How can I tell if my cat is diabetic?

Question

My cat is drinking ALOT of water, she has had a sore that never seems to heal, and she can't seem to hold it during the night.

Answer 1

Has she lost alot of weight recently? Overweight? Take her to the vet immediately.

She will have to be on meds if she's diabetic, but if you feed her a diet of canned food or raw, she may eventually not need the meds - Innova Evo or Wellness are good brands b/c they have little to no grains, which cats do not need - by feeding kibble we're feeding cats carbs that they don't need, they eat meat in the wild.

This website can help: http://www.felinediabetes.com/

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

My cat is diabetic and drinks a lot of water as well. She tries to hide it by drinking from the tap because she is embarassed, but pees a lot. Go to the vet and ask about it. Often, you can pay to have her on medication or something, but for now just let your cat drink her water until you can take her to the vet. She should be fine for a while.

Answer 4

She really needs to go to the vet. There are other diseases that can cause a cat to drink and urinate more than normal. She should have some bloodtests run to check her liver and kidney function and it will also check her glucose levels. From there the vet can recommend the proper treatment. You shouldn't let this go on too long, obviously there is something going on with her.

Answer 5

Diabetes mellitus
In diabetic cats, there is a relative or absolute deficiency in insulin resulting in impaired glucose uptake by tissue cells which causes hyperglycaemia. As the cells are starved of glucose, they switch to using fat and protein as an energy source. This is facilitated by breakdown of body stores of fat and protein, resulting in weight loss and the accumulation of toxic waste products which can precipitate a diabetic crisis (ketoacidosis).
Clinical signs
In diabetic cats, the hyperglycaemia is so severe that glucose is excreted in the urine (glycosuria). Glucose takes water with it so an increased volume of urine is produced (polyuria - increased amount of urination). To compensate for this, and so that dehydration is prevented, the cat develops an increased thirst (compensatory polydipsia). Weight loss and a voracious appetite (polyphagia) are also frequently seen and these may be the original reasons for presentation to a veterinary surgeon. Therefore the main clinical signs seen in a diabetic cat are:

• Weight loss
• Polyphagia (increased food intake)
• Polyuria (excessive urine production) /polydipsia (increased thirst)

These signs are not always present or may pass unnoticed. For example, the increased thirst may not be recognised if the cat is drinking from water sources outdoors while not noted to be drinking more in the home.

Other clinical signs which may be seen in diabetic cats include:

• Straining to pass urine and/or passing bloody urine associated with a bacterial urinary tract infection (bacterial cystitis)
• Enlargement of the liver evident on examination by a veterinary surgeon (hepatomegaly)
• Poor coat

Diagnosis
Diabetes mellitus is suspected in cats showing the appropriate clinical signs but other diseases may also cause similar signs. For example, other important causes of weight loss in an older cat including kidney disease, cancer, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) and inflammatory bowel disease need to be ruled out.

qualified veterinary nurse UK

Answer 6

She needs to have her yearly checkup at the vet. They'll do blood tests. No matter what, you need to have a vet look after that sore.

Cats don't feel embarrassment. They just like to drink from the tap.