Home » Decoding Cat Health: Unveiling 5 Potential Indicators of Feline Diabetes
Decoding Cat Health: Unveiling 5 Potential Indicators of Feline Diabetes

Has your cat been having some strange health issues lately? If your cat is overweight or a male over 8 years old, there’s a high chance they have feline diabetes. Fortunately, this condition is manageable with proper care, especially if you catch it early. In this article, we’ll tell you all the symptoms to look out for in your cat. If you notice any of these symptoms of cat diabetes, make an appointment with your vet for a diagnosis.
1) Weakness in the back legs
Diabetes can often cause a change in gait. Because feline diabetes can often affect the nervous system, some cats who suffer from this disease end up walking differently. Most cats walk on their paws, but diabetic cats often begin walking on their back hocks (the part of the leg above the paw that runs up until the first bend in the cat’s leg).
- Diabetes can cause nerve damage (or neuropathy) that changes the way a cat walks.
- Some diabetic cats will also change the way they walk because they’re in pain.
2) Increased thirst
Your cat may constantly seek out water to drink. Diabetic cats aren’t able to absorb and use glucose properly, which leads to high levels of glucose being filtered out through the urine. When this happens, extra water is carried out of the body along with the glucose. This means that your cat is losing too much water and will start trying to counter this by increasing its water intake.
- Watch your cat’s water bowl to see if the water levels are decreasing more quickly than usual.
- Be mindful about whether your cat is searching for alternative water sources, like drinking out of the sink, the toilet, or other unusual locations.
3) Vomiting
Hyperglycemia can cause nausea and vomiting in cats. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, happens when your cat has too little insulin in its body (or it can’t use its insulin properly). When this happens, your cat may feel nauseous or even throw up. This is a very common symptom of diabetes, especially if your cat has had undiagnosed diabetes for a while.
- Frequent vomiting can lead to dehydration, which can make your cat very sick. If your cat is vomiting for multiple days or can’t keep food and water down, take it to the vet right away.
4) Rough coat
A lack of nutrients can affect your cat’s fur. It’s less common, but sometimes diabetes can be indicated by a change in your cat’s coat. If your cat’s hair looks rough or dull, it is most likely because of a health issue.
- A change in your cat’s fur can also be caused by nutrient deficiencies that aren’t caused by diabetes. Either way, it’s a sign that your cat isn’t 100% healthy.
5) Increased appetite
Diabetic cats often feel hungrier because they aren’t getting the proper nutrients. You may notice that your cat is constantly hungry or eats more food than usual. This could be because it isn’t getting the glucose that it needs from its normal diet, so it’s eating more to make up for it.
- On the flip side, some cats will actually experience a loss of appetite as a symptom of diabetes.
Warnings
- If your cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your vet right away for a diagnosis.
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