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Source: Thomas Schermerhorn, 785-532-4599, tschermer@k-state.edu
Schermerhorn is pronounced SHEM-ER-HORN
News release prepared by: Corbin H. Crable, 785-532-6415

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

ORIGINS, SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES IN PETS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN HUMANS

MANHATTAN -- Humans have more in common with man's best friend than they probably realize, according to an assistant professor of clinical sciences at Kansas State University.

Pets such as cats and dogs are just as susceptible to diabetes as their human counterparts are, said Thomas Schermerhorn of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

He said warning signs of diabetes in pets include excessive drinking, or polydipsia; excessive urination, or polyuria; and weight loss. In more severe cases, Schermerhorn said, symptoms include vomiting or diarrhea.

"It's not until pets have made an accident in the house or lose weight, for instance, that owners come in," Schermerhorn said. "The symptoms are pretty straightforward. Owners can bring their pets in, and we'll do blood and urine tests."

Schermerhorn said that the types of diabetes in dogs and cats vary but are similar to those detected in humans. Dogs with diabetes, he said, are most comparable to humans who have Type I diabetes, which Schermerhorn characterized as being typically insulin-dependent. Cats, meanwhile, show more characteristics of a Type II diabetic, in which the human's diabetes usually is linked to obesity.

Schermerhorn said the only way a cure can be found is through years of laboratory and clinical research, not simply through clinical practice, where veterinarians make deductions through their textbooks and individual patients.

"The disease will never be addressed until we do species-specific research," he said. "The cure will come years down the road but probably will come in the form of transplantation."

Until the day when the research produces a cure, Schermerhorn said, diabetes in pets is treatable in a similar manner to humans.

"In general, most dogs and cats with diabetes will get insulin injections at home," Schermerhorn said. "Some pet owners are scared to do it at first but become good at it."

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