This is not painful, and will often resolve with treatment.

In rare cases of uncontrolled diabetes, cats may experience damage to the nerves in the hind limbs, resulting in a “plantigrade” stance of the hind limbs (walking or standing with their hocks on or close to the ground). This high urine glucose concentration can actually pull excessive amounts of water into the urine, resulting in increased urine volume, increased urinary water loss, a propensity for dehydration, and a compensatory increase in thirst. High levels of sugar in the blood can overwhelm the ability of the kidney to filter glucose, allowing sugar to “spill out” of the blood and into the urine. This breakdown results in weight loss, despite an increased appetite.Įxcessive thirst and urination can also signal diabetes in a cat. To get the energy it needs, the body turns to other sources, breaking down fats and proteins to feed glucose-starved cells.

In both Type I and Type II diabetes, the cells in the body are unable to absorb glucose from the blood and become starved of energy. Weight loss may be noticed at home or during a routine examination with the veterinarian. The two most common signs of diabetes noticed by owners at home are weight loss despite a good appetite and increased thirst and urination. Obese cats are up to four times more likely to develop diabetes than ideal weight cats, so the most important thing a cat owner can do to decrease their risk of developing diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight and encourage physical activity through daily play. In some countries, Burmese cats appear to have a higher risk of developing diabetes than other breeds, but this may not be true in the United States. The most important risk factors identified for the development of diabetes in cats include obesity, increasing age, physical inactivity, male gender, and the use of glucocorticoids (steroids) to treat other illnesses such as feline asthma. It is estimated that between 0.2 % and 1 % of cats will be diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetime. In both Type I and Type II diabetes, cells cannot access the nutrients they need even though there is plenty of sugar in the blood, because insulin can’t transport the sugar from the bloodstream into the cells that need it.Ĭats with diabetes most commonly suffer from the Type II form of the disease. In Type II diabetes, glucose levels are high because cells in the body do not respond appropriately to insulin. In Type I diabetes, blood glucose concentrations are high because of a decrease in insulin production. By absorbing glucose, cells in fat deposits, the liver, and the muscles get vital fuel while lowering levels of glucose in the blood. Insulin attaches to cells and signals when the time is right to absorb glucose. However, glucose in the blood requires insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to “unlock” the door to cells. Like the human body, the cells in a cat’s body need sugar in the form of glucose for energy. This results in elevated levels of the sugar glucose in the blood, which is the main source of energy for the body. Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body cannot properly produce or respond to the hormone insulin.

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