Nutritional approach to an unbalanced homemade diet and subsequent overcorrection in a female kitten (F. Catus)

Abstract

Growing cats require higher and adequate amounts of key nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and protein, making them susceptible to nutrition‐related pathologies. This case report describes an 8‐month‐old European short‐hair kitten diagnosed with feline nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism following long‐term feeding of an unbalanced homemade diet. Initial misdiagnosis led to inadequate treatment and permanent skeletal malformations. Accurate diagnosis enabled nutritional management through correction of all imbalances and optimisation of nutrient intake, resulting in rapid clinical and radiographic improvements. The development of the kitten's blood parameters emphasises the necessity for age‐ and species‐specific reference ranges and methods of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone measurements in veterinary medicine. This case highlights the importance of early and accurate nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism diagnosis through comprehensive nutritional and clinical assessments, and suggests thorough nutritional management as the cornerstone treatment of affected kittens.