Feline diabetes symptoms

Diabetes develop gradually in cats and it can go unnoticed for a number of weeks. Realizing that your cat has diabetes is made more difficult because in cats the early symptoms of the disease can vary. In the beginning some cats may gain weight. They become very hungry and eat up to four times their normal daily portions. Other cats lose their appetites from almost the moment the disease strikes. Most cats will drink a huge amount of water and urinate it out in the same quantities. Some cats become almost obsessive about water, lurking around taps, bowls, toilets and garden fountains.

Another sign of diabetes is that the back legs are weakened, causing the cat to become very wobbly when walking. This is because once the available insulin in the body decreases, glucose in the bloodstream is not broken down into energy. To get that needed energy, the body instead burns up fat and protein from the muscles. At this point, the skin shows signs of thinning and overall fragility. These metabolic changes can cause another complication – a condition known as ketoacidosis. Basically, when the body breaks down fat for energy, this makes the blood more acidic. Which is not good. Please take your feline friend to the vet as soon as possible.