Report of diabetes mellitus remission in a cat by orally administered glibenclamide

Clinical remission of diabetes mellitus which is one of the most commonly encountered endocrine diseases in cats is not very frequent. A 3-year-old male castrated Russian Blue cat with a history of excessive water intake and urination as well as weight loss, lethargy, and unkempt hair coat was referred to us. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed based on clinical signs of laboratory findings in this cat. The cat was completely treated in six weeks by orally administered glibenclamide. Based on previously reported studies many factors are involved in the remission of diabetes. Most of these are due to the possibility of reversal of glucotoxicity with insulin injections or orally administered sulfonylurea drugs associated with a reduction of carbohydrates in the diet. The animal subject was monitored for 1 year after remission. The cat was normal in blood glucose after each follow-up. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this clinical description is the first report of remission in a cat with type 2 diabetes mellitus by glibenclamide in the veterinary literature reported from Iran.