Increased blood glucose (hyperglycemia) concentrations caused by stress are common in cats. Stress hyperglycemia can complicate the monitoring of diabetic cats. Since insulin doses are sometimes adjusted based on blood glucose levels taken over a period of time (a glucose curve), an increase in blood glucose caused by stress can make it very difficult to interpret the true effectiveness of insulin. Buprenorphine is a morphine-like medication that helps make cats easier to handle and that can be administered by owners at home. The purpose of our study is to determine whether the home administration of buprenorphine will decrease stress hyperglycemia in cats.
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