Top 3 Reasons of 10 – Why Cats drink too much water

If you notice that your cat drinks too much water, pay attention! It may be the first warning of a health problem. Excessive thirst is known with the medical term polydipsia. Associated with it, there is excess urination, called polyuria; A cat cannot have one without the other.

Frequently, for pet owners excessive urination is more noticeable than thirst. Both can be the manifestation of an underlying metabolic disease. It should be noted that Excessive thirst may also be related to anxiety or stress states.

How to establish if your cat drinks too much water?

The simplest recommendation is comparison. In that reason, the key is observation. Is it in constant search for puddles or any bowl? If you think he is drinking more than usual, it is convenient to visit your veterinarian.

It is necessary to keep in mind that cats will drink different amounts of water depending on their diet. If they have a wet diet, a good amount of water intake will be contained in their food. On the other hand, if your diet consists mainly of croquettes, you will need more water.

Mellitus diabetes

Cats suffering from this disease fail to control their blood sugar levels. This results in the abnormal elevation of sugar in the bloodstream. Under this circumstance, Substantial amounts of sugar pass into the urine, as the kidneys fail to reabsorb everything.

The amount of extra sugar in the urine induces increased water loss –Polyuria– which, in turn, produces excessive thirst or secondary polydipsia.

Disease course, diagnosis and treatment

Diabetes can affect any cat, at any age. Other symptoms include weight loss, increased appetite and predisposition to urinary infections. If this disease is not treated in a timely manner, it will progress to collapse, dehydration, coma and death.

Among the risk factors for acquiring this disease are obesity, physical inactivity and even genetics. Diabetes can be diagnosed by compatible clinical signs and simple blood and urine tests. Treatment consists of daily injections of insulin under the skin and routine monitoring by a veterinarian.

Chronic kidney disease

Kidney failure is a very common disease in cats. It occurs when the structure or function of the kidneys is disturbed.

Waste products are eliminated from the body through the kidneys. Additionally, they are vital to maintain water and body balance. If the kidneys malfunction, the urine is diluted by increasing the amount of urine and secondarily water intake.

Diagnosis and treatment

This disease also involves decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and seizures. It is diagnosed by simple urine and blood tests. Chronic kidney disease is a progressive process, so treatment is based on trying to delay progression and treating any symptoms..

Hyperthyroidism

This disease is endocrine, is more common in older cats and is usually due to a tumor in one of the thyroid glands. It manifests when the thyroid glands become overactive and, consequently, produce more thyroxine hormone.

Because this hormone regulates the metabolic rate, its increase leads to weight loss, exacerbated appetite, tachycardia and high blood pressure.

Another effect – less known – of hyperthyroidism is the increase in filtration by the kidneys Due to high blood pressure. This can lead to dehydration and secondary polydipsia to compensate.

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis consists in the determination of the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood. The medical treatment of hyperthyroidism includes the management of concurrent diseases, especially those of the cardiovascular system.

If a cat drinks too much water, you should look for the cause of its dehydration

There are other possible causes of dehydration in cats, including ingestion of dry or salty foods, body overheating or bleeding of any origin. Other common conditions of dehydration are inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) and even tumors.

We tell you how the balanced diet for cats should be that guarantees that the cats grow healthy, strong and happy. Read more “