Symptoms of Feline Diabetes

Symptoms of Feline Diabetes

symptoms of feline diabetes

It is important that you are aware of the symptoms of feline diabetes, especially if you own a cat that is overweight. A cat that is overweight is more likely to develop the condition than a cat that is kept in top health.

An overweight can is putting stress on the functions of the body and this can increase the amount of sugar in the blood. This means that the body has to work harder to produce the insulin required; unfortunately cats that are obese find their bodies do not produce enough of the chemical and this can result in the cat developing diabetes.

It is important to monitor the amounts of food and liquid that your cat is consuming, this is a good indicator that there is something that is going wrong in your pet.

Here is some great information on the symptoms of feline diabetes:-

“You might want to be a fat cat, but you sure don’t want your feline to become one. There are a many reasons to keep your cat at a healthy weight, but avoiding feline diabetes may be the biggest.

Feline diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a common disease often found in older and overweight cats. Similar to diabetes in humans, feline diabetes occurs when there is not enough insulin (a hormone made in the pancreas) in the cat’s body to balance out the glucose (sugar) in the cat’s diet.

In normal cats, food is broken down during digestion and the resulting glucose enters the bloodstream. Insulin is then released to regulate the blood’s glucose levels. If your cat isn’t producing enough — or any — insulin, he will become diabetic. And if too much glucose builds up in his body due to the lack of insulin, the disease can become dangerous and even life threatening.

So what symptoms of feline diabetes should you look for? Begin by monitoring your cat more closely, especially if he’s older or is overweight. Have you observed him drinking or eating a lot more than usual? Take note if his water bowl goes dry or his food dish empties faster than it used to — especially if he’s eating more and still losing weight. Another symptom to watch for is unusually frequent urination.

All of these are key signs that his glucose levels are going unregulated and are symptoms of feline diabetes — the lack of insulin is preventing his cells from absorbing and getting energy from glucose, and the resulting excess glucose in his blood is making him thirsty. If you observe these symptoms, make an appointment to see your vet. She can run a laboratory test to check how much sugar is in his blood or urine and make a diagnosis.

According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, about 50 to 75 percent of cats with diabetes need to receive insulin injections, and some may also be prescribed pills to help regulate their glucose levels. Crucial to the treatment of diabetes is revisiting your cat’s diet.

You’ll need to work with your vet to change and watch his diet, feeding him smaller portions of foods specially designed to help his body handle sugar. Monitoring his food and water intake, waste output and weight will be important in making sure his diabetes is properly treated. Some trial and error might be necessary in finding the best treatment for him, so call your vet right away if your cat’s symptoms return.

Although there isn’t a cure for diabetes, some cats — even after just a few months — will stop needing insulin. This is most common in overweight cats that lose their extra weight — the cat’s pancreas can once again supply the amount of insulin his body needs.

Diabetes is a challenging disease to deal with, and it’s best prevented by keeping your cat at a healthy weight. However, with good monitoring and care a cat with diabetes can live a long, happy life.”

What is surprising is the quickness that a cat’s body reacts to the treatment. The correct diet and losing of the weight can have a positive effect on the cat and the diagnoses of the disease.

It is possible that the cat can change their diet and body weight that they might not need to have regular injections of insulin once the health of the cat has improved.

To prevent your cat from developing this condition it is important that you look after your pet. You need to make sure that it has plenty of adequate exercise and the right type of diet so that you are not faced with the problem of an unhealthy cat that develops diabetes.

It can take many months of care and treatment, it might even be for the entire cat’s life that you need to monitor their health and inject them with insulin. But it can be prevented in some cases through the proper nutrient and diet, but always look for the symptoms of feline diabetes.