Abstract

Background:
Hyposomatotropism is an extremely rare disease in cats. It is associated with a stunted growth and suspected severely decreased life expectancy based on the very few cases that have been reported so far in this species. To date, no treatment has been recommended in cats.

Case Description:
A 4-month-old female British Shorthair was presented for a stunted growth without any other clinical signs reported. All other causes of growth retardation were excluded and persistently low circulating IGF-1 levels were documented, allowing to diagnose this kitten with presumed isolated GH-deficiency. This cat was treated with recombinant human GH subcutaneously for 20 weeks. At the time of treatment discontinuation, the cat had reached the weight of his littermates. No adverse effects to the treatment was observed. The serum IGF-1 level was measured 6 months after treatment discontinuation and was within the reference range.

Conclusion:
This case report describes the successful treatment of a highly presumed GH-deficient cat with recombinant human GH without adverse effect. Recombinant human GH might be a reasonable treatment option in GH-deficient cats considering the grave prognosis associated with this disease in the few cases described.

Key words: Endocrine disease; GH; IGF-1; Pituitary dwarf; Stunted growth.