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Archive Case #35: Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

Cat veterinary case - Easy - April 7, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. An overweight indoor cat is presented after eating very little for over a week following a household disruption.
  2. The owner has noticed progressive lethargy and a marked drop in grooming.
  3. On examination the cat is dehydrated and visibly icteric.
  4. The liver feels enlarged on abdominal palpation.
  5. Serum biochemistry shows hyperbilirubinaemia with increased liver enzyme activity.
  6. Prolonged anorexia in an obese cat can result in severe hepatic fat accumulation and cholestatic liver dysfunction.

Diagnosis

Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

This case is most consistent with Feline Hepatic Lipidosis because an obese cat became anorexic after stress and then developed jaundice with biochemical evidence of liver dysfunction. The most important clues are the recent starvation period, body condition, and icterus, which make a primary intestinal disorder less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

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

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: An overweight indoor cat is presented after eating very little for over a week following a household disruption.
  2. Clue 2: The owner has noticed progressive lethargy and a marked drop in grooming.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: On examination the cat is dehydrated and visibly icteric.
  2. Clue 4: The liver feels enlarged on abdominal palpation.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Serum biochemistry shows hyperbilirubinaemia with increased liver enzyme activity.
  2. Clue 6: Prolonged anorexia in an obese cat can result in severe hepatic fat accumulation and cholestatic liver dysfunction.

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

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.