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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #42: Feline Diabetes Mellitus

Cat veterinary case - Medium - April 14, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A middle-aged cat has been drinking more, urinating larger volumes, and steadily losing weight over the last month.
  2. Despite this, the owner says the appetite has remained unusually strong.
  3. The hair coat looks unkempt and the cat is mildly dehydrated on examination.
  4. A urine sample is positive for glucose.
  5. Blood testing confirms persistent hyperglycaemia without marked ketonaemia.
  6. Insufficient insulin effect in cats commonly leads to polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, and glucosuria.

Diagnosis

Feline Diabetes Mellitus

This case is most consistent with Feline Diabetes Mellitus because the cat has PU/PD, weight loss despite a good appetite, glucosuria, and persistent hyperglycaemia. The most important clues are the metabolic pattern and urine findings, which make simple renal disease 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 Diabetes Mellitus, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A middle-aged cat has been drinking more, urinating larger volumes, and steadily losing weight over the last month.
  2. Clue 2: Despite this, the owner says the appetite has remained unusually strong.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The hair coat looks unkempt and the cat is mildly dehydrated on examination.
  2. Clue 4: A urine sample is positive for glucose.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Blood testing confirms persistent hyperglycaemia without marked ketonaemia.
  2. Clue 6: Insufficient insulin effect in cats commonly leads to polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, and glucosuria.

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

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.