If your cat has diabetes, there are not many options for curing the disease. Diabetes may be treatable, but it is not curable, which is where many cat owners start to feel uneasy about the disease. Some even wonder if putting their cat down is the best option because they love their cat enough to not see it go through the pain of diabetes. But should you really euthanize your cat with diabetes?
In this article, we will look at our alternate options other than euthanizing your cat, as well as logical considerations that you can apply to your situation. These will help you judge whether you want your cat to be euthanized.
So let’s get into it.
Signs when you should euthanize your diabetic cat
It can be a sensitive topic to think about your life after you put your cat down, but just remember, it is for your cat’s own good.
Because of this very reason, you must make the right decision based on your cat’s disease so your cat does not suffer as an outcome.
So before you make the final decision to euthanize your cat, there are some things you should look for.
Insulin not working
Firstly, one of the main signs you should look for if your cat has diabetes is if you have tried and tested insulin, and it either gives allergies to your cat or it just never works.
If this is the case, your vet may prescribe different brands of insulin, but instead of causing improvements in blood sugar, it keeps on getting worse.
When this happens, your vet may consider euthanizing your cat to keep the situation from getting worse and worse.
But vets always consider all the factors before this decision, so no stone is left unturned.
Internal problems arising because of diabetes
If you know a little something about diabetes, you know that even though it is a pancreas affecting disease, it can quickly become a much bigger problem if not taken care of.
There have been cases in young cats where diabetes was not taken seriously, and because of this, it caused kidney and liver failure as well.
If this happens, the cat will obviously be in pain, because it will now have to undergo treatments like kidney dialysis alongside.
Hence, it can be a viable situation to euthanize your cat if the disease is just too painful for your cat.
Old age of your diabetic cat
Just like humans in their old age, cats are not able to do much. Their bodies become weak, and their immune system is not that strong anymore to fight diseases easily.
Medications are also hard to process which makes it harder to keep them alive if they are inflicted with a disease.
Similarly, if your cat has very high blood sugar due to diabetes, a higher dose of insulin may be prescribed, which will do nothing but impact negatively on its health.
The situation can turn for the worst if it also develops a kidney or liver disease along with diabetes; it will find it hard to survive.
Instead of the cat being treated under intensive care at the veterinary hospital, many cat owners prefer to euthanize it to save it the pain of treatment.
And this is understandable, because in extreme cases, the cat usually does not survive after all the heavy treatments and medications.
Predicted survival rate
This is not the most important factor, as it can be a bit misleading, but after you’ve considered all the above factors to influence your euthanizing decision, look into this as well.
This can depend on what your vet suggests, and what other cat owners in a similar situation have experienced before you.
If the overall expected survival rate of your cat after ICU is low, it may be okay to euthanize it.
However, if the overall survival rate of your cat after medications and ICU is moderate, but the cat will have to bear the pain of diabetes and other diseases all its life, then it is better to euthanize it than keep it alive rather painfully.
Signs when you should not euthanize your diabetic cat
If you’ve considered euthanasia for your cat but see these signs, you should reconsider your decision as soon as you can.
Cat can be healed
If you have been told that your cat will need to be surgically treated, and the chances of survival are high, then you should consider a change in your decision.
But always clear your queries with your vet about what are the next steps in your cat’s diabetes journey, and other questions like what is its remaining life expectancy.
Sometimes it may look like your cat’s condition is not getting better, but in reality, you may need to give it some more time to have its effect on your feline friend. So do not make your decision in a rush.
Insulin working but at a higher dose
It can often look like the insulin is not working for your cat. In this case, you usually have two options, and of course, the vet tries both of them on your cat.
The first option is to increase the dose of insulin. Usually fixes high blood glucose levels in cats and brings it back to normal soon.
If this does not work, your doctor may change the brand of insulin altogether. Many cats then adjust to the new brand and then manage to outlive their life expectancy.
Both ways, don’t be hasty. Take time to work through the best decision for your cat with your vet before euthanizing.
The case is different if the insulin is causing other problems like obesity, heart problems, etc.
Medications that don’t cause other side effects
It is tough to see the insulin cause other problems in your cat.
If this is the case, then depending on the intensity of the disease, your cat will be given medications.
So if your diabetic cat is slowly going towards kidney failure, it will be given much stronger medications than if it was just facing kidney pain.
Therefore, it is best not to euthanize ist because the chances of it surviving and living a healthy life are more.
Financial issues hindering further treatment
If financial issues are the problem, because it can be tough to manage the expenses of a cat that has to be given a lot of medicines, then don’t worry.
There are cat care charities or shelters that will usually subsidize the cost of the medicines, or if you don’t want to keep the cat, you can give it to the shelters.
Look for these in your local area and ask your vet about them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, should you euthanize your diabetic cat? Is it the best option to do so?
The answer for this entirely depends on the situation. Every cat is different, and no one can predict the chances of survival of your cat after being diagnosed with diabetes.
But generally, based on patterns of diabetic cats in the past, cats do survive if they are given proper care. So they need not be euthanized.
However, if you see that the medication is causing your cat more harm and pain than benefiting it, and the vet thinks it is a good idea to euthanize it, then by all means go ahead.
There will always be some kind of doubt and uncertainty when it comes to euthanizing your cat, but if you must do what is best for your cat.
Hopefully, our article should help you in making the right decision, but don’t forget to consult the vet beforehand!
The decision for euthanization for cats with ibd, lymphoma, leukemia, brain tumor, bladder cancer, kidney failure, liver failure, hyperthyroidism, fip or diabetes can be difficult. Multiple expert opinions can actually be best for your cat.
