For cats with idiopathic hypercalcemia, potentially helpful therapies include:
- Dietary manipulation – feeding diets that are fortified with fiber, as well as those that are kidney-friendly and/or designed to help prevent urinary bladder / kidney stone formation, can be ...
- Bisphosphanate therapy – this class of medication inhibits bone resorption
- Subcutaneous fluid therapy – administration of 0.9% sodium chloride under the skin may help promote the excretion of calcium in urine
- Corticosteroids – this class of steroid reduces both bone resorption and intestinal calcium absorption, as well as increases excretion of calcium by the kidneys
What is the best diet for hypercalcemia in dogs and cats?
Check if they put vit d3 into the food, it raises calcium levels causing hypercalcemia in cats & dogs. Best diet is as close to natural birds, rodents, as possible. Lean dark meat, heart meat, similar with some plain grass for roughage or beet pulp.
What to do if your cat has high calcium levels?
If a total blood calcium level is persistently elevated, then further diagnostic investigation is warranted. Remember one of the most common causes of hypercalcemia in cats is cancer, so I advocate for being as proactive as possible.
How do you treat hypercalcemia in cats with kidney disease?
They will also check your cat’s urine output levels to ensure that your cat is making urine normally, since kidney disease is commonly associated with hypercalcemia in cats. Additional treatments that may be ordered to lower blood calcium include diuretics and steroids, such as prednisone.
What is the role of diet in the treatment of hypercalcemia?
Diet plays an important role in the management of cats with idiopathic hypercalcemia. Increasing the fiber content in the food can reduce the amount of calcium that the intestinal tract is able to absorb. Acidifying diets, such as those used to treat and prevent the development of some types of bladder stones,...
What causes hypercalcemia in cats?
One of the most common causes of hypercalcemia in cats is kidney disease, otherwise known as chronic renal failure. Other causes of hypercalcemia i...
Can hypercalcemia in cats be cured?
Hypercalcemia in cats can be be treated, however, without addressing the underlying cause of the elevated calcium levels in the blood, hypercalcemi...
What happens if hypercalcemia in cats is left untreated?
Hypercalcemia in cats, if left untreated, can be life-threatening. Hypercalcemia in cats can cause mineralization of internal organs, and negativel...
How do you treat hypercalcemia?
For this reason, a thorough diagnostic investigation is invariably necessary. The treatment for lymphoma is entirely different than the treatment for hyperparathyroidism. Similarly therapy for a fungal infection is vastly different than that for kidney injury. Consulting with a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist can be particularly helpful when trying to determine the best way to treat a dog with hypercalcemia.
Why is my cat's blood calcium high?
Hypercalcemia or elevated blood calcium is relatively common in cats. The most common causes are idiopathic hypercalcemia and cancers . However other possibilities exist, necessitating a thorough diagnostic investigation. Working with both your family veterinarian and a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist is often helpful ...
What causes hypercalcemia?
There are multiple potential causes of hypercalcemia in cats. A thorough diagnostic investigation is needed. Idiopathic hypercalcemia (aka no identifiably underlying cause) and cancers are the top causes. While any cancer may theoretically cause elevated blood calcium levels, certain ones are over-represented, particularly lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
What causes a cat's calcium level to be high?
If a total blood calcium level is persistently elevated, then further diagnostic investigation is warranted. Remember one of the most common causes of hypercalcemia in cats is cancer, so I advocate for being as proactive as possible.
What is ionized calcium?
Measurement of ionized blood calcium: Ionized calcium (iCa) is different from total calcium in that the former is considered the active form of calcium in the body. Ionized calcium is involved in various metabolic processes. Total and ionized blood calcium levels can change differently depending on the underlying disease process.
How to reduce calcium levels in kidneys?
