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Feline Diabetes: How To Adjust To The Diagnosis

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If your beloved feline has recently been diagnosed as having diabetes, you and your pet are in for quite an adjustment. Although specifics vary from case to case, this overwhelming disease can turn your life upside down, if you're not adequately prepared. The following information can help you make the adjustment with (hopefully) fewer complications.

Adhere To The Strict Diet

Just like a human, a feline diabetic requires a specific diet to remain in hormonal balance. Different types of food will alter your cat's blood sugar levels, potentially interfering with medications; thus, it's in his best interest to stick to a consistent, vet-recommended regimen. You may be required to purchase prescription food for your feline and if so, that's the only thing he should eat, ever.

Be Home As Often As Possible During Adjustments To Medication

Especially right after diagnosis and particularly for severe feline diabetics, finding the right dose of insulin is often a hairy experience. Your cat's system may drop to hypoglycemic or surge to a hyper state in a very short period of time; therefore, it's very important that someone be with him during these potential emergencies. Your vet will advise you on how to recognize symptoms and how to respond, but generally, the cat may need an immediate source of nutrition during urgent times. Once the right dose of insulin and the best type of food have been determined, the cat should be okay on its own.

Form A Bond With Your Veterinarian

You may be making frequent trips or calls to your vet, so get to know the people who work there and memorize the hours of operation. It's also a good idea to know who your emergency facility is, should you need one when your regular vet is closed. It may also be in your best interest to ask about payment plans for your cat's treatment, as diabetics can experience emergency situations at any given time. Although most of these will occur during the initial dosing stage, his insulin needs are subject to change without warning or provocation, meaning you need to be prepared for anything.

Set Aside Some Extra Money

Unless you have a forgiving budget to work with, you should probably start setting aside extra funds for the specific purpose of paying for treatment. A few hundred dollars might be needed for overnight stays at the vet, when the cat's insulin levels need strict monitoring or for other unforeseen situations that can arise with diabetics.

Limit Stress For You And Your Cat

Ideally, your cat is free to snooze the days and nights away as its body adjusts to the sudden and drastic changes imposed by diabetes. Stress can wreak havoc on a feline, just the same way it does to a person. It's also important that you get plenty of rest and are not burdened by too much stress at this time, as your energy and focus will be directed toward the process of getting your cat's diabetes under control as quickly as possible.

Cats are no different from human diabetics, in that, there are many adjustments to make in order to remain well. Although this transition may seem chaotic for both you and your pet at first, once you learn more about the condition and how best to treat your cat, life should resume a normal course, eventually. For more information, contact companies like Veterinary Emergency Services Of Lincoln.


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