There are two main reasons why your cat may suffer from diabetes:



- the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, this is known as diabetes type 1;

- the body does not respond to insulin as it should; this is diabetes type 2;

The cats that suffer from diabetes can not take advantage of glucose as they should, thing that leads to some conditions like:

- hyperglycemia, which means high levels of sugar in the blood;

- subsequent glucosuria, meaning that there is sugar in the urine; this condition can lead as well to some conditions, that we can also refer to as symptoms of diabetes: polydipsia, which is excessive thirst and polyuria, which means excessive urination;

Another result of diabetes in cats is loss of weight. Although, cats do not loose their appetite, because their body can not use the glucose as it should, loss of weight occurs. As the diabetes progresses, some other symptoms will appear as well. Vomiting, dehydration, weakness and eventually loss of appetite will happen in a cat that suffers from diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that usually affects older cats or those that are obese. Male cats are also more at risk of developing diabetes than females are. There are many causes for diabetes, but there is not an exact cause known yet. It is believed that obesity, pancreas problems or genetic predisposition can lead to diabetes. Furthermore, some medications are also thought to increase the risk of developing diabetes.

To diagnose diabetes means to do several tests, examinations. If there are any signs of diabetes, then a veterinary must be seen. He/ she will then do a physical examination and some test to see if diabetes is the case. The presence of high quantities of sugar in urine and blood is a sure sign of diabetes.

After diagnosis, comes treatment. Diabetes is treated according to the severity of the disease. Therapy with fluid may be often used in diabetes types to correct dehydration. The most used treatment of all in diabetes cases is with insulin injection. Cats that do not suffer from any other illness, should be given one insulin injection once or maybe twice a day. Furthermore, it is essential that when suffering from diabetes, the diet must also be controlled.

So as you can see, there is no difference between diabetes in animals and humans.