Opinion Column
Excessive water drinking could indicate age-related disease
We have all heard how much water we should be drinking each day. Our pets also need plenty of water, up to a point.
The fact is our pets drink what they need and rarely more, so a cat or dog that is constantly at the water bowl can be a tip off to a more serious underlying disease.
Cats are unique as a breed of animal. They “invented” energy conservation. Water drinking is something low on their list of favorite things to do. Ninety percent of cats that make it to 12 years of age will develop one of five diseases in their remaining lifetime:
1) Kidney disease
2) Hyperthyroidism
3) Liver disease
4) Diabetes
5) Cancer
One common clinical symptom of all these diseases is increased thirst and urination. Sometimes, the first sign the owner picks up on is a litter box that is heavily soaked on a consistent basis and needs to be changed more frequently than in previous months or years.
Other signs to watch for are decreasing appetite, weight loss (which can be significant at times), an unkempt hair coat, increased time asleep, constipation or very hard stools and a change in personality.
Considering the relative frequency with which these diseases occur, in the right hands it should be fairly easy to diagnose most cases. Indeed, all these conditions, except cancer, can be diagnosed with simple blood work.
As cats age, owners should be insisting that their pets have blood panels done once yearly because it is just a matter of time before one of these conditions develops. As we all know, catching problems earlier means better results with treatment.
With most cats living well into their late teens, treatments for these diseases have improved, bettering the quality of these pets’ lives.
Take the next week and examine your elderly cats drinking habits. Check the litter box, and consider whether they have a decreased appetite, sleep all the time or have lost weight over the last six months.
If your cat is aging, chances are that you may be looking at one of the big five diseases. But don’t despair. A simple blood test could make all the difference.