Like humans, when cats are sick, they usually lose their appetite; however there are diseases which produce the opposite and a constantly ravenous cat (hyperphagia) could be suffering from a few conditions. One of these is Cushing’s syndrome, also known as hyperadrenocorticism. This occurs when the adrenal glands produce the hormone cortisol in excess. There are two types of hyperadrenocorticism: the naturally occurring one, which mostly affects middle aged and older cats and is more common in females than in males; and the iatrogenic one, which is induced by corticosteroid medication given to the cat.
Naturally occurring hyperadrenocorticism can be caused by a tumour in the adrenal glands themselves (adrenal-dependent disease) or by a tumour in the pituitary gland as it is the pituitary which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol (pituitary-dependent disease).
Other symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome include excessive drinking (polydipsia), excessive urination (polyuria), lethargy, skin bruising, etc.
Naturally occurring hyperadrenocorticism can be caused by a tumour in the adrenal glands themselves (adrenal-dependent disease) or by a tumour in the pituitary gland as it is the pituitary which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol (pituitary-dependent disease).
Other symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome include excessive drinking (polydipsia), excessive urination (polyuria), lethargy, skin bruising, etc.