The Very Latest On Chronic Kidney Failure

The Parathormone Test

The parathyroid glands maintain a balance of phosphorus and calcium levels. During Chronic Renal Failure, high levels of phosphorus accumulate in the blood (hyperphosphatemia) because the kidneys can no longer efficiently excrete it. When phosphorus is excessive, the parathyroid glands produce more of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) in an attempt to restore a calcium/phosphorus balance. The overproduction of PTH results in calcium being removed from the bones to balance the excess phosphorus.

Why This Test Is Performed

This test may be performed when PTH abnormality is suspected as a cause of abnormal calcium or phosphorus levels.

PTH is a protein hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland which is the most important regulator of body calcium and phosphorus.

PTH increases the calcium and phosphorus release from bone
decreases the loss of calcium and increases the loss of phosphorus in the urine
increases the activation of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D in the kidneys

Secretion of PTH is regulated by the level of calcium in the blood. Low serum calcium causes increased PTH to be secreted, whereas increased serum calcium inhibits PTH release.

My Thanks To Dr. Todd Tams For This Information And Treating Camille

As this is being written, Dr. Tams has Camille on the usual Fluid Therapy, and she is receiving "Calcitroil" Vitamin D3 orally. I've already notice a good change in her demeanor

Learn About Vaccination Fibrosarcoma

Todd R.Tams, Diplomate DVM

We all learned a great deal about heartworm disease in cats in 1997. This is not a new disease, rather it is a problem that has been known to occur in cats for quite some time but one that was significantly difficult to detect. Fortunately we now have the ability to more easily diagnose FHWD, starting with a heartworm antibody test for screening purposes.

Last March when we started actively recommending testing for our feline patients that live in any area where heartworms are known to occur in dogs and routinely using heartworm preventive medication in cats there were still questions in some of our doctors’ minds about whether or not this approach was perhaps a little before its time. This is definitely not the case. Some doctors stated that “we don’t think that we have a problem in our area.” But if we don’t actively look, how can we possibly know? We can’t!

I want to thank Dr. Laurie Klein for sharing the sad story about Westerly (see case report on this insert) with us. His story can no doubt help us do a better job for feline patients that we see in our daily practices. Had there been some way to get him on heartworm preventive medication several years ago he would not have contracted his fatal disease. How many other cats are out there not showing clinical signs but yet have heartworms, or that are seeing us because of coughing or vomiting but are not getting evaluated thoroughly enough for heartworm disease?? These cats are all at risk for sudden death. Dr. Sue Morrison from VCA South Shore in Boston has told me that a number of cats from the South Shore practice have been antibody positive, three were antigen positive, and two (now deceased) were ultrasound positive for heartworm disease this past autumn. The prevalence in many areas of the country is higher than was anticipated. We all need to be more aggressive about our approach to this problem in this and in coming years.