What are Parathyroid Tumors?
• Dogs have four parathyroid glands located within the neck. These glands control the level of calcium in the blood stream. Many body systems such as the heart, nervous system (brain, nerves and spinal cord), intestinal tract, muscles and many other systems function properly only with a normal blood calcium level in the blood. • These tumors are uncommon in dogs and even less common in cats. • They are usually benign, with rare spread of the tumor to other parts of the body. • The primary problem with with tumor is that it is functional, producing excessive amounts of a hormone called parathyroid hormone.
