My large 11-year-old cat has high glucose. Could it be diabetes?

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!

Unlike dogs it is very common for cats to have a mildly elevated blood sugar on screening lab work due to stress, called stress hyperglycemia. In some cats this can become higher then your kitties making it hard to differentiate from diabetes. But, cats with diabetes usually have other symptoms that normal cats do not have like increased thirst and urination, and their blood sugar is typically >250 or higher. Some pre diabetic cats will start out with a lower value so monitoring the blood sugar over time or additional testing can be used to differentiate stress from real high blood sugar if needed. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Chronic steroid usage can predispose cats to developing diabetes. If your cat’s asthma is currently stable then I think it is reasonable to stop medication and see how the blood glucose responds. If you aren’t comfortable with this, or you are concerned she won’t do well if you stop the medications, then I would recommend talking to your vet about having a fructosamine level performed. This will give you an idea of how high her glucose has been over the previous 2 weeks. If it is high as well then you will most likely need to initiate insulin therapy. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would check the blood sugar again. Stress can make the blood sugar go up. Can you post the blood work as your values are not the same as the US? I would confirm it again. I haven't in 13 years seen a diabetic cat present with out weight loss. Unless you caught him very early.

It doesn't sound like her blood glucose level is under control, if she is an easy cat to handle I would recommend doing a glucose curve and generally checking the glucose levels regularly until her condition improves. Here is a good website that explains about the glucose curve: http://www.vetsulin.com/vet/Cats_Monitoring_About.aspx

Cats get hyperthyroidism and this actually causes them to get too skinny. Cats who are over weight at at a much greater risk for diabetes but if they get the disease, they tend to lose weight and drink excessively. To answer your questions though, both conditions require blood work for diagnosis. Most cats get heavy because they eat too much and their metabolism slows down. Feeding multiple cats is difficult when one needs to lose weight and requires commitment on the humans part. You cannot leave food down all the time. You must separate the cats at feeding time. You must switch the heavy cat to a light cat food and control the portions. Cats do best if they are feed 4-6 times a day. For my own fat cat, I got an automatic feeder that stays shut in a room. It portion controls and is timed. All I do is open the door and shut it behind him. It’s pretty easy and I like that. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Good question. The "normal" level of glucose in urine is none. In a non-diabetic, the urine glucose should read negative. This is rarely the case with our diabetic animals. They often have some glucose in their urine because their blood glucose levels are higher than normal and that high glucose "spills over" into their urine. So, we use the urine glucose level as an indicator of blood glucose levels and changes in blood glucose levels. I hope that was helfpul and answered your question. Please post again if you have any other questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.