An Overview of Hypocalcemia in Cats

The first few times her six-year-old female tabby rubbed her face against an irreplaceable silk pillow, Alexandra assumed this was just random behavior. However, after the cat started rubbing against objects throughout the house, Alexandra took her to the vet. The diagnosis was hypocalcemia in cats.

Definition

Feline hypocalcemia is a condition in which the level of calcium in the pet's blood is too low. This disorder is a principal sign of hypoparathyroidism, which occurs when the cat's parathyroid glands, which are involved in calcium levels, produce an insufficient amount of secretions, or none at all, according to Cat World.

Calcium is essential to cats because of its role in forming bones and teeth, clotting blood, and producing milk in females. It's also important in heart pumping, vision, muscle contraction, and metabolizing enzymes and hormones. Calcium deficiency in cats calls for immediate treatment, according to PetMD.com.

Causes

A cat's parathyroid glands are responsible for manufacturing parathyroid hormone. The role of this hormone is boosting calcium levels in the cat's blood by increasing digestive absorption, taking calcium from the animal's bones, and restricting calcium loss from urine.

PetMD reports that more than half of all cases of hypocalcemia in cats have been linked to low levels of albumin, a protein in the blood. In addition to free calcium in the pet's blood, a substantial amount of calcium remains bound to albumin. Hypocalcemia related to albumin levels usually doesn't track to any specific symptoms.

Quite a few other health conditions can cause feline hypocalcemia. Among them are acute or chronic kidney failure, toxicity resulting from eating plants like a lily or philodendron, an inflammation of the pancreas. and low blood levels of magnesium. Others include rickets, vitamin D deficiency, and citrate toxicity resulting from multiple blood transfusions for a health problem. Vets also link low calcium levels in some cats to puerperal tetany, a neurological syndrome marked by muscle twitching, cramps, and seizures.

Other causes include milk fever, bone tumors, and Cushing's disease.

Signs and Symptoms

Cats suffering from hypocalcemia often exhibit seemingly unrelated symptoms. The most common are panting, rubbing the face against objects, and muscle twitching and trembling.

Owners might also notice an uncoordinated or stiff gait, lack of appetite, weakness, fever, vomiting, and even convulsions. Some cats act unusually restless or lethargic or have an increased rate of respiration.

Diagnosis and Treatment

A veterinarian examining a cat with symptoms of hypocalcemia will take a detailed medical history. This includes questioning the owner about any events that might be the cause of the symptoms the vet observes. After a complete physical exam, routine tests ordered include a blood count, biochemistry profile, and urinalysis. When the results are combined, they usually provide important information about blood calcium levels and potential causes of the cat's symptoms.

Depending on what initial results reveal, more specialized tests such as parathyroid gland function or toxicity screens might be necessary. X-rays can reveal important bone density information.

Emergency treatment for hypocalcemia in cats includes administering calcium gluconate intravenously. Some cats require extended hospital stays. For others, oral calcium supplements at home are prescribed for a specified period after initial IV treatment.

Once a vet makes a diagnosis of hypocalcemia in a cat, monitoring the pet with an electrocardiogram (EKG) is necessary because of the effect calcium levels have on the heart. When an underlying health condition is the cause of the disorder, this problem must be treated. For some cats, a dietary change works wonders.

Sources:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/hypocalcemia-in-cats

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_hypocalcemia