Diabetes Up in U.S. Cats and Dogs

Diabetes diagnoses are rising at an even faster rate among dogs and cats than their human companions, according to a national analysis of pet health released this week. Diabetes rates increased by nearly a third among dogs in the last four years and by 16% among cats. It is much more common among cats. By comparison, human diagnoses of diabetes rose 10% over the same period. The surprisingly high incidence of diabetes stems in part from rising rates of obesity, said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a veterinarian and chief medical officer for the Banfield chain, based in Portland, Ore. “We have increasing obesity in dogs and cats, just like in humans. It’s no mystery how that occurs: overfeeding and lack of exercise.” “Millions of pets are getting insulin twice a day,” Klausner said. “Dogs can be diabetic for years and do just fine.” Cats can be somewhat harder to treat because they are smaller, and harder to find for the daily injections. The best preventive measure: make sure Buster and Tiger get enough exercise and don’t become overweight. State of Pet Health report 2011.