Dietary manipulation – feeding diets that are fortified with fiber, as well as those that are kidney-friendly and/or designed to help prevent urinary bladder / kidney stone formation, can be helpful in reducing elevated blood calcium levels. Feeding canned diets that are high in protein (40-60%), low in carbohydrates (<15%), and without acidifiers or magnesium restriction may also be effective.
What questions should a veterinarian ask about a cat?
A veterinarian will invariably ask you a myriad of questions about your cat’s medical past, including travel history, current medications, and diet. As always, it is exceedingly vital you provide truthful and comprehensive answers to these important questions to help ensure your cat is diagnosed accurately.
What Are The Signs Of Hypercalcemia In Cats?
Signs of hypercalcemia in cats occur when calcium is extremely elevated in the blood, or the calcium concentration in the blood has been elevated over time.
How Is Hypercalcemia In Cats Diagnosed?
Hypercalcemia in cats is diagnosed by running a sample of your cat’s blood through an analyzer that detects the level of calcium in the blood, or more accurately in the blood serum.
Why is my cat hypercalcified?
There are numerous causes of hypercalcemia in cats. The control of calcium inside the body is complex, and influenced by vitamin D and how the parathyroid hormone interacts with the stomach and intestines, bones, kidneys, and the parathyroid glands themselves. Hypercalcemia in cats is either a primary problem with the parathyroid gland, ...
What happens if a cat has high calcium levels?
If blood phosphorus and calcium levels are chronically elevated over time, it can cause irreversible organ damage.
What to do if your cat eats rat bait?
If you suspect that your cat has consumed rat bait, call your local veterinarian or emergency veterinarian immediately, or call the Pet Poison Hotline.
What tests do vets do on cats?
In addition to laboratory testing, your vet will rely on physical examination findings and your knowledge about your cat’s health and habits. Make sure to let your vet know if your cat is on any supplements, what food you feed, how long the problem has been going on, and what changes you notice in your cat.
Can cats have hyperparathyroidism?
Primary hyperparathyroidism (seen in siamese cats) Idiopathic hypercalcemia seen in middle aged to older cats, no cause determined. Giving cats calcium, vitamin d, or calcitriol supplements. Mild elevations in blood calcium may be normal in growing cats.
Why is my cat's calcium level high?
In cats, idiopathic hypercalcemia appears to be the most frequent cause of a high total calcium concentration, followed by renal failure and malignancy. Ionized hypercalcemia in conjunction with chronic renal failure is more common in cats than dogs.
What are the factors that cause humoral hypercalcemia?
Factors that may be produced by tumors and result in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy include PTH, PTH-related protein (PTHrP), transforming growth factor, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, prostaglandin E 2, osteoclast-activating factor, and other cytokines (interleukin-1, interleukin-2, and γ-interferon).
How to treat normocalcemia?
If normocalcemia has not been restored after a dietary feeding trial of 6–8 wk, treatment with glucocorticosteroids or bisphosphonates should be considered. Prednisone is given orally at 5 mg/cat/day for 1 mo before reevaluation. If the serum ionized calcium concentration is normal, this dose is continued for several months. If the ionized calcium value is still increased, the dosage is gradually increased to 10–20 mg/cat/day as needed to restore normocalcemia. Alternatively, treatment with the bisphosphonate alendronate can be instituted, starting at 10 mg orally once weekly; the dosage can be increased to 20–30 mg per week, as needed. It is extremely important to administer alendronate after a 12-hour fast, because food significantly reduces drug absorption; the fast should also be continued for at least 2 hr after alendronate administration. Erosive esophagitis is a known adverse effect of oral bisphosphonates in human patients. Although the risk of development of esophagitis in cats is unknown, the owner can give 5–6 mL of water to the cat with a dosing syringe immediately after administration of the alendronate; a small amount of butter applied to the cat’s lips may increase licking and salivation and promote the transit of the pill to the stomach. The longterm safety and efficacy of oral bisphosphonates in cats are currently unknown, but alendronate appears to be relatively safe for use in cats.
What is the most common cancer in cats?
