Dr. Diabetes Diagnosis the cat

"Mom, the cat has diabetes." That was the text message I received the other day. My youngest son is still visiting with his father and he decided that their cat has diabetes. 

How do you know?
"She is losing weight, not eating and drinking a lot"

He could be onto something.
Has anyone taken her to a vet? Did you test her?
"I will call you in a bit and you can tell me how to test her."

While I waited, I sent a text asking my oldest son (and owner of the cat) if she had diabetes. He said no. 

Later that evening, my youngest son called for instructions on how to test a cat's blood glucose levels. 

What makes you think she has diabetes?
"Like I said, she is drinking a lot and is losing weight.  She was overweight so maybe she has Type 2. I should be a doctor! I should clean the lancet after I test her right? I guess I should just change it, huh?"

Yes, I told him that he should definitely change the lancet. I said that I didn't think that she would lose weight with Type 2 but I wasn't a doctor or a vet. The cat is old and perhaps there was something else going on but I told him that his diabetes diagnosis could be spot on.

After a bit more conversation, he was off to chase the cat.  She apparently was not keen on waiting around for someone to lance her ear. As I hung up I had to laugh, I always thought it was just parents of children with diabetes who saw a new diagnosis in every baggy shirt. I guess if you live with the disease, you can be pretty alert to these things too. We still have no firm diagnosis on the cat.  He told me today that no one will volunteer to hold her while he tries for blood. I hope his diagnosis is wrong but I guess time will tell!