Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with kidney disease and high calcium treated with cinacalcet
By Ribeiro, Diego et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Hungarica·2025·School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tertiary hyperparathyroidism in a dog - Case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu with stage 2 chronic kidney disease was brought in with high levels of calcium and other markers, indicating tertiary hyperparathyroidism (THPT). The veterinarian started treatment for her kidney issues and prescribed a medication called cinacalcet to help manage her hormone levels. While the treatment did lower her hormone and calcium levels significantly, her kidney condition worsened, leading to her passing away 26 days later. This case highlights the challenges of managing THPT in dogs, especially those with existing kidney problems.
People also search for: dog kidney disease treatment · Shih Tzu hyperparathyroidism symptoms · cinacalcet for dogs
Abstract
Tertiary hyperparathyroidism (THPT) is rarely discussed in animals. This study aimed to report a case of tertiary renal hyperparathyroidism in a dog. A 16-year-old spayed female, Shih Tzu, previously diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease, presented increased levels of serum urea, creatinine, total calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus and PTH, indicating THPT. Clinical treatment for the renal condition was initiated and cinacalcet hydrochloride (0.5 mg*kg-1, orally, once daily for 7 days, followed by 1 mg*kg-1, orally, once daily for 7 days) was administered to correct the hormonal disorders. PTH, total calcium and ionized concentrations decreased by 56%, 76% and 15%, respectively, in 14 days. However, exacerbation of the uremic crisis was observed, leading to death 26 days after the initiation of the medication. This report appears to be the first to comprehensively discuss THPT in veterinary medicine. The shorter life expectancy of these animals compared to that of humans may be a determining factor for the low prevalence of THPT in dogs. The tendency toward a reduction in PTH, total calcium and ionized calcium achieved after the initiation of cinacalcet hydrochloride use encourages the development of further clinical studies to investigate its application in animals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41004268/