Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using chia seeds to manage high calcium in cats
By Fantinati, Marco & Priymenko, Nathalie·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2020·Nutrition Department, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Managing Feline Idiopathic Hypercalcemia With Chia Seeds (L.): A Case Series.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Three middle-aged female Domestic Shorthair cats were brought to the vet because they were lethargic, not eating well, and one had vomited while another had trouble urinating. After various tests, the vet found they all had high calcium levels in their blood, a condition called idiopathic hypercalcemia. The cats were switched to different high-moisture diets, but this alone didn’t help after six weeks. The vet then added chia seeds to their diets, and after four weeks, all three cats had normal calcium levels again. This suggests that chia seeds could be a helpful addition for managing this condition in cats.
People also search for: cat high calcium levels treatment · chia seeds for cats · cat not eating and lethargic · cat vomiting and urination issues
Abstract
We describe for the first time the use of chia seeds (L.) as a non-pharmacological solution in managing feline idiopathic hypercalcemia when dietary change alone fails.Over a 2-year period of time, three female spayed, middle-aged, Domestic Shorthair cats were diagnosed with idiopathic hypercalcemia. Reason for consultation were lethargy and dysorexia, with a single episode of vomiting described in one cat and dysuria in another. Thorough diagnostic work-up included complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, ionized calcium, calcemic hormones, parathyroid hormone-related protein, and imaging of chest and abdomen. Based on different nutritional reasons, each cat was switched to a different high-moisture pet food as first-step in managing the disorder: a high-fiber diet, a diet formulated for chronic kidney disease management and a diet designed to prevent calcium oxalate urolithiasis. In the three cats, 6 weeks of dietary change alone did not result in normocalcemia. Before resorting to any pharmacological solution, supplementation to the diet of chia seeds (2 g/cat/day) was started. After 4 weeks from the introduction ofL., all cats achieved normalization of ionized calcium concentration.Chia seeds (L.) supplementation could be a useful tool in managing feline idiopathic hypercalcemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32793647/