Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with high blood calcium linked to hidden parasite infection
By Rohrer, C R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2000·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypercalcemia in a dog: a challenging case.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 18-month-old spayed female mixed-breed dog was brought in because she had high calcium levels that wouldn't go down. After many tests, the vet suspected she might have a type of cancer called lymphosarcoma. Sadly, the dog was euthanized, and during the examination after her passing, it was discovered that she actually had an infection caused by a parasite. This case highlights the importance of checking for certain infections when a dog has high calcium levels without a clear cause.
People also search for: dog high calcium levels · mixed-breed dog cancer symptoms · dog infection treatment
Abstract
An 18-month-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog was referred for investigation of persistent hypercalcemia. After extensive diagnostic evaluation, a tentative diagnosis of occult lymphosarcoma (LSA) was made and the dog was euthanized. At necropsy, infection with Heterobilharzia americana was diagnosed. In endemic areas, schistosomiasis should be included in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia, and a fecal examination should be performed in every dog with a hypercalcemia of unknown origin.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10667402/