Case 5

A 13-year-old neutered male domestic short-haired cat was presented with symptoms of patchy hair loss, progressive weight loss, increased thirst, unsteadiness on hind limbs, and increased grooming behavior. The cat's physical examination revealed lethargy, underweight status, and increased lung sounds. Diagnostic tests included haematology, serum biochemistry, thoracic and abdominal radiographs, cytology, and full-thickness skin biopsies. The tests suggested paraneoplastic alopecia, which was confirmed by the presence of a pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma with metastases to the liver, lymph nodes, and lungs upon post mortem examination. The prognosis for feline paraneoplastic alopecia is poor, especially when metastasis is present, as in this case. The owners chose euthanasia for the cat. The document discusses that feline paraneoplastic alopecia is a rare but recognizable condition often associated with internal malignancies, particularly pancreatic neoplasia, and that secondary infections such as Malassezia can complicate the condition.