There's so much information on diabetes in cats and dogs, I couldn't possibly summarize it here; however, I thought it would be good to highlight the symptoms and what causes them.
The most obvious signs of diabetes are:
- drinking a lot - the cat or dog's blood sugars are way up and so s/he feels thirsty to try to "dilute" the blood (aka polydipsia)
- peeing a lot - after all that water intake, an obvious reaction! (aka polyuria)
- eating a lot - because the sugars are not absorbed in the cells, the cat or dog's body tells it to eat more. (I suppose another side effect of the above is pooping a lot but I haven't seen that listed as a sign of diabetes - any vets want to comment?)
- weight loss - you'd think with all that eating, the pet would gain weight but because s/he can't absorb the food properly, the cat or dog looses weight (aka polyphagia)
- lack of energy - no food absorbtion = no energy
- cataracts - longer term effects of diabetes
- sugar in the urine - you can't tell this at home but your vet can test for it
As usual, if you see anything that concerns you about your cat or dog's health, talk to your vet.
FYI... there are two types of diabetes:
Type I - this is where the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys cells that make insulin. This is the kind of diabetes that cats and dogs usually get.
Type II - this is where your body doesn't know how to use the insulin that your body produces normally. Dogs don't usually get this kind of diabetes.
Keeping your pet at a healthy weight through good nutrition and exercise will either help prevent Type II diabetes or help overall health if your cat or dog does contract diabetes.
More reading at www.petdiabetes.org
