SIGNS OF DIABETES IN CATS

Are you noticing any of the following signs in your cats?

• Excessive Urination
• Excessive Thirst
• Excessive Hunger
• Weight Loss

If your answer is yes then unfortunately your cat is suffering from diabetes. Here is the explanation of these sign of diabetes in cats.

Body cells need energy for survival. This energy comes from glucose. The glucose comes from the food cats eat. Food in the body is broken and the glucose is then absorbed in the blood. In the blood the glucose flow around the body thus providing energy to cells. A part of this glucose is stored in muscle as fats.

Insulin helps the glucose to enter the blood. Insulin can referred as a door-keeper that opens the door of the cell and allows glucose to move in.

In diabetes either there is no insulin or insufficient insulin. Without sufficient insulin glucose is unable to get into the cells of the body. Unfortunately the door-keeper is not there to open the door of the cell for glucose. The cells then are deprived of energy. The body thinks it is energy deficient and gives signal to the brain to eat more; the result is excessive hunger. Too much of food is then needed in an attempt to feed these cells.

The glucose that was previously stored as fat in muscles; then release energy to perform body roles. The result is unexplained weight loss.

Extra glucose enters the blood but it is unable to get in the cells as insulin is not there to open the door of the cell. The level of the glucose in the blood starts to become higher. Kidneys are naturally made in such a way to serve as a barrier of glucose loss in urine. But the extra glucose has to go somewhere. The natural barrier is overwhelmed and the sugar starts to spill in the urine.

This extra urine is to be spilled in the right consistency. The kidneys extract more water from the blood into the bladder to dilute the concentration of glucose. This creates large quantity of urine. To meet this increasing demand the cat will need too much of water.

This entire scenario creates classic signs of diabetes in cats

• Excessive hunger (Polyphagia)
• Weight Loss
• Polydipsia (Excessive Thirst)
• Polyuria (Excessive Urination)

Why Cats Become Diabetic?

Nothings is known for sure that what causes diabetes in cats. However it is thought that genes and obesity are the contributory factors. Sometimes the use of steroids also become the cause of diabetes.