Feline acromegaly, caused by growth hormone excess from a pituitary tumour, is an underdiagnosed cause of diabetes mellitus in cats that causes significant welfare harm through multiple mechanisms.
Acromegaly causes multiple welfare harms simultaneously - poorly controlled diabetes, organ enlargement and eventually neurological disease from pituitary tumour expansion. The condition is underdiagnosed because it is not considered in cats with difficult-to-control diabetes. Correct diagnosis enables appropriate treatment including radiation therapy, which can dramatically improve diabetes control and quality of life.