Cats are a favorite among majority of pet lovers and are great to have as pets. There are a number of illnesses that cats are prone to and just like humans, cats are also vulnerable to get diabetes and the symptoms are similar to those seen in humans. Most cats are seen with type 2 diabetes and if not treated in time, can cause a great deal of weakness in the legs leading to malnutrition, dehydration and even death.
The first symptom that you may observe in your cat is a sudden loss of weight or gain in weight followed by an increase in thirst and frequent urination. Also you may observe that the behind legs of your cat are becoming very weak. Diabetes can be diagnosed by testing the urine of the cat for glucose or ketones with the help of glucose strips.
If the test result is positive and glucose is detected in the urine it indicates your cat is suffering from diabetes and if ketones is detected in the urine, it is indicating a much serious condition where in the cat needs to be taken to the clinic immediately.
Once you diagnose that your cat has got diabetes, you need to switch them to a diet that is very low in carbohydrates and high in proteins as studies have proved that cats have stopped insulin after consumption of a diet that is low in carbohydrates. It is best you make diabetes cat food at home as you know best what you are giving your cat and what they need. Dry cat food is generally very high in carbohydrates and is thus not recommended for cats with diabetes but you might get certain diabetic dry cat food. Even a lot of canned food contains way too many carbohydrates making it unsuitable for diabetic cat food. Make sure that you read the contents before purchasing it. Cats being carnivores do not have a digestive system to take in cereal ingredients of dry food and thus, you should feed them wet food. You can also feed your diabetic cat with raw cat food as it is low in carbohydrates and high in proteins. Moreover, cats enjoy eating raw food. You can give them a diet that is high in fiber if they are not eating a high protein diet. However, take proper advice before doing this and avoid rice and soy and also gravy that are found in wet canned food.
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