans. The Ute Indians were a strong and healthy people before the white man took him away from his natural foods and put him on a reservation diet of white flour and alcohol. That was the substitute for nutrient rich fruits, nuts, roots and wild game such as lean venison.
Treating disease is big business in this world of ours. It seems some businesses do not want to cure diabetes, they want to sell test strips, meters and drugs.
Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. The diabetes diet and low-glycemic-index food books may be fine but if you are human and get the fat out of your diet, you probably will be better off. But for cats, they need meat.
Now get that kitty to my son, the vet. He has fifteen kids and a bunch of them are in college with spouses and kids to support.
Fly Old Glory!
