title: Feline hyperparathyroidism: pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperparathyroidism exists in primary and secondary forms. Primary hyperparathyroidism has typically been considered a disease that uncommonly affects cats, but this condition is more prevalent than previous diagnoses would suggest. Secondary hyperparathyroidism may be caused by either nutritional influences (ie, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism) or chronic kidney disease (ie, renal secondary hyperparathyroidism). Tertiary hyperparathyroidism has yet to be documented in veterinary medicine, but it is possible that this condition occurs in some cats following longstanding renal secondary hyperparathyroidism.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Diagnosis of this group of calcium metabolic disorders presents a number of challenges for the clinician. For example, clinical signs can be non-specific and, especially in the case of primary hyperparathyroidism, there is often a low index of suspicion for the disease; careful sample handling is required for testing of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and ionized calcium levels; and there is currently no feline-specific assay for PTH, which has implications for test sensitivity and interpretation of results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article briefly outlines PTH and calcium physiology by way of introduction to a review of PTH measurement and interpretation. Various forms of feline hyperparathyroidism are then described, encompassing diagnosis and treatment options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 601 Vernon L Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA parker.888@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Valerie J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 601 Vernon L Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gilor
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 601 Vernon L Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chew
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002415:Cats; D049950:Hyperparathyroidism, Primary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002118:Calcium