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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #215: Feline Hypokalaemic Polymyopathy

Cat veterinary case - Easy - October 4, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. Poppy, an adult cat, stops jumping onto the sofa and walks with a short, stiff stride.
  2. Her appetite has fallen, and she has become generally weak rather than lame in one leg.
  3. Her chin droops towards her chest: she struggles to raise her head despite remaining alert.
  4. Serum potassium is 2.3 mmol/L, markedly below the laboratory’s reference interval.
  5. Creatine kinase activity is increased, supporting muscle injury alongside the electrolyte abnormality.
  6. During monitored veterinary correction of the potassium deficit, her strength and head carriage improve, supporting a potassium-depletion muscle disorder.

Diagnosis

Feline Hypokalaemic Polymyopathy

Generalised weakness, cervical ventroflexion and marked hypokalaemia support hypokalaemic polymyopathy. Improvement as potassium is corrected reinforces the link. The underlying reason for potassium loss or depletion still needs investigation. Remember: A drooping head can be a metabolic muscle problem, not necessarily a neck injury.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

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

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: Poppy, an adult cat, stops jumping onto the sofa and walks with a short, stiff stride.
  2. Clue 2: Her appetite has fallen, and she has become generally weak rather than lame in one leg.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: Her chin droops towards her chest: she struggles to raise her head despite remaining alert.
  2. Clue 4: Serum potassium is 2.3 mmol/L, markedly below the laboratory’s reference interval.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Creatine kinase activity is increased, supporting muscle injury alongside the electrolyte abnormality.
  2. Clue 6: During monitored veterinary correction of the potassium deficit, her strength and head carriage improve, supporting a potassium-depletion muscle disorder.

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 Hypokalaemic Polymyopathy?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Feline Hypokalaemic Polymyopathy?

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.