Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with immune disease and low calcium not helped by steroids
By Jaffey, Jared et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2019·From the Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Presumptive Glucocorticoid-Induced Refractory Hypocalcemia in a Dog with Idiopathic Immune-Mediated Hypoparathyroidism, Thrombocytopenia, and Hemolytic Anemia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old neutered male Pomeranian was brought in for severe low calcium levels, which can cause serious health issues. He had been diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells), along with primary hypoparathyroidism (a condition where the body doesn't produce enough parathyroid hormone). Despite being treated with oral calcium and vitamin D supplements, he still needed long-term injections of calcium gluconate to manage his calcium levels effectively. This case highlights the challenges of treating low calcium in dogs with certain immune conditions.
People also search for: dog low calcium treatment · Pomeranian immune-mediated anemia · calcium gluconate for dogs
Abstract
Clinically relevant hypocalcemia is a well-documented complication of glucocorticoid administration in people with hypoparathyroidism. The current report describes the phenomenon in a dog. A 7 yr old neutered male Pomeranian was diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, and primary hypoparathyroidism. This dog required long-term parenteral calcium gluconate to prevent clinical hypocalcemia despite appropriate doses of oral calcitriol and calcium carbonate. This is the first description of clinically significant presumptive glucocorticoid induced hypocalcemia in a dog with primary hypoparathyroidism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30427709/