Feline acromegaly from a pituitary tumour causes insulin resistance leading to poorly controlled diabetes, with specific treatment options offering improved welfare outcomes for this underdiagnosed condition.
Feline acromegaly causes welfare compromise through poorly controlled diabetes with chronic hyperglycaemia, progressive organomegaly, and arthritis from bone and soft tissue changes. The condition is frequently underdiagnosed because the physical changes are subtle initially and poorly controlled diabetes is attributed to other causes. Hypophysectomy at specialist centres can cure both the acromegaly and secondary diabetes, providing excellent long-term welfare for cats who undergo successful surgery. Medical management with high-dose insulin partially controls blood glucose but does not address the underlying tumour. Improved diagnosis through routine IGF-1 testing in all diabetic cats would identify treatable cases earlier.