What are the symptoms of feline diabetes?
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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 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 -- 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 to75 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.
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