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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #2: Feline Hyperthyroidism

Cat veterinary case - Easy - March 5, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A 13-year-old cat is presented for weight loss despite a very good appetite.
  2. Over the past few months, the owner has noticed the cat is more restless, vocal, and demanding food more often.
  3. The cat has also had intermittent vomiting and increased thirst.
  4. On examination, the cat is thin, tachycardic, and a small thyroid nodule is palpable in the neck.
  5. Routine bloodwork shows a mild increase in liver enzymes.
  6. Serum total T4 concentration is elevated above the reference interval.

Diagnosis

Feline Hyperthyroidism

Feline hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine disease of older cats. Typical findings include weight loss with polyphagia, hyperactivity, tachycardia, and elevated circulating thyroid hormone levels.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cat case supports the provided diagnosis, Feline Hyperthyroidism, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A 13-year-old cat is presented for weight loss despite a very good appetite.
  2. Clue 2: Over the past few months, the owner has noticed the cat is more restless, vocal, and demanding food more often.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The cat has also had intermittent vomiting and increased thirst.
  2. Clue 4: On examination, the cat is thin, tachycardic, and a small thyroid nodule is palpable in the neck.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Routine bloodwork shows a mild increase in liver enzymes.
  2. Clue 6: Serum total T4 concentration is elevated above the reference interval.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cat case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Feline Hyperthyroidism?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Feline Hyperthyroidism?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.