Diabetes And Weight Loss In Cats

Left untreated it can lead to weight loss.

Diabetes and weight loss in cats. The condition is most common in overweight neutered male cats over 8 years of age and those that exclusively eat a high carbohydrate diet which includes pretty much any diet of dry cat food. Weight loss is an important sign of diabetes in cats. Obese diabetic cats should be fed a diet that promotes 1 to 2 loss of body weight per week. Other symptoms that commonly appear include loss of appetite lethargy and hiding.

An alarming number of cats are developing diabetes mellitus which is the inability to produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose levels. Although not all cat weight loss is caused by cancer it is a relatively common culprit. Diabetes is typically managed with insulin and a diet change. This often involves switching your cat to a high protein low carbohydrate diet.

This slow regulated weight reduction improves insulin sensitivity may reduce the amount of insulin required and increases the probability of long term remission. Your veterinarian may recommend a diet change to help regulate your cat s glucose levels and promote weight loss as obesity complicates diabetes management. 8 common causes of sudden weight loss in cats. 4 anxiety stress or depression.

This is potentially the scariest thing on the list so let s get it out of the way first. It seems counter intuitive that less is more but in the case of insulin it usually is. In addition to unexplained weight loss diabetic cats typically drink an abnormally large amount of water and urinate large volumes as well. Signs of diabetes include weight loss increased appetite thirst and urination and lethargy.

Nutrition is a very important part of managing diabetes in cats. Not all cat weight loss is caused by. 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 they become starved of energy.

So when i joined fdmb back in 2005 i quickly learned that diabetic cats do best on a low carb diet and that the symptoms i saw weight loss excessive urination and hunger were probably due to too much insulin rather than too little. Diabetes is very common in cats and will require immediate veterinary care and ongoing treatment. Diabetes mellitus is another common ailment that can affect cats. Overtime without treatment diabetes is a fatal condition.