Diabetes in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

a broken communication system and a load of glucose with nowhere to go.
Diabetes Symptoms
Weight Loss
One of the first clinical signs that your cat has developed diabetes is weight loss. Your previously pleasingly plump feline may start looking suspiciously slender despite continuing with a regular diet and a typical appetite. Weight loss may not always be perceptible at home but may come up during a regular examination at your vet. This is why annual or biannual visits to your vet are crucial. They allow you to assess your cats health and take action when necessary.
Excessive Thirst
Another clinical sign of diabetes in cats is excessive thirst. If you put water in a bowl for your cat and notice that its getting emptied out more frequently than usual this may be a cause for concern. Similarly if you use a fountain and you notice that it requires refills more frequently the excessive thirst your cat is experiencing may be related to diabetes.
If you notice your cats thirst isnt being quenched quite like it used to it could be a symptom of diabetes.
Increased Urination
Of course the more water that goes in the more urine that comes out. Additionally since your cats kidneys arent able to filter glucose it ends up moving out of the blood and into your cats urine. So not only is your cat urinating more frequently but there are high concentrations of glucose in the urine. This is all related to why your cat gets even more thirsty when diabetes is present.
Nerve Damage
This symptom is uncommon but when diabetes is uncontrolled cats may develop nerve damage in their hind limbs. Luckily this doesnt cause them pain and once a treatment plan is underway this symptom usually resolves.
Treatment for Diabetes in Cats
Treatment for diabetes in cats involves both insulin therapy along with changes in diet. Ultimately the goal of treatment is to get those high concentrations of glucose in the blood down to a normal range. Your vet will also work with you to ensure your cats weight remains in a healthy range. The symptoms of excessive thirst and frequent urination should also subside with treatment. Additionally close monitoring helps to ensure your cats blood sugar levels dont drop dramatically causing hypoglycemia.
With insulin therapy you are required to give your cat insulin injections every 12 hours. Your veterinarian will show you how to do this subcutaneously meaning that youre going to be
injecting insulin under your cats skin. You will also discuss with your vet what type of insulin youll be using and what type of corresponding syringe you need. Aside from insulin keeping your cats diet low in carbs proves to be most beneficial when dealing with cats that have diabetes. Often the recommendation is to switch over to a wet foodonly diet. You can also discuss the timing of each meal with your veterinarian.