Obesity in our furry friends is at an all time high. We continue to talk with clients about the negative side effects associated with excess weight. Yet it seems it takes a medical crisis before owners take this information seriously. I believe I have mentioned this before but for each extra pound of body weight that adds 4 extra lbs. of pressure on the joints. If your pet is 5 lbs. overweight, they carry around a 20 lb. backpack each day. Exercise is not the key. It is helpful to be active, but intake is the only way to achieve weight loss in our furry friends. All food sources must be considered. Royal Canin sent us the following resource to share with clients about feeding pets from our tables. Take a look and decide whether you might be adding to the problem even with those small bites!
Meet our June patient, Java Joe, a cat of unknown age. We first met him in March related to having blood in stool. Discussion about his excess appetite and thirst gave cause for concern for some underlying health issues. She had just received him and was told he was 5 years of age but no records to prove this. On appearance he looked older. Also was obese based on his body size. She had started to work on weight loss knowing he was heavy.
She agreed to return with him for a wellness exam so we could get some base lines on his bloodwork and urinalysis. Our goal was to see whether we could find cause for his voracious appetite and excessive thirst. Our findings confirmed diabetes since we had glucose in the urine and high levels in the blood. The symptoms matched the diagnosis, so we discussed with the client treatment options.
In years past this diagnosis was a difficult one for many owners because they had no desire to give their cat or dog injections every 12 hours for the rest of the pet’s life. We coached people using saline on how to give the injections. We would have them give the injections at the time of a feeding to make certain the cat or dog was eating normal amounts of food. No free feeding was allowed, and this often conflicted with every pet in the house. As you can imagine, the success of therapy was unpredictable. So many variables to deal with.
About 3 years ago a new treatment came on the market for cats only. It is called Bexacat by Elanco. This medication is not offered to any cats that are currently on insulin or have been on insulin. It can only be used with cats that are newly diagnosed with Diabetes. The medication is a once-a-day CHEWABLE FLAVORED tablet. Owners break it up with their food and cats eat it. No force feeding or hiding required to get cats to eat this medication.
We are excited to report that Java Joe recently returned for a recheck and his values had improved. His owner indicated she is seeing less drinking and peeing at this time. He has gained some weight back so we will need to adjust his feeding schedule to prevent further weight gain. We highly recommended they feed Royal Canin Glycobalance and monitor the volume fed and output. We do not want the cats to get heavy again but are willing to allow them to regain the weight and muscle mass they have lost since showing clinical symptoms of Diabetes. The following contradictions are listed on the Elanco website.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
- Do not use Bexacat in cats with diabetes mellitus who have previously been treated with insulin, who are receiving insulin, or in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The use of Bexacat in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or the withdrawal of insulin and initiation of Bexacat, is associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and death.
- Due to risk of severe adverse reactions, do not use Bexacat in cats with evidence of hepatic disease or reduced renal function.
A second drug called Senvelgo has recently come to the market for diabetic cats. This product is a liquid formulated by Boehiringer Ingelheim (BI). It is for cats only that have not been on insulin. It has similar restrictions as Bexacat but certainly simplifies treatment for owners and their cats.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
- Senvelgo should not be used in cats with diabetes mellitus who have previously been treated with insulin, who are receiving insulin, or in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The use of Senvelgo in cats with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or the withdrawal of insulin and initiation of Senvelgo, is associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA with a normal blood glucose concentration) and death.
It is exciting to be able to offer different options for cats with diabetes that will make treatment easier for their owners. Our focus would be to keep the cats lean and not allow obesity as a prevention for diabetes in the first place. Obese cats have risks of heart and joint issues as well as diabetes. Sound familiar. Amazing how our furry friends can be impacted by excess weight in the same way as ourselves. Monitor the volume of food offered to your pets daily. Adjust the diet up and down to regulate their weight. Talk with your veterinarian if you feel your furry friend is overweight and at risk for diabetes. This disease is preventable. Weight loss can be achieved if an owner is committed to helping their cat or dog live a longer healthier life. Now who isn’t committed to that!