My cat's head smells like maple syrup. Should I worry about diabetes?

An unusually sweet or fruity smell coming from your cat can be indicative of diabetes. I highly recommend that you have your cat examined by his/her veterinarian ASAP. With proper treatment, diabetes is a managable disease in cats.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Barney. This isn't a strange question at all! It could be rubbed up against plants that give off that odor, making him smell that way. It could also be from a metabolic problem, or a yeast ear infection. Give him a bath to see if the smell goes away; if not, I would definitely have this checked out by his vet if he still smells like this in the morning. I hope this helps!

This makes me suspicious that one of the cats may have diabetes. If any of the cats are drinking more water or urinating more frequently then that would increase my concerns of diabetes. Also, are any of the cats losing weight? I would encourage you to consider having your cats evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello there. It is very possible that Persephone Jane has diabetes. However there are many other reasons for increased thirst in a cat, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or urinary tract infection. I recommend taking her to the veterinarian where she can have bloodwork to determine if she is diabetic or not. Once the cause of her excess thirst is discovered, your veterinarian can develop a treatment plan to help your kitty. Hope this helps!

Diabetics can have a peculiar odor to their breath, especially when they are producing a compound called ketones. The breath kind of smells like nail polish remover, and this can indicate that that Missy is in diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a potentially serious complication of diabetes. It's also possible that Missy has dental disease (which, by the way, can make it difficult to regulate diabetes in cats, so I would recommend specifically asking your vet about that) and that could be causing the odor you are smelling. At this point, it's worth calling your vet and inquiring whether you might need to bring Missy in to check her urine for ketones, which is the most reliable indicator of ketoacidosis.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is concerning as it may be an indication that his diabetes is not well-controlled at the moment. I would highly recommend that you check in with a veterinarian as soon as possible to check for this possibility. If this is the case, they can work in getting him to feel better and then possibly focusing in controlling his diabetes better. Best of luck!

Yes, it is possible with a glucose level that high that Sam has diabetes. However elevated blood glucose can occur secondary to stress in cats so it's impossible to say if Sam is truly diabetic based on only one blood glucose reading. I'd recommend taking Sam to be examined by a veterinarian. A blood glucose curve or a specialized blood glucose test called a fructosamine level can be done to decide if Sam is truly diabetic. Signs of diabetes in cats include increased drinking and eating, weight loss, poor hair coat, and increased urinating. If Sam is exhibiting any of these signs, then I'd recommend getting him checked out right away. This article may be helpful to you as well: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-early-warning-signs-of-diabetes-in-cats/ Thanks for using PetCoach!