Does My Cat Have Feline Diabetes?

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How can you tell if your cat has diabetes? There are many signs that your cat has diabetes: one symptom could be increased thirst, which usually results from increased urination. Other possible symptoms of feline diabetes are: increased appetite, dehydration, depression, weakness, rapid breathing, and walking on their hocks.

You may find that your feline friend is eating more food but losing weight instead of gaining it. They may not be as playful as they once were and may seem to be lying around and sleeping more than usual. If any of these symptoms occur in your cat you should take your furry friend to the vet for blood and urine testing immediately. The urine testing will show if there are traces of glucose in the urine and the blood testing will show the blood sugar levels of your cat. If the disease is left untreated it could be debilitating. The damage caused by feline diabetes could be nerve damage, organ failure, blindness, and even death.

If your cat does have diabetes then there are different treatment options available. One would be to give the cat daily insulin injections. There are some possible negative side effects to the injections on top of the pain caused by receiving injections. You will need to vary your injection site.

If you administer the injections in the same site every time scar tissue will build up and the insulin will not be absorbed properly by the body. You should closely monitor the blood sugar levels to ensure proper insulin dosing, or risk harm and possibly resulting in death.

Another treatment option would be all natural supplements. With all-natural and homeopathic supplements you give the same dosage daily and don't have to worry about any negative side effects or interactions with other medications. You will need to make sure your cat is getting enough exercise as well as maintaining a healthy diet regardless of whether you are giving insulin injections and/or supplements for feline diabetes. If you are giving insulin injections and changing their exercise habits and adding supplements to their diets, these changes can promote more efficient use of insulin in the body.

On the same stroke, pay attention to the cat's blood glucose levels, because the efficiency of supplements and positive health changes could require that the insulin doses be reduced. It is safer for the cat to have slightly high blood glucose levels than if they drop really low. Giving your cat to much insulin can be deadly if not closely monitored. If you can promote a healthier lifestyle for your cat such as adequate exercise, raw unprocessed foods, proper medical treatment such as insulin and health promoting supplements, you may be able to reduce or eliminate their suffering from feline diabetes altogether.