Pug seems fine, but calcium’s high

I recently took my 12-year-old pug to my vet because of a lesion that developed on the left side of his face. It was raised and draining pus. The vet looked at it, had the staff clip and clean the area and gave me some antibiotics as well as a topical ointment.

After just two days it looks somewhat improved. Despite everything else being relatively normal, the vet took some bloodwork and left a message that it looked good except for a high calcium level of 15 and that it could mean several things.

I am worried about the possibilities. What could it mean?

Hypercalcemia in your dog might mean something or it might not, depending on how high the level is. Calcium in the body is needed in many different body systems such as bone density, heart health and more, and having high levels can lead to kidney, heart, gastrointestinal and even nervous system issues. What matters is how high the level, the cause of the increased calcium and addressing it as needed or possible.

Normal calcium is between 8.4-11.8 mg/dl as per the laboratory that I use. At a level of 15, it might be worth looking for possibilities but it could be like looking for a needle in the haystack since the other values and your dog’s overall health are seemingly normal. Some literature suggests that significance occurs when the calcium is over 15 and that problems arise if it is over 18. Another question is whether or not your dog exhibits any clinical signs associated with hypercalcemia, such as increased drinking and urinating, weakness, loss of appetite, or vomiting and weight loss. Some of the common causes leading to a high calcium blood level include a disorder or mass of the parathyroid gland, lymphoma (most common), other cancers such as of the anal gland, kidney failure, Addison’s disease, exposure to too much Vitamin D, response to certain medications or normal variation due to age.

My guess is that your veterinarian will suggest further testing starting with testing the ionized calcium, checking parathyroid hormone levels or imaging tests to look for possible masses. They might even wait a short time and repeat the bloodwork to see if the elevated level is consistent. If the ionized calcium level is normal then no other tesing is warranted and your dog should be fine. He is an older dog, so staying on top of all of this is prudent. Good luck!

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2pR6CHJ