Clinical Studies

Description:

Diabetes is a frequently diagnosed condition in cats and is treated with insulin therapy as a standard. The management of diabetes in cats can require regular office visits, hospitalization, and frequent subcutaneous injections of insulin. All of this medical intervention is contrary to the instincts of cats, who would prefer to be at home. Since many cats have some component of type II diabetes, it is reasonable to ask if a dietary innovation that provides fat loss and other metabolic normalization can reverse the diabetic state in cats and induce an insulin remission. A new cat diet has been shown to reduce body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass in cats. Furthermore, it may decrease insulin needs. Accordingly, the following clinical study now seeks to determine if feeding this new diet without concurrent insulin therapy can induce insulin remission in cats with diabetes.

Eligibility criteria:

• Cat with a new diagnosis of diabetes within 1 month of study entry and has not received insulin therapy for >3 days
• No history of unscheduled hospital visits for reasons related to (e.g. hypoglycemic episode, ketoacidosis) in the last 30 days
• No diet changes in the previous 21 days
• No prolonged (>3 days) of decreased appetite or vomiting in the last 30 days

Participating hospitals:

• Veterinary Specialty Hospital – Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA
• Veterinary Specialty Hospital – North County, San Marcos, CA
• Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Marin, San Rafael, CA