Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in six cats

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH) was diagnosed in six cats d uring; a three-year period, based on clinical, radiographic and laboratory findings, Clinical signs were attributable to severe osteopenia (n=5) and h ypocalcaemia (n=4), which had resulted in spontaneous fractures of long bon es, scapulae, pelvis, nasal bones, or spine, and in excitation, muscle twit ching or seizures, respectively, Serum parathormone levels were markedly el evated, and 1,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D-3 mildly elevated, whereas 25(OH)-vitamin D-3 was mildly decreased compared to age-matched healthy cats. Treatment w as limited to short-term parenteral calcium gluconate injections, as clinic ally indicated, a balanced diet and cage rest, which resulted in quick clin ical recovery in four cases, The remaining two cats had to be euthanased be cause of progressive neurological deficits secondary to spinal fractures, A t the time of writing, a multitude of commercial balanced diets is widely a vailable and diseases secondary to dietary deficiencies have become rare, N evertheless, NSH is still an important clinical entity, and should be consi dered in growing cats presenting with spontaneous fractures or seizures.