The most common tumor types associated with hypercalcemia of malignancy in cats are lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Primary hyperparathyroidism occurs in cats but not as frequently as in dogs. Rarely, hypercalcemia is seen in cats with hyperthyroidism.
Why should ionized calcium be measured?
If the hypercalcemia is repeatable, ionized calcium should be measured, because it is a better reflection of the biologically active form of calcium. Total or adjusted total calcium are not reliable measurements of calcium status.
What is the role of humoral hypercalcemia in bone marrow?
The other, probably more important, is humoral hypercalcemia in which neoplastic cells produce a humoral factor that acts at a distance from the tumor.
How does hypercalcemia affect the body?
The development of clinical signs from hypercalcemia depends on the magnitude of the calcium increase, how quickly it develops, and its du ration. Serum total calcium concentrations of ≤15 mg/dL may not be associated with systemic signs, but serum concentrations of >18 mg/dL are often associated with severe, life-threatening signs. Polydipsia and polyuria are the most common signs of hypercalcemia and result from an impaired ability to concentrate urine and a direct stimulation of the thirst center. Anorexia, vomiting, and constipation can also develop as a result of decreased excitability of GI smooth muscle. Decreased neuromuscular excitability may lead to signs of generalized weakness, depression, muscle twitching, and seizures.
Why is calcium in cats important?
Why is it important if your cat has high calcium levels? The most important reason is that it makes them feel lousy. Just a little extra calcium can severely affect appetite and start causing kidney damage. If calcium levels get too high, the soft tissues of the body also start to calcify, or turn to bone. If a cat’s levels are very high, it will have to be hospitalized and given IV fluids to flush the calcium out of its body until a means of controlling the cause can be found. Hypercalcemia can be life threatening in the short or long term. In the short term it can cause heart arrhythmias and severe kidney damage as well as neurological dysfunction. In the long term it is very damaging to the kidneys and causes kidney calcification and stones as well as damage to many other organ systems.
Why is my cat's calcium level high?
The most common cause of high calcium levels in cats is unknown—the medical term is “idiopathic,” and basically it means we’re too idiotic to figure out the cause! Thus, my frustration with hypercalcemia.
What to do if your calcium is high?
If the ionized calcium is high, then most doctors will ask for a parathyroid hormone level and parathyroid-like protein level as well . If hypercalcemia is confirmed, a reason for the problem is looked for so that an appropriate treatment can be started.
How to diagnose hypercalcemia?
How is hypercalcemia diagnosed? Routine blood tests are used to measure total calcium levels in blood. Many veterinarians can run this test in their hospital or clinic while you wait. When a high total calcium level is detected, a second test is usually run to confirm that a problem exists. This test is for ionized calcium. Your veterinarian won’t be able to run this test in house, so it has to be sent to a specialized lab and may take some time to get results. If the ionized calcium is high, then most doctors will ask for a parathyroid hormone level and parathyroid-like protein level as well.
What happens if calcium levels are too high in cats?
If a cat’s levels are very high, it will have to be hospitalized and given IV fluids to flush the calcium out of its body until a means of controlling the cause can be found. Hypercalcemia can be life threatening in the short or long term.
Why is my intestine absorbing so much calcium?
The first of these possibilities, too much being absorbed, is most commonly caused by too much activated vitamin D (calcitriol), causing the intestines to absorb too much calcium. When this happens, phosphorus is usually high as well. Hypervitaminosis D has several causes, including exposure to prescription psoriasis cream (Dovonox) or one type of rodent poison. Too much vitamin A can also be a contributor.
Can cats have high calcium?
In cats with kidney disease, it can be very difficult to determine if the kidney disease is causing the high calcium, or if the high calcium has caused kidney damage. The causes of hypercalcemia can be complex and are hard to untangle in many cases.
What Causes Idiopathic Hypercalcemia?
