Symptoms of Feline Diabetes

Feline diabetes is one of the most serious diseases that can affect your cat. It can present itself in two types, known as type I and type II diabetes mellitus. Type I diabetes is caused by the insufficient production of the hormone insulin, by the cells of the pancreas, while type II diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. In the latter case, insulin is produced by the pancreas, but the body cells fail to utilize it properly.

Older or obese cats are more likely to be affected by feline diabetes mellitus, while male cats are found to be more prone to this disease than the females. Feline diabetes mellitus is a severe disease, which if left untreated, can lead to other serious complications like heart diseases and kidney failure. Therefore, monitoring the symptoms of diabetes is crucial to maintain your cat's health and to prevent any undesirable consequences.

Causes of Feline Diabetes

As has been mentioned already, diabetes is caused by the insufficiency or resistance to insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the cells of pancreas and is responsible for the proper absorption and utilization of glucose by the cells of muscles, fat tissues and liver. The carbohydrates are broken down into glucose molecules in the small intestine and then they are absorbed by the intestinal cells. From there, they pass into the bloodstream that carries them to the other parts of the body. But in the absence of insulin, the body cells cannot absorb glucose from the bloodstream to derive energy. As a result, the cells starve while the level of glucose in the blood increases.

What exactly impairs the normal production of insulin or causes insulin resistance is not known. However, genetic predisposition and obesity are regarded to as important contributory factors. Diseases like hyperthyroidism, Cushing's disease, pancreatitis and steroid medications, are also associated with diabetes in cats.

Symptoms of Feline Diabetes

The common symptoms is sudden weight loss or gain, excessive thirst and urination. As the level of blood glucose increases, the kidneys try to remove this excess glucose by producing more urine. This increases the frequency of urination as well as thirst. Some other symptoms include weakness, dehydration, loss of appetite or increased appetite and breathing problems.

Many cats also become more prone to develop cataract due to the damaging effects of high blood glucose on the blood vessels found in retina. Weakness of the hind legs is another common symptom. As the body cells cannot utilize glucose, they tend to use fats for deriving energy. In this process, ketones are produced, which can cause diarrhea, rapid breathing and a smell of acetone in the breath and lethargy. Besides these, feline diabetes is also associated with degradation of the condition of the skin and coat and even depression.

Feline diabetes is usually diagnosed by testing the level of blood glucose and level of sugar in urine. Insulin injections and oral medications are usually used in the treatment. However, veterinarians also recommend a change in the diet for controlling both weight and diabetes. An ideal diet for this condition has to be rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates. If properly monitored and regulated, its prognosis has been found to be quite satisfactory with the instances of many cats living up to several years without any serious complication.