Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and treatment outcomes in cats with low adrenal hormone levels
By Roberts, Emma et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Bristol Vet Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Clinical findings, treatment, and outcomes in cats with naturally occurring hypoadrenocorticism: 41 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male cat was diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism, a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough hormones. Symptoms included weakness, dehydration, and low body temperature. The cat was treated and, despite some having abnormal sodium and potassium levels, most of the cats in the study survived to go home. With proper treatment, many cats can have a good long-term outlook after hospitalization.
People also search for: cat hypoadrenocorticism symptoms · cat weakness dehydration treatment · what is hypoadrenocorticism in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypoadrenocorticism in cats is uncommonly reported. Most reports consist of cats with hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, or both. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe clinical findings, treatment response, and outcome in cats diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism, including cats with abnormal and normal serum sodium and potassium concentrations. ANIMALS: Forty-one cats with hypoadrenocorticism; 36 with and 5 without abnormal serum sodium and potassium concentrations. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective observational study. Data for the entire cohort were assessed using descriptive statistics and differences between cats with and without abnormal serum sodium and potassium concentrations were evaluated. RESULTS: Median age was 5.7 years (range, 0.2-13.8). Twenty-three (56%) cats were male and 18 (44%) were female. Cats with hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, or both were less likely to have a history of vomiting (P = .01) but more likely to be hypothermic (P = .03), dehydrated (P = .04) or weak (P = .04) on examination, compared with nonhyponatremic and nonhyperkalemic cats. Frequency of hypercalcemia was 31.7%. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) was diagnosed in 4/7 cats tested; all 4 had concurrent cobalamin deficiency. Thirty-five (85.4%) cats survived to discharge. In 2 cats, hypoadrenocorticism occurred secondary to lymphoma. Median survival time (MST) for all-cause mortality was 2035 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 294-4380 days); MST for disease-specific mortality was not reached. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Approximately one-third of cats with hypoadrenocorticism had hypercalcemia. In some cases, hyponatremia and hyperkalemia were not observed. Cats with nonneoplastic associated hypoadrenocorticism that survive initial hospitalization can have a favorable long-term prognosis. Testing for EPI may be warranted in cats with hypoadrenocorticism.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39660757/