Sitting here thinking strange thoughts.....

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Old Holborn said:
Do animals get Diabetes ?
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Anything, any mammal, with a pancreas can get diabetes.
Remember they tortured dozens of dogs to death between 1870 and 1922 to find the answer to what the basic cause was.
The first insulin developed by Collip was canine insulin. They rapidly moved on to bovine and porcine insulin because doggy insulin caused too many reactions. Pigs are quite near us on the evolutionary scale and their insulin differs from ours by a single chromosone(?).
 
Peter C said:
Anything, any mammal, with a pancreas can get diabetes.
Remember they tortured dozens of dogs to death between 1870 and 1922 to find the answer to what the basic cause was.
The first insulin developed by Collip was canine insulin. They rapidly moved on to bovine and porcine insulin because doggy insulin caused too many reactions. Pigs are quite near us on the evolutionary scale and their insulin differs from ours by a single chromosone(?).
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The dogs had their pancreases removed or the ducts ligated rather than developing diabetes. Banting and Best discovered insulin, Collip helped purify their concoction so it caused fewer bad reactions. They used bovine pancreases from the slaughter houses, a ready and large supply. I don't remember reading anywhere that the ever used canine insulin, except on the dogs themselves (most famous of them was Dog 33 aka Marjorie)
 
xxlou_lxx said:
lol could you imagine taking a cats blood sugar my cat would tear me to shreds 🙄
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Maybe my Ziggy would as she's very docile but Bilbo, no way, he's evil on legs. He looks at you through slitted eyes all the time.
 
I know a chap with a diabetic cat. One basal injection per day. He has her on what is known as the CatKins diet - extremely low carb so wet food only with no biscuits.
 
Mice are mainly protein and fat - only 3% carb apparently. Makes sense for cats to low carb I guess 😛
 
When I was a little girl (many years ago 😛) our dog developed diabetes. My mother used to have to inject it every day with insulin. The only thing the dog was allowed to eat was boiled chicken. To this day, my mother who is 80 next month can't face eating chicken.

I am keeping a careful eye on one of my cats at the moment as I think she has lost a bit of weight and seems to be drinking a fair bit too. OH reckons I am being paranoid but I will see how she goes.
 
xxlou_lxx said:
lol could you imagine taking a cats blood sugar my cat would tear me to shreds 🙄
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I actually tested my cat about a year ago. He was looking awful, losing weight and drinking lots and I was really worried he had diabetes. It two attempts to get a drop of blood out of his paw, but we managed it. Fortunately his levels were normal for a cat. I would not want to have to do that on a regular basis.
 
rachelha said:
I actually tested my cat about a year ago. He was looking awful, losing weight and drinking lots and I was really worried he had diabetes. It two attempts to get a drop of blood out of his paw, but we managed it. Fortunately his levels were normal for a cat. I would not want to have to do that on a regular basis.
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awwwwww. reminds me (for some reason) of when we had to give one of our cats a bath twice in a week because she'd been digging in compost and absolutely stank. not an experience i'd want to do again.
 
rachelha said:
I actually tested my cat about a year ago. He was looking awful, losing weight and drinking lots and I was really worried he had diabetes. It two attempts to get a drop of blood out of his paw, but we managed it. Fortunately his levels were normal for a cat. I would not want to have to do that on a regular basis.
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Rachel what is a normal level for a cat?? 🙄 Eyes up the cat who is drinking again and the meter on the table :D
 
lyndasw said:
Rachel what is a normal level for a cat?? 🙄 Eyes up the cat who is drinking again and the meter on the table :D
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If I remember right it is 4 to 6.5. I have to say I found the whole process far more upsetting than the cat did. I would not try it by yourself though. I had my OH holding him, while I did the paw pricking and checking bit. I think you can use their ears too, but I did not like the idea of that.
 
ummm thanks will think long and hard about testing her myself as she will do completely mad. think it might be a vet visit but I ill see how she goes...
 
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