Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats. Contrasts and comparisons.

The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is relatively straightforward; however, there are important differences in clinical presentation and the incidence of stress-induced hyperglycemia in cats compared with dogs. This article discusses the pathophysiology that leads to the clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in cats and dogs, compares and contrasts the presenting clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in these animals, and reviews the latest developments in differentiating stress-induced hyperglycemia from diabetes mellitus in cats.