Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kitten with vitamin D-dependent rickets treated successfully
By MacKenzie, John M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2011·Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful therapy of vitamin D-dependant rickets in a kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old female kitten was unable to walk after falling from her owner's arms. Tests showed she had low calcium levels and some bone issues, including fractures. The veterinarian diagnosed her with vitamin D-dependent rickets, a condition affecting bone health. Treatment with calcium supplements and a form of vitamin D helped her recover, allowing her to walk again.
People also search for: kitten unable to walk · vitamin D deficiency in cats · kitten bone fractures treatment
Abstract
A 7 mo old, 2.4 kg, intact female kitten was evaluated for an inability to walk after falling out of the owner's arms. Diagnostic testing abnormalities included hypocalcemia, low ionized calcium, and elevated intact parathyroid hormone concentration. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was normal. Radiographic abnormalities included generalized osteopenia, a nondisplaced, folding fracture of the proximal right fibula, and sclerosis with a compression fracture of the proximal right tibia. Based on these findings and response to calcium carbonate and calcitriol therapy, a diagnosis of vitamin D-dependent rickets was made. Reports of similar cases in veterinary medicine are sparse and no other reports to date document radiographic abnormalities with a successful therapeutic outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673332/