Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hypocalcaemia due to nutritional calcium deficiency and hypoparathyroidism in an adult dog.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2005
- Authors:
- Diquélou, A et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Internal Medicine · France
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old male poodle had been experiencing episodes of muscle spasms for two months, along with signs of being very thin and moderately dehydrated. During these episodes, the dog also showed signs of temporary blindness, a stiff way of walking, and changes in behavior. Blood tests revealed that he had very low calcium levels, likely due to a poor diet that didn't provide enough calcium, and he also had low levels of a hormone that helps regulate calcium in the body. After being given a supplement for four days and changing his diet to include more calcium, his blood calcium levels improved and the symptoms went away, although the hormone levels remained low a year later.
Abstract
A 13-year-old intact male poodle had suffered periodic tetanic crises for two months. It was cachectic and moderately dehydrated, and during the crises blindness, a stiff gait and behavioural changes were observed. Routine haematological and biochemical profiles showed that it was severely hypocalcaemic, with a corrected plasma calcium concentration of 1.13 mmol/litre (reference range 2.25 to 3 mmol/litre). The dog was fed a home-made diet composed of chicken and basmati rice cooked with a soup bouillon cube; an analysis of its daily allowance indicated that the dog was generally malnourished and received only 0.222 g of calcium per day rather than the 0.6 g it required. In addition, the dog had a low blood concentration of parathyroid hormone of 12 ng/litre (reference range 20 to 80 ng/litre). Supplementing the dog with calcitriol for four days and correcting its diet increased its blood calcium to the lower part of the reference range and resolved the clinical signs, although its parathyroid hormone concentration was still low one year later.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15675523/