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4 Possible Signs of Diabetes in Cats: Looking Out for Your Feline Friend

Diabetes is a serious disease, and it does not just occur in people—your cat (or dog) can also be affected by diabetes. By looking out for key signs and symptoms, maintaining a good relationship with your Veterinary Health Care Team (including regular check-ups), you can give your cat(s) the best chance of avoiding the disease.

It is estimated that more than half of cats and dogs are overweight or obese worldwide, and diabetes is nearly three times more common in cats than dogs.1,2 There are numerous risk factors involved in developing diabetes mellitus, but obesity is a very important risk factor for cats. Here are four key signs to look out for that might point toward identifying feline diabetes:

  1. Increased urination. One of the most common cat diabetes symptoms is frequent urination. If you use clumping litter, you can check out the litter box for more, or larger, clumps than usual—a possible sign of increased urination. This may be a little challenging with a multi-cat household.

  2. Excessive thirst. A cat that urinates more often will be thirstier and spend more time at the water bowl. These first two signs of diabetes mellitus in cats, excessive urination, and abnormal thirst, are referred to clinically as polyuria and polydipsia, or PU/PD.

  3. Increased appetite. A cat is never one to miss an opportunity for an extra treat, but diabetic cats may be more likely to beg. When a cat has diabetes, the primary energy source it gets from its food—called glucose—is not able to reach the cells. The energy-starved cells signal the brain that they are still “hungry,” which may commence the meowing for more food. This insatiable hunger, often seen in the diabetic cat, is referred to as polyphagia.

  4. Unexpected weight loss. A cat losing weight despite increased food intake is another potential sign of pet diabetes. Because there is poor glucose uptake into the cells, the body turns to other sources of energy, burning fat and muscle, leading to weight loss.

If your cat has one or more of these key symptoms, it is time to schedule your next vet visit and raise your concerns. Feline diabetes is not something you can diagnose yourself, as many of these symptoms may also be signs of other ailments. Clinical signs plus a full physical examination, blood work, and urinalysis will probably all be needed in order to make a confirmed diagnosis.

Following a diagnosis, the management and treatment of your cat’s diabetes may include a combination of dietary changes, a physical activity routine, home glucose monitoring, regular clinic check-ups, and even the use of insulin. Your veterinarian will put together a treatment plan that meets the specific needs of your cat, with the main objectives of controlling clinical signs and keeping blood glucose levels stable.

To learn more about the products, programs, and resources Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has for Feline Diabetes click here.

References

  1. Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Global Pet Obesity Initiative Position Statement. Available online: https://petobesityprevention.org/about/ [last accessed December 2020]

  2. State of Pet Health 2016 Report. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.banfield.com/about-banfield/newsroom/press-releases/2016/banfield-releases-state-of-pet-health-2016-report

  3. ©2021 Boehriner Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. US-PET-0338-2021

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