Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Metabolic differences in diabetic cats in remission and relapse risk
By Susan Gottlieb et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2020·The Cat Clinic, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, CH·View original on DOAJ →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Metabolic Profiling of Diabetic Cats in Remission
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 20 diabetic cats that had been in remission for about 100 days were studied to see how their blood sugar levels and metabolism compared to healthy cats. Most of these cats still showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, meaning their bodies struggled to manage sugar levels effectively. Over the course of the study, five of the cats relapsed into diabetes, but researchers couldn't pinpoint any specific metabolic markers that could predict these relapses. This highlights the ongoing challenges in managing diabetic cats even when they seem to be doing well.
People also search for: diabetic cat remission signs · why is my cat gaining weight after diabetes · cat diabetes relapse symptoms
Abstract
Background: The majority of diabetic cats in remission have abnormal glucose tolerance, and approximately one third relapse within 1 year. Greater understanding of the metabolic characteristics of diabetic cats in remission, and predictors of relapse is required to effectively monitor and manage these cats.Objectives: To identify and compare differences in plasma metabolites between diabetic cats in remission and healthy control cats using a metabolomics approach. Secondly, to assess whether identified metabolites are predictors of diabetic relapse.Animals: Twenty cats in diabetic remission for a median of 101 days, and 22 healthy matched control cats.Methods: Cats were admitted to a clinic, and casual blood glucose was recorded. After a 24 h fast, blood glucose concentration was measured, then a blood sample was taken for metabolomic (GCMS and LCMS) analyses. Three hours later, a simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test (1 g glucose/kg) was performed. Cats were monitored for diabetes relapse for at least 9 months (270 days) after baseline testing.Results: Most cats in remission continued to display impaired glucose tolerance. Concentrations of 16 identified metabolites differed (P ≤ 0.05) between remission and control cats: 10 amino acids and stearic acid (all lower in remission cats), and glucose, glycine, xylitol, urea and carnitine (all higher in remission cats). Moderately close correlations were found between these 16 metabolites and variables assessing glycaemic responses (most |r| = 0.31 to 0.69). Five cats in remission relapsed during the study period. No metabolite was identified as a predictor of relapse.Conclusion and clinical importance: This study shows that cats in diabetic remission have abnormal metabolism.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00218