Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with pelvic fracture showing signs of low calcium
By Ballocco, Isabella et al.·Published in Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition·2021·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pelvic fracture triggering symptoms of an underlying primary hypoparathyroidism in an adult spayed bitch: A case report.
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old mixed breed spayed dog was brought in for seizures and had a history of an untreated limb fracture. She was also showing signs of poor appetite, nervousness, and weakness. Blood tests revealed very low calcium levels, which can cause seizures and other serious symptoms. The vet started her on calcitriol, a medication that helps raise calcium levels, and she showed improvement within 48 hours. The dog was diagnosed with primary hypoparathyroidism, a condition that was likely triggered by her pelvic fracture.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · low calcium in dogs · pelvic fracture in dogs · hypoparathyroidism in dogs
Abstract
A 7-year-old mixed breed spayed bitch (body weight: 10.6 kg) was presented with a history of intermittent episodes of seizures and untreated limb fracture. Appetite loss, nervousness, lateral recumbency, fasciculations, ataxia and poor nutritional condition were found. Venous blood gas analysis highlighted normal acid-base balance and severe low ionized calcium (0.58 mEq/L [range 1.13-1.32 mEq/L]). Marked total hypocalcaemia (6.4 mg/dL [range 8-10] or 1.6 mM [range: 2-2.5]) associated with hyperphosphoraemia (9.3 mg/dl [range 3.5-6.5 mg/dl]) displayed inverted ratio between minerals. ECG showed sinus arrhythmias. Circulating levels of Mg and Cu were within physiological range (1.97 mg/dl and 128 μg/dl respectively) and effects from interactions were excluded. Oral administration of calcitriol at 40 ng/kg/day led to clinical improvement within 48 hours, but circulating iCa levels were still below the lower limit of the reference range. Baseline levels of circulating parathormone (PTH) were 3 pg/ml, along with normal values of circulating vitamin D. Primary hypoparathyroidism was diagnosed as a chronic underlying condition triggered by pelvic fracture.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31456288/