Cat’s Excessive Thirst: A Deep Dive into Causes & Solutions (Part 2)

Has your cat’s water consumption changed, in your opinion? The most noticeable and frequent alteration is polydipsia or increased water consumption. Similar to humans, animals often only drink when they are thirsty. Both dogs and cats typically drink 10 to 30 milliliters per pound daily. The amount of moisture in the diet and the water lost via sweat and exercise might affect this quantity. Remember that up to 80% of food in cans is liquid. 

Since every animal is slightly different from the next, it’s critical to understand when your cat is a cat’s Excessive Thirst. However, according to DVM360 Magazine, drinking more than 20 milliliters per pound per day is often indicative of polydipsia.

Less Common Causes Of Cat’s Excessive Thirst

Liver disease.

 Problems with the liver can arise for numerous reasons, such as viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, inflammatory, or cancerous reasons. With excessive liver sickness, your liver struggles to function typically, which could affect water consumption. For instance, the liver stops making urea, which typically allows the kidneys to hold water.

Medications.

 Many medicines affect thirst and urination. Common medicines encompass steroids (consisting of prednisolone), phenobarbital (used for seizures), or diuretics (used to lower body water for situations like congestive heart failure).

Hypercalcemia. 

Many conditions can motivate too much calcium in a cat’s frame, including continual kidney disorder, vitamin D toxicity, and most cancers when excessive calcium prevents ADH from interacting with the kidneys. This prevents the kidneys from maintaining water in the frame, so a lot of urine and thirst occur.

Cancer.

The cause of cancer impacts thirst depending on where the tumor is, together with liver cancer for the reasons above or if the cancer causes hypercalcemia. 

Pyometra. 

This illness is an infection of the uterus. Unspoiled cats are more likely to develop this prevalent disorder, which does not always result in polydipsia. The pus fills the uterus and frequently leaks outside the frame via the vulva. The motive pyometra causes polydipsia (because of polyuria) is unsure.

How Much Water Does My Cat Need?

As a general guideline, your cat should drink at least three ounces of water for every five pounds they weigh. Recall that this covers any water they can ingest from snacks or canned goods. Every cat is different, and everyone will drink one-of-a-kind amounts depending on their way of life, health, and environmental elements. For example, a cat living in a groovy house may drink less than a very active cat who spends much time outdoors.

Your vet can inform you more or less how much water your cat desires based on their weight loss program, lifestyle, and physical health.

Remember that much of your cat’s water might come from their food. Wet cat food already carries some water, so a cat with a moist food weight-reduction plan doesn’t want to drink as much as a cat who eats dry food. Dry food incorporates very little water, so they want to make up for it by ingesting sufficient. Your cat ought to instinctively recognize that they need more water and drink enough to make up for it – in the end, they sense thirst just like we do.

Weight	Amount of Water
5 pounds	3 ounces
10 pounds	6 ounces
15 pounds	9 ounces
20 pounds	12 ounces
25 pounds	15 ounces

This is a broad guideline. Naturally, your cat may drink more water if it’s hot outside or if they exercise a lot since they are losing more water. 

What should I do if my cat’s excessive thirst for water?

Polydipsia frequently coexists with severe metabolic and systemic disorders due to the complexity of the body’s fluid regulation mechanism. The chance of a successful outcome increases with the early initiation of treatment and care of the underlying illness. Therefore, visiting your veterinarian immediately is critical if you think your cat drinks too much. When to See a Vet for a Pet The best person to help you ensure the health and welfare of your pets is your veterinarian. You should thus contact them via phone or in person if you have questions or concerns. Cats with compulsive thirst

Symptoms of a Cat’s Excessive Thirst than normal

It might be challenging to monitor your cat’s water consumption. We can only keep an eye on them sometimes, and it may be rather difficult to keep track of who is eating and drinking what when you have many cats! 

Instead of attempting to gauge how much liquid your cat consumes, keep an eye out for further indicators that they are drinking significantly more than usual. The three principal ones are as follows: 

1. Increasing the frequency of visits to the water dish. 
2. They need more frequent refills of their water bowl. 
3. If this is the first time they have done it, drink from odd locations, such as ponds or taps.  
4. If your cat usually behaves in this way, don’t panic! Many cats do this anyhow!

Therapy for Health Issues That Lead Cat’s Excessive Thirst

The treatment for cats with age-related changes in kidney characteristics focuses on managing symptoms, maintaining your cat’s appetite, and maintaining blood values within the appropriate range. Your veterinarian will most likely use the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) to assess the severity of the kidney disease in your cat. Recommendations: They may propose a treatment plan primarily based on the stage of the sickness.

Cats with diabetes often want to exchange for a canned, excessive-protein food plan. They will even need an insulin plan for everyday blood sugar monitoring. Some cats with diabetes can enter remission, maintaining an average blood glucose level of four weeks without medication if the condition is early and treated promptly. 

Methimazole is a standard treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism to regulate thyroid activity.  Oral medicine and topical cream applied to the ears are options for administering this. Radioiodine cure is another effective treatment option for them. Cats are excellent radiation workers; following treatment, a cat may have to spend many days in the sanatorium. Most cats that receive this therapy get well.

Treatment strategies for cats with liver illness frequently require additional high-quality diagnostic testing.

Treatment options for cats with urinary tract infections or crystals may include antibiotics or dietary modifications.

When to Take Your Cat to the Vet if It’s Too Thirsty

Suppose you observe that your cat is ingesting more than every day, and it’s now not associated with temporary factors, just like the weather, fluctuations in humidity, or a change in weight loss plan. In that case, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. 

If your cat displays any additional symptoms, including weight loss, lethargy, or modifications in the urge for food, try to get to the vet as soon as possible. It is often helpful for your veterinarian if you carry a urine sample alongside you to the appointment, which may additionally take a step within the prognosis.

It is an emergency to have your male cat checked out immediately if he appears to be having difficulties peeing or frequently urinating in small amounts.

How Vets Diagnose the Cause of Excessive Thirst in Cats

The treatment for cats with age-related changes in kidney characteristics focuses on managing symptoms, maintaining your cat’s appetite, and keeping your veterinarian will question you extensively about your cat’s habits, any changes in their health or behaviour patterns, and anything else that could be influencing how much water they drink during an examination. They could ask how much food you feed your cat and its litter box habits.

You may expect a recommendation for blood and urine testing from your veterinarian. These tests are sufficient to provide a diagnosis in the majority of instances. The veterinarian could also wish to do X-rays or ultrasounds if a blood and urine test are insufficient.

An early start to the treatment strategy is feasible. Since many causes of excessive thirst are chronic illnesses like diabetes and renal disease—good readings within the recommended range—further testing will be necessary to monitor the efficacy of therapy over time.