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High Calcium

post #1 of 14
4/25/10 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 
I am really worried about Darcy. She was ill (stomach virus) a couple of weeks ago and the vet did a blood test. The calcium was at 12.5 so the vet told me to bring Darcy back in a few weeks to do another test. Well, Darcy is back to being her healthy self again and I brought her for her second blood test on Friday. Her calcium is at 13.1 now. She is only 4yrs old and is not exhibiting any symptoms of being ill. How normal is it for a cat to have naturally high calcium levels? Does high calcium automatically mean cancer? The vet said that before she recommended any other tests, she would research this and ask some experts up at Mich State.

- she isn't on a special diet
- she is 4yrs old
- she has no kidney problems
- she is just over 6lbs
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post #2 of 14
4/25/10 at 1:29pm
I know that the parathyroid regulates calcium and phosphorus though, and it can mess up for several reasons from autoimmune illnesses to a tumor on the parathyroid. Ask him to check it out. I don't know how they check it, xray, ultrasound, or something else? I think it's kinda rare though.

Or it could be diet related... Or something else.

I hope it goes down soon! What is the normal level? Bear's bloodwork says 8-11.8 is normal, but sometimes it's different at different vets.
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post #3 of 14
4/25/10 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
my vet said anything below like a 10.5 is normal. The vet did take several x-rays, but they were normal.
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post #4 of 14
4/25/10 at 5:37pm
I would if possible re run the test
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post #5 of 14
4/25/10 at 6:38pm
WELDRWOMN, a very good article for information

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB...00/PR00123.htm
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post #6 of 14
4/25/10 at 6:52pm
In Hope's blood work it says in between 7.8 and 11.3 is the normal range...
:vi bes:
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post #7 of 14
4/26/10 at 1:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
I would if possible re run the test
How often should I ask for the test to be re-run?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Violet View Post
WELDRWOMN, a very good article for information

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB...00/PR00123.htm
Thanks, that is a very good article.
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post #8 of 14
4/26/10 at 8:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WELDRWOMN View Post
How often should I ask for the test to be re-run?
Well, seeing how kitty's calcium was elevated and it WAS recently retested (only to find it was a little higher), I'm not sure that retesting it again would be of any benefit at this point? -- except, does your Vet clinic doing bloodtests "in house" or do they send off the sample to an outside lab for analysis? Maybe it's just me but I've sometimes been leary about in house testing because it's only as good/accurate as those using the equipment. I once received a result (they use Idexx machines to run blood) and there was some kind of note on the result, something to the effect of "no calibration done." Something like that, so it then made me question the accuracy of the results.

What does your kitty eat? (just wondering if it's a food that is high in Vit D, unbeknownst to you?)

I did read that some types of mouse and rat poison contain a LOT of vitamin D so if a cat ingests this, it can also cause high calcium levels. Any chance kitty exposed to rodent poison?

In the article that Violet posted, it did talk about "idiopathic hypercalcemia" which is basically elevated calcium "for no known reason."

Do you give your kitty MILK at all? I know some people do.
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post #9 of 14
4/26/10 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_food_lady View Post
Well, seeing how kitty's calcium was elevated and it WAS recently retested (only to find it was a little higher), I'm not sure that retesting it again would be of any benefit at this point? -- except, does your Vet clinic doing bloodtests "in house" or do they send off the sample to an outside lab for analysis? Maybe it's just me but I've sometimes been leary about in house testing because it's only as good/accurate as those using the equipment. I once received a result (they use Idexx machines to run blood) and there was some kind of note on the result, something to the effect of "no calibration done." Something like that, so it then made me question the accuracy of the results.

What does your kitty eat? (just wondering if it's a food that is high in Vit D, unbeknownst to you?)

I did read that some types of mouse and rat poison contain a LOT of vitamin D so if a cat ingests this, it can also cause high calcium levels. Any chance kitty exposed to rodent poison?

In the article that Violet posted, it did talk about "idiopathic hypercalcemia" which is basically elevated calcium "for no known reason."

Do you give your kitty MILK at all? I know some people do.
The testing is done "in house".

Darcy eats Newman's Own Dry Cat food and Meow Mix wet cat food.

I am hoping that Darcy just has high calcium "just because", but the vet told me that it is not that common to have it "just because"

No milk for either cat - no cheese either. Greenies are the only treats.

There is no rat poision, but Darcy does sometimes escape to the basement where there is roach poison (kept high up). We try to chase Darcy back upstairs immediately though.
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post #10 of 14
4/27/10 at 1:21am
Thread Starter 
The vet called last night and she wants to send a sample of blood to Mich State so that they can test what Types of calcium are present. From that sort of testing, they should be able to tell if something is wrong with Darcy or if she just has high calcium just because.
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post #11 of 14
4/27/10 at 7:58pm
That is great! I hope it comes back with a "just because!"
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post #12 of 14
5/3/10 at 9:47am
I have one question I always ask when I see people with a cat with high blood calcium. Is the cat on Lactulose, or some other natural remedy for constipation? I ask because, my Jordan's blood calcium spike a month after starting on Lactulose. He was 4 years old and the vets were convinced it was cancer. After a year of dealing this the high blood calcium, I decided to regulate his constipation using food & took him off the Lactulose. A month later his blood calcium started to drop again. He has since been healthy and has been taken off all meds. He is now 7 years old and doing wonderfully. There is no scientific proof (as in no studies), but I know that I am not the only person who has had this experience. That is my story & I always share it hoping that some day it will help save someone the $ and emotional roller coaster I went through.
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post #13 of 14
5/3/10 at 9:52am
I was suggesting having it rechecked once or sending it out... blood tests are not always accurate and results can be off.. Are you sending it to the University?
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post #14 of 14
5/8/10 at 11:07pm
Any updates?
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