Heart, BP & diabetes · cat safety
Are diabetes tablets (शुगर की दवा) toxic to cats?
Moderate
Not safe — diabetes tablets such as glimepiride (Amaryl) and gliclazide can push a cat's blood sugar dangerously low, causing weakness, wobbliness and seizures, sometimes many hours later. Many Indian diabetes tablets combine these with metformin. Call your vet now with the strip.
Why moderate: Sulfonylureas (glimepiride, gliclazide) can drop blood sugar dangerously and may injure a cat's liver; little is published on metformin in cats.
- Name
- Diabetes tabletsalso Glimepiride (Amaryl), Gliclazide, Glipizide, Metformin (Glycomet), Glimepiride + metformin combinations, Sugar tablets
- Hindi
- शुगर की दवा
What counts
Sulfonylurea tablets (glimepiride, gliclazide, glipizide, glibenclamide) and combination tablets with metformin.
What's in it
Sulfonylureas make the pancreas release insulin, which can cause potentially fatal low blood sugar; in cats they may also injure the liver (Lort Smith).
Brands it hides in
- Amaryl and other glimepiride tablets
- Gliclazide and glipizide strips
- Glycomet and other metformin tablets — often combined with glimepiride
- Pill boxes marked 'sugar' or 'diabetes'
Symptoms to watch for
- Weakness, lethargy
- Wobbly walking, odd behaviour
- Vomiting, not eating
- Twitching, seizures
- Yellow gums or eyes (liver) in cats
Minutes to hours, but can be delayed up to 24 hours (Lort Smith).
What to do
Call your vet now — low blood sugar can come on hours later.
- Take the strip.
- If your vet advises it on the phone, rub a little honey or glucose syrup on your cat's gums on the way (Lort Smith) — never pour liquid into a drowsy cat's mouth.
- A cat that is having a seizure or won't wake up needs a vet immediately.
Where Indian cats meet it
India has one of the world's largest diabetic populations, so diabetes tablets are in a huge number of homes — often in open daily pill organisers.
Sources
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.