[Diabetes mellitus in young dogs and cats. Case reports and a comparison with relevant literature]

Cases of diabetes mellitus in young cats and dogs (younger than five years) are described rarely in contrary to reports in older patients (older than eight years). Histological alterations of pancreatic islets in young canine and feline diabetic patients represent the main issue of this publication together with the regenerative capacity of insulin-producing cells in these patients. These regenerative phenomenons of differentiated islet cells (replication) or their progenitors (neogenesis deriving from stem cells) are detected in young cats and dogs in isolated cases whereas they are in general missing in older patients. In this publication, own cases are presented together with histopathological as well as clinical findings. The cases are discussed with the relevant literature of veterinary and human medicine.