Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Managing low calcium long-term in a dog after thyroid and parathyroid
By Ruggiero, Alessio et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Case Report: long-term calcaemia management in a dog after thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog developed severe low calcium levels after surgery to remove part of its thyroid and parathyroid glands due to thyroid cancer. The vet first stabilized the dog with intravenous calcium and then managed its condition with both a commercial diet and a homemade diet, ensuring it received enough calcium and vitamin D. The dog was also given calcium carbonate and calcitriol supplements to keep its calcium levels normal. After six months of treatment, the dog's calcium levels remained stable, and it was doing well.
People also search for: dog low calcium after surgery · thyroid cancer treatment in dogs · homemade diet for dog hypocalcemia
Abstract
This report describes a canine case of severe hypocalcaemia following the surgical removal of a thyroid lobe and the ipsilateral parathyroid glands for thyroid carcinoma. After initial stabilisation with intravenous calcium gluconate, the dog was initially managed with a commercial diet, and subsequently with a homemade diet, which provided 3.72 and 3.30 g/1,000 kcal ME of calcium, 376 and 295 IU of vitamin D3, and 2.48 and 1.50 g/1,000 kcal metabolisable energy (ME) of phosphorus, respectively. Both nutritional plans were supplemented with calcium carbonate (200 mg/day) and calcitriol (9.84 IU/day) to maintain normocalcaemia. A tailored, homemade diet was formulated to address the onset of hyporexia. The patient maintained stable serum calcium, phosphorus, and total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations over a mid-term follow-up period of 6 months.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41800300/