New Treatment Allows Diabetic DCSPCA Cat Tommy to Live Insulin Injection-Free

Until now, a cat’s diabetes diagnosis required twice daily insulin injections. Thanks to a new medication, diabetic cats can live healthily without all the shots.

In January, a handsome 8-year-old tabby cat named Tommy arrived at Dutchess County SPCA. When he arrived, he had already been diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that developed over time (rather than one he was born with), similar to type 2 diabetes in humans. Diabetes occurs when a cat cannot produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose levels. 

Without treatment, diabetes can cause a range of symptoms in cats, including weight loss, vomiting, dehydration, severe depression, loss of motor function, and possibly even coma or death. It is an illness that must be taken seriously, and that’s exactly what we did when Tommy arrived at DCSPCA. 

Until recently, a cat’s diabetes diagnosis required twice daily insulin injections. Unpleasant for cats and challenging for their human carers, the necessity for insulin shots has long been a reason that shelter cats with diabetes have struggled to find adopters. 

With all this in mind, DCSPCA Shelter Veterinarian Michael A. Berman, DVM, decided to try a new approach to treating Tommy’s diabetes. Instead of insulin injections, he decided to treat Tommy with a brand new class of medication recently approved for cats. The medication he prescribed, Senvelgo, is an oral liquid administered once daily that helps Tommy’s body naturally excrete the sugar in his urine.

“The biggest advantage of this treatment is that it is an oral medication, so there is no need to inject insulin twice a day,” Dr. Berman explains. “All of the monitoring and follow-up is the same regardless of whether they are on insulin or Senvelgo, but the big advantage is no injections. So far, he is doing really well. He takes the medication easily and is very cooperative for all his follow-up testing.” 

Tommy is now ready to find his dream home! If you’re interested in adopting this adorable love bug of a cat, please fill out an application here.

Tommy’s response to the oral medication bodes well for other cats with diabetes. Without the need for injections, the difficulties associated with treating diabetic cats could largely be a thing of the past. The DCSPCA team is hopeful that more diabetic cats will now find their homes more quickly. 

Are you worried your cat might have diabetes? You can schedule an examination at DCSPCA’s Public Wellness Clinic by calling (845) 452-7722 ext. 425 or emailing your request to wellness@dcspca.org. Someone will respond to you within 24 hours to book your appointment.