Lizzie is an 11 year old cat who in March 2023 was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder that affects the ability to regulate blood sugar levels (glucose). It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body doesn’t respond to the insulin that is produced.

Common clinical signs of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst (polydipsia)
• Increased urination (polyuria)
• Increased appetite (polyphagia)
• Weight loss despite increased appetite
• Lethargy

Lizzie was diagnosed due to weight loss, she had lost 1.2kg – a dramatic amount of weight and her owner also reported polydipsia. She used to be quite a big cat and obesity in cats is a risk factor for the development of Diabetes.

Lizzie was diagnosed and started her treatment with twice daily insulin injections. She also started on a prescription diabetic diet to help her stabilize her glucose levels and maintain her weight going forward.

Lizzie responded really well to treatment and last year we suspected she may be in diabetic remission. When we tested her fructosamine, a hormone which reflects glucose levels over the past 2 weeks, it was lower than we expected. Remission is possible some cats and means they are able to regulate their glucose themselves again, without insulin injections.  To test this, Lizzie had a continuous glucose monitor placed. She had to wear a body suit to stop interference with the sensor, as you can see from the photo, Lizzie was not a fan of wearing clothes!

The results from the glucose monitor showed that her glucose levels were quite low at times. As such, we gradually reduced her insulin levels to see how low she could tolerate and eventually we were able to stop the insulin with the readings on the sensor still being normal. Since then, Lizzie has not needed any further insulin injections and has remained controlled by diet alone. Lizzie has continued to come for weight check ups with the nurses to ensure she is still doing well.

 Her brother, Gizmo has also been attending weight clinics at Hollybank Vets. When Lizzie was diagnosed with diabetes, their owner worried that Gizmo was overweight and at risk for developing diabetes too.

Gizmo started the same food as Lizzie, as alongside being formulated to control diabetes, it is also suitable to feed as a weight loss diet.

Gizmo came for weight clinics with the nurses monthly and in total has lost around 3kg!

All of our registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) at Hollybank run free of charge weight clinics, designed to help patients reach and maintain their ideal weight.

At the initial weight clinic appointment, the nurse will obtain history about your pet’s usual feeding and exercise routine. They will take measurements of your pet – usually around their neck, chest and waist and assign them a body condition score (BCS) ranging from 1-9. This will then allow them to calculate your pet’s ideal weight and calculate their resting energy requirement (RER).

This can then be used to calculate the amount of calories that need to be fed to allow weight loss. The nurse will also be able to discuss suitable diets and recommended feeding amounts.

At each appointment, your pet will be weighed, assigned a body condition score and have their measurements checked to assess progress. The percentage weight loss per week will be calculated to ensure that the pet is losing a safe amount of weight as it is important that weight loss doesn’t happen too quickly!

If you have a pet that has been advised needs to lose weight then you may be interested in our nurse weight clinics. Call us on 01606 880 890 or 01606 717969 to arrange a free of charge consultation with the nurses.