Can EDED and ADDE be distinguished based on clinical signs alone?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (A)

Clinical signs alone usually aren’t enough to separate EDED from ADDE because their presentations overlap. Both conditions can produce very similar symptoms and bodily responses, so a pet showing universal signs like vomiting, appetite changes, weight loss, or chronic GI upset could be experiencing either. Without objective data, you can’t confidently distinguish them just from how the patient appears or what signs are present. The way to tell them apart is through diagnostic testing: targeted laboratory work, imaging, and, when needed, tissue sampling or specific assays that reveal characteristic findings. In practice, you rely on objective tests to differentiate, rather than on clinical signs alone.