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BURMESE CATS HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF DEVELOPING DIABETES

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk  


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

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.

A review of 4402 cat samples submitted to a diagnostic laboratory in Australia demonstrated that the Burmese cat was significantly over-represented in the population of cats with diabetes mellitus.

Rand et al (Australian Veterinary Journal Vol 75, p402-405, 1997) reported that Burmese cats accounted for 20% of diabetic cats of known breed, whereas they constituted only 7% of the non-diabetic population of cats. Thus the authors concluded that the Burmese cat is significantly over-represented, and so is at greater risk of developing diabetes mellitus than other breeds.

The authors also found that 90% of diabetic cats were over 6 years of age and confirmed the conclusions of other studies that advancing age is a  risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus in cats.

In this study another risk factor for the development of diabetes in cats - obesity - was not examined.

 

Updated January 2016