Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rickets in a 1-year-old cat from kidney phosphate loss and vitamin D
By Henik, R A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1999·Department of Medical Sciences, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Rickets caused by excessive renal phosphate loss and apparent abnormal vitamin D metabolism in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old cat was brought in for weakness and frequent fractures, which led to a diagnosis of rickets, a condition that affects bone health. Tests showed that the cat was losing too much phosphorus through its kidneys and had issues with processing vitamin D. The veterinarian treated the cat with calcifediol (a form of vitamin D) and phosphate supplements, which helped improve the cat's condition and strengthened its bones, as confirmed by follow-up X-rays.
People also search for: cat rickets treatment · cat weakness and fractures · vitamin D deficiency in cats
Abstract
Rickets was diagnosed in a 1-year-old cat with a history of weakness, osteopenia, and recurrent fractures. Processes causing rickets include vitamin D deficiency caused by inadequate, nutrition, lack of exposure to sunlight, defective metabolism of parent vitamin D to active metabolites, inherited vitamin D receptor defects, hypoparathyroidism, chronic renal failure, renal loss of phosphate, or malabsorptive states resulting from gastrointestinal or hepatic diseases. On the basis of analysis of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 and D3 concentrations, serum biochemical analysis, and urinary fractional clearance of electrolytes, the causes of rickets in our cat, were most compatible with a combination of excessive loss of phosphorus via the kidneys and deficient or abnormal hepatic 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D. Calcifediol treatment and twice daily administration of phosphate salts resulted in clinical improvement and increases in mineralization of the skeleton, as evidenced on radiographic evaluation.
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/14567428/