A simple sugar, glucose, is what the body needs the most to supply energy to the various body cells. This is provided through a complex process known as metabolism. One of the most important functions that go on in the body is to transfer the body’s main fuel, glucose, from the blood stream to the cells.

For transferring glucose to different cells, the pancreas in the body secretes insulin that acts in three ways.

* It prevents the liver from producing excess amounts of glucose.
* It helps the body in storing sugar for use in the future.
* It creates pathways to deliver glucose to the cells so that they get the energy they need to grow.

A defect in the pancreas due to inflammation, infection, injury or otherwise can hamper this process and the resultant condition that leads to high levels of blood sugar is known as diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes in cats, dogs and other animals. Of the two types of diabetes mellitus, insulin dependent diabetes is more common in dogs.