Monthly Archives: November 2020

Cats, Dogs, The Pet Professionals

Raising awareness of diabetes in pets

November is Pet Diabetes Month!

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that can affect both ourselves and our pets.

The disease is caused by insufficient production of insulin, the hormone responsible for keeping blood sugar (glucose) levels under control, or due to cells becoming resistant to its action.

According to the World Health Organisation, the number of cases of diabetes in people has steadily increased over the past decades. Interestingly, vets also report a rise in the number of diabetic pets that they are seeing in practice.

In both, a number of risk factors have been identified that may be contributing to this rise, such as unhealthy lifestyles with poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity that lead to excessive weight gain and obesity.

However, you are likely to know people that suffer from diabetes who also live fulfilling normal lives, so why do we need to have a whole month dedicated to raising awareness of this disease in pets?

It’s simple – diabetes is an impactful chronic disease that can lead to significant health problems and will culminate in the death of your pets if left untreated.

Glucose is the main substance that fuels the cells and, consequently, all our pets’ bodily functions. With insulin not doing its job, glucose cannot enter the cells, and the blood sugar levels will be persistently high, which has dangerous effects throughout the body. Commonly affected organs include the kidneys, eyes, and central nervous system.

As diabetes is a progressive disease, it may not be easy to spot the signs at an early stage, which can be very subtle. These include:

  • Lethargy
  • Excessive thirst
  • Increased urination
  • Increased appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Poor coat and skin problems

For most pets, treatment is based on daily insulin administration. At first, it will involve a lot of vet visits and monitoring to make sure that the insulin dose is adjusted to your pet and is effective in keeping the disease controlled. However, once that balance is reached, your pets can live long, happy lives.

Providing your pets with a healthy diet as well as regular exercise, and keeping them at a healthy weight are very important to prevent diabetes, and also in managing diabetic pets.

If you recognise any of the signs mentioned, or if you’re struggling to keep your pet at a healthy weight, don’t hesitate to contact your vet.

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Cats, The Pet Professionals

Cats and the cold

As winter is fast approaching, we would like to take some time to talk about our cats’ relationship with the cold and the different ways that it can affect their comfort.
If we had to point out some of the most common features of our beloved domestic felines, we’d probably have “love warm spots to sleep on!” quite high on our list. This would be right next to purring and also their capacity to effortlessly charm us into forgiving them for tossing random things onto the floor.
Despite their luxurious coats, cats generally are not adapted as well to the cold climates as dogs. Most breeds lack the thick, insulating fur that makes freezing temperatures bearable for dogs like Huskies or Samoyeds, with the added issue that they are incapable of retaining body heat when their non-insulating coat is wet.

As temperatures continue to drop, how can we make sure we are well prepared to help our furry friends?

  • Make sure you don’t shut your cat out during the night or for long periods, especially when the weather is wet and cold;
  • Drafts make up for an awful sleeping experience, so position their beds in places that are far away from cold air currents;
  • Your pets will thank you if you add warmer bedding to the areas they usually sleep on;
  • If your cats seem to be restless or if they are starting to sleep in odd places like the inside of closets or on top of laptop vents, it might be a sign they are having difficulty keeping warm;
  • When fostering feral or semi-feral cats that live permanently outside, it’s very important to ensure there is an accessible, warm, dry shelter that is away from freezing wind so that they can protect themselves from the cold.

Not all pets experience the cold in the same way! Depending on their age and some health issues, some cats can be more sensitive to extremes of temperature than others.
Elderly and sick pets tend to be much more vulnerable to lower temperatures because they cannot adapt to them or retain enough heat in their bodies. Chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease and hyperthyroidism will also require that you pay special attention to your pets’ needs during this winter time.

If your cats run away during bad weather and get stuck outside for several hours, time is of the essence! Bring them in as soon as possible, make sure that they are dry and keep them warm. Call your vet and tell them what has happened and ask for further advice, as your pets might need medical assistance due to issues like hypothermia and even frostbite.

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