When a beloved pet comes down with a health issue, it’s natural – although typically misplaced – for a pet parent to feel guilty. In the case of idiopathic hypercalcemia, though, it’s literally impossible for owners to have any part in their cat’s ailment: it’s completely spontaneous.
Is Feline Idiopathic Hypercalcemia Contagious?
Unlike certain cat health concerns like feline distemper, cat fleas, or skin conditions, hypercalcemia isn’t contagious. For owners who have more than one cat in the home and are worried that co-sleeping, mutual grooming, or sharing food and water bowls can transmit it, rest assured it’s not going to spread to other household pets or humans.
It May Signal Or Aggravate Other Health Issues
Cat owners typically hear about this condition through their veterinarian, post-bloodwork results. While most vets will preemptively test for concurrent ailments, idiopathic hypercalcemia in cats is a relatively new phenomenon, with an exponential growth in cases over the last twenty years.
Treatment for Feline Idiopathic Hypercalcemia
While still a serious condition, feline hypercalcemia is generally considered to have a slow progression, and therefore a promising window of treatment. Thankfully, the first line of treatment is generally the easiest, at least in terms of administering medication.
What is the most common cause of ionized hypercalcaemia in cats?
Idiopathic hypercalcaemia (IHC) is the most common cause of ionized hypercalcaemia in cats. Cats of any age can be affected. Long-haired cats are over-represented. IHC is characterised by mild to moderate hypercalcaemia, normophosphataemia, and an appropriate parathyroid response (i.e., ↓PTH). Clinical signs vary with the degree of hypercalcaemia but around 50% of cats are asymptomatic. The diagnosis is made by excluding other causes.
How is idiopathic hypercalcaemia diagnosed?
Idiopathic hypercalcaemia is diagnosed by ruling out all other causes.
What is hhm in cats?
HHM is less common in cats than dogs. Feline HHM is reported in head, neck, and bronchopulmonary carcinomas, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and multiple myeloma.
What are the long term consequences of hypercalcaemia?
The long-term consequences of hypercalcaemia include renal damage, urolithiasis, and soft tissue calcification. Diet change may be helpful and should be individualized. If the iCa elevation is minimal, phosphate is not elevated, and diet change has not been effective, then regular monitoring may be all that is required. Glucocorticoids reduce intestinal calcium absorption and bone resorption and may increase calciuresis. The use of frusemide or glucocorticoids long-term is not recommended.
What is hypoadrenocorticism in cats?
Hypoadrenocorticism is a rare endocrinopathy of cats and <10% of cases have hypercalcaemia.
Is ionized hypercalcaemia a biochemical condition?
Diagnostic investigation for ion ised hypercalcaemia may be prompted by total hypercalcaemia on a biochemical profile, urolithiasis, neoplasia, constipation, or undiagnosed non-specific signs, even when total serum calcium (tCa) is normal. Ionized hypercalcaemia has deleterious long-term consequences and should be managed even in asymptomatic patients.
Is hyperparathyroidism rare in cats?
Primary hyperparathyroidism is rare in cats. Most cases are over 8 years of age. Adenomas are most common, but hyperplasia and carcinoma are reported. Involvement of more than one gland is unusual. Cervical masses are palpable in 50% of cases. A high or normal PTH in the face of ionized hypercalcaemia is consistent with autonomous secretion from the parathyroid gland. Low or normal serum phosphate is expected in primary hyperparathyroidism and HHM. Ultrasound may assist in detecting parathyroid lesions. Surgical patients undergoing parathyroidectomy should be monitored closely for postoperative hypocalcaemia because of feedback atrophy of the remaining glands.
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- Volume expansion with 0.9% saline, ~100125 mL/kg/day, IV, decreases hemoconcentration and increases renal calcium loss by improving glomerular filtration rate and sodium excretion, which results in less calcium reabsorption. Mithramycin, an inhibitor of RNA synthesis in osteoclasts, is an effective treatment for hypercalcemia; the dosage is 25 mcg/...
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