Page 240 - Problem-Based Feline Medicine

232 PART 4 CAT WITH URINARY TRACT SIGNS

continued

● Hyperadrenocorticism (p 251)
Very rare; poorly controlled diabetes mellitus which may be insulin resistant, poor hair coat,
weight loss despite higher than normal doses of insulin, thin fragile skin that bruises easily.

● Acromegaly (growth hormone-producing tumor, hypersomatotrophism) (p 254)
Very rare. Often associated with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, which is usually insulin
resistant, often requiring very high doses of insulin. Typically there is a large blocky cat with
weight gain, enlarged tongue, widely spaced teeth, cardiomegaly and thickened soft palate.
● Hypoadrenocorticism (p 252)
Very, rare; lethargy, depression, anorexia, and weight loss are most frequent. Less frequent signs
include vomiting, polyuria and polydipsia.

● Hyperparathyroidism P (p 256)
A rare cause of hypercalcemia in cats. Usually results from a solitary adenoma, but can be from
solitary or bilateral adenocarcinoma or hyperplasia. Older cats (mean age 13 years) and Siamese
are overrepresented. Clinical signs are of hypercalcemia and more than half of the cats have a
palpable parathyroid mass.
● Primary hyperaldosteronism (p 256)
Rare cause of polyuria and polydipsia. Typically occurs in older cats (10–20 years) and is associ-
ated with an adrenal mass. Signs are of intractable hypokalemia and hypertension, and include
muscle weakness, cervical ventroflexion, inappetence, weight loss, blindness and polyuria and
polydipsia.
● Primary sex hormone-secreting adrenal tumor (p 258)
Very rare cause of polyuria, polydipsia. Progesterone-producing tumors result in signs indistin-
guishable from hyperadrenocorticism. Typically there is thin fragile skin that bruises easily,
patchy symmetrical alopecia, secondary skin infections such as demodicosis and polyuria,
polydipsia from poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.
● Pheochromocytoma (p 257)
Very rare cause of polyuria, polydispsia. Typically occurs in older cats (> 8 years of age) and
associated with an adrenal mass. Signs are vague and include polyuria and polydispsia. Systemic
hypertension is characteristic, and presents as sudden blindness from retinal hemorrhage or reti-
nal detachment, or dyspnea from heart failure. Diabetic cats may be insulin resistant.
● Polycythemia
Dark pink or purple mucosae, bleeding, PU/PD, neurological signs including abnormal behavior
and seizures.
● Hypokalemia* (p 244)
Lethargy, inappetence, weakness, ventroflexion of neck, stiff/stilted gait, impaired renal function.
PU/PD are not prominent signs unless associated with chronic renal failure or hyperthyroidism.
NEOPLASTIC
● Neoplasia (renal neoplasia or. lymphoma) (p 250)
PU/PD results from either renal neoplasia causing chronic renal failure, or lymphoma causing hyper-
calcemia (very rare in cats).