Hunger And Weight Loss - Does Your Cat Have Diabetes?

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Cats can develop a wide variety of illnesses and diseases that humans are susceptible to, like kidney disease or even cancer. Believe it or not, diabetes is another illness that cats can develop. If you want to know more about this illness or you suspect that your cat might have it, keep reading.

Why Cats Develop Diabetes

Like humans, cats can develop diabetes for a variety of reasons. Although scientists haven't yet pinpointed the development of diabetes down to a single cause in cats, there are a few leading theories. One is that cats who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes, just like humans. Another is that some breeds are naturally more susceptible to developing diabetes than others. Unfortunately, since there's no one cause behind all feline diabetes cases, there isn't anything pet owners can do at this point to guarantee prevention of the disease. However, keeping your cat at a healthy weight may help to reduce their risk of developing it.

Cat Diabetes Symptoms

Cats who develop feline diabetes exhibit many symptoms that are shared in common with other diseases. For example, cats with diabetes tend to exhibit extreme thirst and excessive urination, which are also symptoms of kidney disease.

Thankfully, there's one pair of symptoms that generally stands out in feline diabetes: excessive hunger combined with weight loss.

Like humans, cats with untreated diabetes may experience extreme or sudden weight loss. This is because the body can't break down the nutrients in your cat's food adequately due to an insufficient quantity of insulin. In short, a cat with diabetes will feel hungry and eat more as a result, but they will most likely still lose weight at an alarming pace.

Treating Feline Diabetes

At this point in time, there's one way to treat feline diabetes: regular insulin shots. While this might sound alarming, most pet parents can be taught to inject their cat with insulin. Unlike some other diseases, feline diabetes isn't a death sentence, and with proper management, your cat can live a long and healthy life despite being diabetic. Regular vet visits will be necessary to test your cat's blood to see if they're maintaining a healthy blood sugar level with their insulin injections, but otherwise, with proper nutrition and health care, your cat will most likely be just fine.

Finding out that your cat has any kind of health problem can be scary, but diabetes is quite treatable. If you suspect that your cat is eating more than usual yet losing weight, get to a veterinarian immediatelyto avoid severe health complications from untreated diabetes.   

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29 December 2016

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