My cat's glucose is high. Could asthma meds be causing diabetes?

Yes, it is possible with a glucose level that high that Sam has diabetes. However elevated blood glucose can occur secondary to stress in cats so it's impossible to say if Sam is truly diabetic based on only one blood glucose reading. I'd recommend taking Sam to be examined by a veterinarian. A blood glucose curve or a specialized blood glucose test called a fructosamine level can be done to decide if Sam is truly diabetic. Signs of diabetes in cats include increased drinking and eating, weight loss, poor hair coat, and increased urinating. If Sam is exhibiting any of these signs, then I'd recommend getting him checked out right away. This article may be helpful to you as well: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-early-warning-signs-of-diabetes-in-cats/ Thanks for using PetCoach!

Glucose levels in cats should not change based on size. However, levels can increase with stress but anything over 300 is very concerning for diabetes. Several tests can be done to diagnose diabetes. A fasting blood glucose level in addition to a urinanalysis will diagnose most cats, but occasionally a test called fructosamine may be needed. Overweight mid aged male cats are more predisposed to diabetes than others. It sounds like you may need to visit with your veterinarian to make a plan for BB.

Hi there. Pets who are on an insulin dose that is too high can have something happen called the Somoygi effect, which basically means that their glucose levels can drop suddenly and then get really high afterwards as the body "overshoots" as it tries to compensate for the sudden drop. So yes, it's possible for an animal on a too-high insulin dose to have high glucose readings in some cases. This is why blood glucose curves are generally needed to assess the pet's response to insulin. This means checking the glucose level every 2 hours for an 8-12 hour period, to give a clearer picture of exactly how the levels are changing throughout the day. I would recommend talking to the veterinarian who is managing Cupcake's diabetes about how best to monitor her glucose levels and determine if any insulin dosage changes are needed.

Unlike dogs it is very common for cats to have a mildly elevated blood sugar on screening lab work due to stress, called stress hyperglycemia. In some cats this can become higher then your kitties making it hard to differentiate from diabetes. But, cats with diabetes usually have other symptoms that normal cats do not have like increased thirst and urination, and their blood sugar is typically >250 or higher. Some pre diabetic cats will start out with a lower value so monitoring the blood sugar over time or additional testing can be used to differentiate stress from real high blood sugar if needed. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Unfortunately steroids is the only available treatment but in most cases low dose steroids are effective enough (as low as 1 mg per day) to control the condition and at this dosage it is not a health issue.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is not a set number of times per day or anything like that. That is something that is determined based on the current control of the diabetes and is adjusted accordingly. That should be recommended by the veterinarian who is prescribing the insulin and keeping tract of the case closely. There is no way to accurately measure glucose in the urine for these cases. How long it takes to achieve steady levels also varies widely per case but possibly within a week or so. Best of luck!

Yes there is. Talk to your vet about getting her in Budesonide instead for her IBD. This medicaiton has more of a local effect on the GI and doesn’t lead to diabetes as easily. One positive note is that cats diabetes can potentially be reversed by starting them on prescription diabetic food (ie Purina DM, Hill’s M/D). I hope this helps! Best wishes with Chiquita moving forward. Take care.