Cat Diabetes Symptoms / Prevention

Diabetes is a common cat disease and is due to the cat’s inability to produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose. Many times the cat's symptoms go unnoticed by the pet owners because cats tend to hide their sickness from their owners. If the diabetes condition goes untreated by a veterinarian this cat disease can lead to weight loss, vomiting dehydration, behavior concerns, the cat's inability to do everyday activities, coma, and even death.

My rescued cat Nikki was healthy even though she ate like she had a hollow paw. (In my experience rescue cats do eat more and I think this is because they were on the streets and did not know where to go for their next meal) So this cat always had a problem with her weight but was healthy otherwise. However, that changed when she was she grew older and at age 14 she showed outward symptoms that were an indication that something was wrong.

Nikki developed an enormous appetite, she would eat all of her food and then try to eat the dog's food. She was constantly meowing at the food container or trying to catch a fish at our aquarium.

Along with extreme hunger, she urinated more plus constantly drank from the water bowl. These were all symptoms that something was wrong, So I made an appointment with a veterinarian checkup, and my cat Nikki was diagnosed with Diabetes.

I was told that Insulin is a hormone that stems from the pancreas. Insulin regulates the cat’s flow of glucose from the bloodstream to the body cells. When there is not enough insulin the cat’s body will start to break down the fat and the cat will lose weight. If the cat develops high levels of sugar in the bloodstream the cat will show signs of increased thirst and the cat’s urine flow will increase.

Cat Diabetes is a common health condition; age, stress, poor diet, and being overweight will put your cat at high risk. Also, an FIV cat can get diabetes because the virus is slow in developing but when it does take hold of the cat then it will weaken the cat's immune system which makes the cat susceptible to other health concerns, including diabetes.

Recommendations:

Watch your cat for diabetes symptoms; increased appetite, frequent urination, excessive intake of water, weight loss, or increased weight. If your cat has any of these symptoms then contact your veterinarian. The veterinarian will check for sugar levels in the bloodstream and urine.

Feed the cat canned food that has limited ingredients, one protein, no corn, soy wheat, rice, or other grain fillers. A high-protein food like Natural Balance's limited ingredients duck would be a good choice. Feed your cat the allowed amount and no more, no treats, to keep them at a healthy weight.

(Duck is a good protein for cats because it is less likely to cause them to be allergic to their food) Learn more about foods that cats are allergic to here

Tips

Cat diabetes can affect any cat breed as well as any age. Studies show that diabetes is more common in mature overweight to obese cats with little or no exercise.

Prevent cat diabetes by keeping your cat at a healthy weight. If your cat is obese then their risk of developing diabetes is greater.

Warnings:

If your cat has diabetes and is left untreated the disease will progress and shorten the cat’s lifespan.

Rushed FIV Cat to Veterinarians

Two days ago my FIV cat named Sam was playing with his toys and talking to the birds from the window.  he was fine happy and loving life then the following day he did not eat his food.  All that he did was drink water and this was a red flag that something was wrong.

My Siamese Cat named Sam, Playing one day, next day sick.

Because Sam has feline immunodeficiency virus we react differently to any changes in diet or mood because stress or illness could be a fatality for an FIV cat.

After 10 hours Sam did not attempt to eat his food, all he did was drink water so we took him to the veterinarian.  They gave him a physical exam, took blood for tests, and urine and said his urine was cloudy and not concentrated the way it should be.

The veterinarian told us to feed Sam k/d kidney care diet.  this canned food made by Hill's Prescription was formulated to support my cats kidney health.  We have no idea how Sam's kidneys were damaged, not sure if it is part of the FIV condition.  But we were told that this cat diet food will help in maintaining the balance of fluid and minerals and support my cat's kidney health. 

We bring Sam home tomorrow morning and I am to watch him over the weekend, if he does not eat his food I am to call the veterinarian office on Monday.
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Health of FIV Cat Improves After 10 Days in Hospital

In December my FIV cat named Sam, woke up one day and was sick. He had a high fever and would not eat. We rushed him to the veterinarian, and they put him in the hospital for ten days.  Sam was given intravenous fluids, a shot of B12, antibiotics, and appetite-inducing medication. Sam was very ill and at the time the veterinarian did not know if it was due to FIV or something else.

We were told that Sam had renal failure and that his teeth needed to be removed due to feline stomatits but due to his infection he could not have his teeth removed because he lost too much weight.

View this youtube.com video to learn more about feline stomatits.  We were told that this condition is common with cats that has FIV, feline immunodeficiency virus.

After 10 days of hospital care, Sam came home and he was put on a renal diet. Sam who loves to eat food, hated the new diet and refused to eat it. We tried 3 different varieties of foods and each one was not suitable for my junk food cat. 

 He liked Blue Buffalo Healthy Living Chicken and Brown Rice cat food mixed with Purina Friskies Senior Diet Salmon Dinner in sauce pate canned cat food. This food combination made my cat Sam sing.

So when I had to take away his favorite food for a plant-based diet LP by Royal Canin with very low protein my kitty was not happy. 

 Sam would not eat and was losing weight. He could not have surgery to remove the teeth that were causing him to have pain. The veterinarian wanted Sam overweight because the aftercare of this particular surgery meant a feeding tube.

While my veterinarian was researching for another food for Sam to try his blood work came back and it showed that his kidneys returned to normal function.

I am not sure why or how this occurred but know we are all very happy and Sam is ecstatic because he can go back to eating and loving his favorite foods.

Presently Sam is putting on weight and next week I will take him in for a veterinarian checkup to see if we can schedule him for surgery.

My Cat Sam is Losing Weight

Forty-five days ago my cat Sam was rushed to the veterinarian because he had a fever and stopped eating. These two symptoms are cause for alarm when your cat has feline immunodeficiency virus. My cat was admitted to the animal hospital and stayed there for ten days. That is when we learned that his kidneys were not normal and that he had chronic kidney disease, his teeth needed to be removed, and that he was losing weight.  Pounds were lost while at the veterinarian hospital.

Sam hiding in the water container.

 Sam was losing weight; was a warning flag for cancer. 

Sam had an ultrasound and the results were negative, of course, this ultrasound could not see inside his internal organs and we have no idea if he has kidney cancer or what.

So we bring Sam home and he has to eat special cat food; Royal Canin veterinary diet Renal LP in gravy canned food for chronic kidney disease or renal failure.

The food gives him more energy but also reduces his food intake, plus Sam hates canned food.  He is a kibble junkie cat, and I guess he does not like the taste, eats only when he has to and I can tell he does not like it because he growls at his food bowl.

Yes, my cat hates his kidney diet food.  He eats when is starving and seldom licks the plate clean. I think this is why he has lost more weight.

The veterinarian says the weight loss is not due to the lack of kibble food but thinks it is due to some underlining medical condition.  I am a worried cat mom. 

We go back to the veterinarian on Tuesday for a checkup.