Polyphagia

Polyphagia is an abnormal increase in appetite and food intake, differing from normal hunger or mere greediness by being persistent and marked. It can be physiological, for example during growth, gestation, lactation, cold weather or after exertion, or it can be pathological, with possible medical causes including [diabetes mellitus](/glossary/diabetes-mellitus), hyperthyroidism in cats, certain digestive diseases with malabsorption, or treatments such as corticosteroids (internal medicine veterinary literature). A particularly telling pattern: polyphagia combined with weight loss strongly suggests a disorder and warrants investigation, whereas polyphagia with weight gain points rather to simple excess intake. Telling true polyphagia from a behavioural demand is not always simple, so the amount eaten should be assessed objectively, ideally by weighing the food. Any clear and lasting change in appetite, in either direction, deserves the owner's attention and, in case of doubt, veterinary advice to look for a cause, since appetite is a sensitive early indicator of health. The marker: polyphagia matters most when paired with weight loss, which flips it from a feeding habit into a medical clue, making it the counterpart to [anorexia](/glossary/anorexia) and a frequent companion of [polydipsia](/glossary/polydipsia) in the diseases covered by the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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