What is idiopathic hypercalcemia in cats?
Within the past 10 years, idiopathic hypercalcemia as a diagnostic consideration for cats with hypercalcemia has been recognized. Its frequency of diagnosis continues to increase, and it is now appears to be the most common cause of ionized hypercalcemia in cats in the USA. Serum calcium is often increased for months to more than one year, often without obvious clinical signs. Hypercalcemia is often a fortuitous discovery from blood samples taken for other reasons (pre-anesthesia, geriatric screening, vomiting episode that often has resolved). In a recent report of clinical signs seen in 427 cases of feline idiopathic hypercalcemia, 46% had no clinical signs, 18% had mild weight loss with no other clinical signs, 6% had inflammatory bowel disease, 5% were chronically constipated, 4% were vomiting and 1% were anorectic. Uroliths or renoliths were observed in 15%, and calcium oxalate stones were specifically noted in 10% of cases. Cats ranged in age from 0.5 to 20 years old (mean 9.8 4.6
