Cat Illness - Cat Diabetes (Feline Diabetes)

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas, which is an organ found in the abdomen just under the stomach. The pancreas is part of the endocrine system which regulates hormones in the body and produces some of the digestive enzymes responsible for the breakdown and absorption of food, and insulin which regulates carbohydrate absorption and conversion to glucose for energy.

In the cat which has developed diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) the pancreas either fails to produce sufficient insulin (Type I) or the body is not able to use the insulin properly (Type 2). This results in abnormally high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood and leads to a set of signs and symptoms classically associated with feline diabetes:

• Drinking copious amounts of fluid
• A much larger appetite than normal
• A marked loss of weight despite the increased appetite

The diagnostic signs of feline diabetes are excess levels of sugar in the urine (glycosuria) and high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) and your cat's blood and urine will be tested by your veterinary surgeon to confirm the diagnosis.

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If the condition is left untreated the symptoms will worsen, leading to vomiting, a reduction in appetite and severe dehydration caused by the excess amounts of water passed. The dehydration is a direct result of the excess glucose in the urine and its increased production, and despite drinking so much fluid they lose too much water to stay sufficiently hydrated.

Diabetic cats lose their resistance to infection because of their raised blood glucose levels and often fall ill with urinary, skin and lung infections. A classic sign of advanced diabetic emergency is ketoacidosis, when the body goes into overdrive in an effort to produce more glucose for energy. Ketones can then be detected on the breath of the cat and smell like peardrops. In such cases immediate and emergency treatment is required as it is likely that the cat will fall into a diabetic coma without intervention.

Unfortunately feline diabetes is becoming much more common, especially in the mature cat, simply due to weight gain from eating too much food and not burning off the calories with enough exercise. The insulin produced just cannot keep up with the amount of carbohydrates being taken onboard and the symptoms if not treated adequately and in time will lead to a rapid worsening of their condition.

You can help prevent cats developing diabetes by watching their dietary intake and encouraging more active playtime. Once overweight cats get used to running around the weight will start to drop and energy levels will increase markedly in relation to the reduction in weight. This care in conjunction with the insulin regime your veterinary surgeon will prescribe, and will ask you to administer on a daily basis in the form of injections, will control the disease to give them a happier life.

If you are about to get a kitten, diabetes is less likely to develop if you take early steps to regulate diet and promote exercise to keep them lean and healthy. Cats are not meant to be fat - they are hunters by instinct with highly developed muscle control and keen senses; to let your cats overeat and become overweight is letting them down in your commitment of care and your responsibility for their health and welfare.

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