diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 is the multifactorial endocrine disease with the highest and increasing prevalence in the feline species. It is an endocrinopathy of multifactorial etiology caused by genetic and environmental causes, among which obesity is of note. It is a syndrome associated with persistent hyperglycemia that develops as a consequence of the loss and/or dysfunction of insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells and the establishment of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. The following monograph represents an updated bibliographic review that has as objectives the compilation, analysis and organization of the information available in the scientific literature, highlighting the relevance of the disease in cats, and the importance of its study for the veterinarian. Various topics related to the pathophysiology, treatment, diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes, causes of insulin resistance and complications of poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes are addressed in six chapters.