Research overview: pathophysiology of feline diabetes mellitus

Feline diabetes mellitus most closely resembles human type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance combined with impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells, often in the setting of obesity. Chronic high glucose causes glucotoxicity that further damages beta cells, and islet amyloid deposition contributes to their decline. This overview synthesizes the pathophysiology literature rather than one citation, describing the interplay of resistance and secretory failure, why obesity and inactivity are major risk factors, and how the type 2-like nature of the disease underlies the potential for diabetic remission when glucose toxicity is reversed early. It matters because understanding the mechanism explains both prevention strategies centered on weight control and the treatment goal of achieving remission through prompt, effective glucose lowering.