A SIMPLIFIED INTRAVENOUS GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TESTING WITH MINOR MODIFICATIONS IS CLINICALLY APPLICABLE FOR CLIENT-OWNED CATS

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common form of DM in cats and humans. The intravenous glucose tolerance test is the recommended method for evaluating glucose homeostasis in cats. However, the requirements for anesthesia and hospitalization have prevented the clinical application of this test. To evaluate the clinical applicability of the simplified intravenous glucose tolerance test (SIVGTT) with minor modifications for client-owned cats, 38 client-owned cats with variable body weight were collected. The cats were divided into obese and lean groups based on body weight and feline body mass index (FBMI). All the cats were fasted for 12[Formula: see text]h. The owners accompanied the cats for catheter placement and during the entire duration of the test. The cats were covered with towels, and their blood was drawn via an extension of a winged infusion set. Glucose and insulin concentrations were measured before glucose injection (1.0[Formula: see text]g/kg) and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after glucose administration for the modified SIVGGT. A complete evaluation was achieved in 32 of the 38 cats (84%) using the modified SIVGTT, and significant differences between obese and lean cats were detected. The results are, in similar to previous reports in which the cats were hospitalized and anesthetized. In addition, three glucose-intolerant cats were identified by the test. Taken together, the modified SIVGTT was proven to bed clinically applicable, and it could be recommended in the future for the evaluation of glucose homeostasis in cats.