Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic kidney disease raises total calcium risk in cats
By van den Broek, D H N et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2017·Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats and the Risk of Total Hypercalcemia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at a higher risk for developing high calcium levels in their blood, known as hypercalcemia. This condition can often be missed because the standard test for calcium levels tends to underestimate the actual amount of calcium present. In fact, cats with CKD were found to be over four times more likely to develop hypercalcemia compared to those without CKD. If your cat has CKD and you notice symptoms like increased thirst or urination, it’s important to discuss calcium testing with your veterinarian to ensure proper management.
People also search for: cat chronic kidney disease symptoms · cat high calcium treatment · why is my cat drinking so much water
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common comorbidity in cats with hypercalcemia, but whether CKD is a risk factor for hypercalcemia is unclear. Hypercalcemia often is diagnosed based on total calcium concentration (tCa), which tends to underestimate the ionized calcium concentration (iCa) in cats. OBJECTIVES: Assessment of the performance of tCa for the diagnosis of ionized hypercalcemia, and exploration of factors influencing the relationship between iCa and tCa. Determination of risk factors for incident total hypercalcemia (ie, the development of hypercalcemia based on tCa during follow-up). ANIMALS: Records of a cross-section (n = 477) and observational cohort (n = 367) of client-owned cats with and without azotemic CKD from first opinion practice. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study. The diagnostic accuracy of tCa as an index test for ionized hypercalcemia was evaluated, and risk factors for underestimation were explored by binary logistic and linear regression in a cross-section of cats with and without azotemic CKD. Chronic kidney disease and clinicopathological variables were assessed as predictors of incident total hypercalcemia by both time-invariant and time-dependent Cox regression in a cohort of cats. RESULTS: Specificity of tCa for identification of ionized hypercalcemia was high (100%), but sensitivity was low. Underestimation was associated with lower venous bicarbonate concentrations. Cats with CKD had increased risk for incident total hypercalcemia (hazard ratio, 4.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.96-9.37; P < .001). Higher tCa predicted incident total hypercalcemia in both azotemic and nonazotemic cats (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Chronic kidney disease is a risk factor for incident total hypercalcemia, and most cats with increased tCa had concurrent ionized hypercalcemia. Higher baseline tCa predicts incident total hypercalcemia. Prospective studies assessing changes in iCa are warranted.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28190275/