Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease marked by chronic high blood sugar, linked to an insulin defect or resistance to its action. The dog and cat differ markedly: in cats it often resembles human type 2 diabetes and is closely associated with [obesity](/glossary/obesity), whereas in dogs the mechanism differs and insulin dependence is more common (WSAVA). Common signs are increased thirst and urination ([polydipsia](/glossary/polydipsia)), increased appetite ([polyphagia](/glossary/polyphagia)) and weight loss despite normal or high intake. Nutrition plays a key role in management. In diabetic cats, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is often recommended, sometimes with possible remission if obesity is corrected early, a genuinely encouraging fact specific to the species. In dogs, meal regularity and stable carbohydrate intake help control blood sugar alongside insulin therapy (veterinary literature). Weight management is central, since obesity worsens insulin resistance, but this disease requires veterinary monitoring and a treatment plan prescribed by a vet, and diet does not replace insulin where it is needed. The marker: preventing obesity, especially in cats, is one of the most useful levers against this risk, which connects diabetes to the broader weight-management entries on [overweight](/glossary/overweight) and [body condition score](/glossary/body-condition-score) in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.