Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Loose-control of diabetes mellitus with protamine zinc insulin in cats: 185 cases (2005-2015).
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Restine, Lisa M et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Medicine · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at how well cats with diabetes mellitus (a condition where the body can't properly manage sugar levels) responded to a treatment called protamine zinc insulin over an 11-year period. They followed 185 cats, adjusting their insulin doses based on how they were doing. The results showed that about 56% of the cats went into remission, meaning their diabetes symptoms improved significantly. Factors that helped included using a low-carb diet, having lower blood sugar levels during treatment, and not having serious complications at the start. Overall, the treatment was effective for many cats, with some living for several years after starting it.
Abstract
This study evaluated the outcome of cats with diabetes mellitus treated with a loose-control approach using protamine zinc insulin and identified factors that influence the likelihood of remission and survival in these cats. A total of 185 client-owned domestic cats were followed until death, lost to follow-up, or the end of the 11-year study. These cats were treated primarily basing insulin dose adjustments on clinical response. Patient records were used to examine factors suspected of influencing success of diabetes management. The remission probability was 56.2%. Survival time ranged from 0 to 3808 days with a median of 1488 days. Recent pre-diabetic corticosteroid use, lower mean blood glucose concentration during treatment, and lower mean insulin dose significantly increased the likelihood of remission. A low-carbohydrate diet, occurrence of remission, lack of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis, lower mean blood glucose value during treatment, and lower blood glucose value at diagnosis were significantly associated with increased survival time.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30992596/