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*Chronic disease caused by deficiency of insulin and therefore disorders of carbohydrate metabolism
*Chronic disease caused by deficiency of insulin and therefore disorders of carbohydrate metabolism
*Occurs in most species, most commonly in dog and cat
===Aetiology===
Can be caused by
*Absolute deficiency of insulin
*Antagonism of insulin by hormones from the adrenal and thyroid glands, anterior pituitary causing high levels of blood glucose
*Complication of pancreatic fibrosis
*Insulin binding antibodies, insulinase and plasma antagonists imbalance
=Clinical signs=
===Clinical signs===
*Hyperglycaemia
*Polyuria
*Polydypsia
*Ketonuria
*Metabolic acidosis
*Reduced cardiac output (due to loss of water and sodium), reduced blood pressure and renal flow causing circulatory collapse, coma and death
===Pathology===
*Pancreas appers normal or reduced in size due to fibrosis
*In cats, amyloidosis is sometimes present in the islets
*Fatty change is consistently present in the liver and kidneys
*The lens in the eye is often opaque due to deposition of sorbitol causing it to swell (glucose is converted into sorbitol once the glycolytic pathway is saturated)