There is a link between the diabetes of dogs and that of their owner according to a recent study. But no such relationship has been found for cats.

Why it matters
In the world more than 400 million people are diabetics, This number is increasing due to the aging of the population, changes in diets and lifestyles, resulting in more obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

At the same time, pets, dogs and cats, can also become diabetic. Just like in humans, diet, physical activity, obesity influence their risk of diabetes. It is therefore questionable whether there is a link between the diabetes of a dog or a cat and that of its owner. Previous work has indeed shown a link between a dog’s adiposity (fat level) and that of its owner.

What the study shows
This study appears in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal, which each year features slightly “quirky” and light topics for the holidays. It was carried out by Swedish and British researchers who used data from veterinary insurance in Sweden to:

• 175,000 dog owners and 132,000 dogs,
• nearly 90,000 cat owners and 84,000 cats.
  The follow-up lasted for six years.

Researchers have found a link between having a dog with diabetes and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes by 38% compared to owners of a dog without diabetes. Conversely, a dog whose owner had type 2 diabetes had a 28% increased risk of also being diabetic, compared to a dog whose owner was not.

This relationship between a dog’s diabetes and that of its owner could mean that dog owners and their pets have similarities in their behavior, especially when it comes to physical activity and diet. For example, a dog sometimes eats leftovers from his master’s meal.

In contrast, there is no link between a cat’s diabetes and that of its owner. However, cat diabetes looks more like human type 2 diabetes than it does in dogs. The study suggests that there is less connection between a cat’s lifestyle and that of its owner, for example regarding physical activity. Cats are more likely to go outdoors without being supervised by their owners.

The authors also point out that pets and their owners who live under the same roof are often exposed to the same pollutants and endocrine disruptors and that these molecules could act on the risk of diabetes.