Need Help with hypercalcemia experience

Katrinaj

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Greetings! Found this site and hoping to gain some insights and hear about experiences of others whose cats have dealt with hypercalcemia. My boy is just over 2 years old and has been healthy until a little over 2 months ago when his eating habits changed. He stopped eating foods that he normally scarfed down and experienced rapid weight loss of about 2 pounds over a months time. He had two instances of vomiting a couple of weeks apart but otherwise had been himself. Had him checked out by our vet and his bloodwork showed a slightly elevated calcium level. She suggested an ionized calcium test and those results showed what the vet called “mildly elevated” ionized calcium levels (1.39). Bet has referred us to an internist.
One of the foods Big Cat stopped eating was a dry weight loss food. He wasn’t symptomatic when he stopped eating it but he turned his nose up at it when we opened a new bag. I’m curious if the reduced fiber in his diet that he was getting with that food is contributing to the hypercalcemia.
I’d appreciate any experiences you can share and what we should expect next. I am a little concerned and nervous about how much it may cost and what tests will be needed to determine the cause of his hypercalcemia so if you can share that so I know what to expect I would be especially grateful. Thanks in advance!
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi and welcome to TCS. How high were the readings? Were there any other abnormal/unusual readings in Big Cat's bloodwork?

There is a chance it could have been a 'fluke'. I only say this because Feeby's calcium was high during one of her blood tests a few years ago. The next time we had bloodwork done, which was 3 months later, her calcium was back in the range she had always been in before, and she stayed in that range until her last bloodwork was done shortly before her death. No one knows why it was elevated. She was later diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, and lymphoma, but with the calcium level never rising again, there was no reason to think there was any correlation.

At the time Feeby's calcium was high, the vet immediately wondered about cancer - although that is only one of many possibilities - but rather than start a lot of testing, we decided to wait 3 months and have bloodwork done again. Feeby was much older than Big Cat - when that happened, she was 16 yo.

I have heard that 'growing cats' can have a mildly higher calcium reading. Given some cats aren't finished growing until Big Cat's age, maybe that has something to do with it?

I hope others can give better insight to you than I am by suggesting it might be a fluke, but it is something to consider.
 

silent meowlook

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Hi. Elevated ionized calcium can be caused by kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, cancer, bone disorders, a diet low in vitamin D, and it can be idiopathic.(we don’t know why).

Any chance you can post the bloodwork?

With Chronic Kidney Disease, you need to have a decrease in kidney function by around 70% before it shows up in the bloodwork.

An internist is a good idea, and they will most likely recommend an abdominal ultrasound to see what is going on with the internal organs.

Hypercalcemia is an important finding and should be further investigated.
 
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mrsgreenjeens

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As to future costs, that can entirely depend on the Vet. Even in the same physical location Vet costs can very vastly. The best thing to do is call around and ask for prices.
 
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