You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Diabetes is extremely common in dogs and cats. In humans drugs that lower blood sugar concentrations are often used as well as, or instead of, daily insulin injections - but they are not yet widely used in pets

There are two main types of diabetes mellitus :

• Primary or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) - in which the pancreas does not secrete enough of the hormone insulin. In this condition daily hormone replacement therapy is needed for normal sugar (glucose) metabolism to occur
• Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) - in which adequate amounts of  insulin are produced by the pancreas but the insulin does not work properly in the tissues.

In dogs almost all cases of diabetes mellitus have IDDM - and so daily insulin injections are needed. 75% of cats with diabetes mellitus also have IDDM and require insulin injections, but about 25% have NIDDM. So, for these cats other drug therapy may be helpful .

Studies in cats and dogs conducted in the University of Davis, California have shown that some of the human drugs that are available may be used successfully in some, but not all pets with diabetes mellitus., including :

• Drugs that stimulate the production of insulin by the pancreas - for these to work the pancreas has to have some viable insulin-producing cells present. Cats with NIDDM have been successfully treated with these drugs.
• Drugs that increase tissue sensitivity to insulin - the benefits of these drugs have still to be proven in cats and dogs.
• Drugs that slow intestinal absorption of glucose - these drugs show promise for the management of diabetes in dogs with IDDM, but these patients will still require insulin injections

In addition to insulin and these drugs, all diabetic animals require careful control over dietary intake, and special diets (eg high fibre rations) are often prescribed.

Updated October 2013