Remission of diabetes mellitus in cats with diabetic ketoacidosis.
BACKGROUND
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has long been considered a key clinical feature of type-1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in humans although. An increasing number of cases of ketoacidosis have been reported in people with type-2 DM.


OBJECTIVE
Cats initially diagnosed with DKA can achieve remission from diabetes. Cats with DKA and diabetic remission are more likely to have been administered glucocorticoids before diagnosis.


METHODS
Twelve cats with DKA and 7 cats with uncomplicated DM.


METHODS
Retrospective case review. Medical records of cats presenting with DKA or DM were evaluated. Diabetic remission was defined as being clinically unremarkable for at least 1 month after insulin withdrawal. The cats were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) cats with DKA and diabetic remission; (2) cats with DKA without diabetic remission; and (3) cats with DM and diabetic remission.


RESULTS
Seven cats with DKA had remission from diabetes. These cats had significantly higher concentrations of leukocytes and segmented neutrophils, and significantly lower concentrations of eosinophils in blood and had pancreatic disease more often than did cats with uncomplicated DM and diabetic remission. With regard to pretreatment, 3/7 cats in group 1, 1/5 cats in group 2, and 1/7 cats in group 3 had been treated with glucocorticoids.


CONCLUSIONS
Remission of DM in cats presenting with DKA is possible. Cats with DKA and remission have more components of a stress leucogram, pancreatic disease, and seemed to be treated more often with glucocorticoids than cats with uncomplicated DM and diabetic remission.
Sieber-Ruckstuhl
N S
NS
Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. nsieber@vetclinics.uzh.ch
Kley
S
S
Tschuor
F
F
Zini
E
E
Ohlerth
S
S
Boretti
F S
FS
Reusch
C E
CE
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D005938:Glucocorticoids