Ionized hypercalcemia in cats with azotemic chronic kidney disease (2012-2018)

Abstract

Background: Hypercalcemia is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats, but studies assessing the physiologically relevant ionized calcium fraction are lacking. Objectives: To describe the prevalence and incidence rate of ionized hypercalcemia, and to explore predictor variables to identify cats at risk of ionized hypercalcemia in a cohort of cats diagnosed with azotemic CKD. Animals: One hundred sixty-four client-owned cats with azotemic CKD. Methods: Variables independently associated with ionized hypercalcemia at diagnosis of azotemic CKD were explored by binary logistic regression. Cats that were normocalcemic at diagnosis of azotemic CKD were followed over a 12-month period or until ionized hypercalcemia occurred and baseline predictor variables for ionized hypercalcemia explored using Cox proportional hazards and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Ionized hypercalcemia (median, 1.41 mmol/L; range, 1.38-1.68) was observed in 33/164 (20%) cats at diagnosis of azotemic CKD and was associated with male sex, higher plasma total calcium and potassium concentrations, and lower plasma parathyroid hormone concentrations. Twenty-five of 96 initially normocalcemic (26%) cats followed for minimum 90 days developed ionized hypercalcemia (median, 1.46 mmol/L; range, 1.38-1.80) at a median of 140 days after diagnosis of azotemic CKD (incidence rate, 0.48 per feline patient-year). Only body condition score was independently associated with incident ionized hypercalcemia. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The occurrence of ionized hypercalcemia is high in cats with CKD. Continued monitoring of blood ionized calcium concentrations is advised.