What is Hyperphosphatemia?
Most phosphorous is stored in the bones, but a small percentage circulates in the blood-normally no greater than 6.0 mg/dL. Its role is in muscle contraction and nerve function, but levels of phosphorous are controlled by the kidneys under the parathyroid hormone (PTH). This hormone prevents levels from rising too high, so if the phosphorous levels are high in your dog, there is likely something wrong with their kidneys.
Hyperphosphatemia can happen to any dog of any age, but is most commonly seen in adolescent or elderly animals. It can be fatal in chronic cases and should be treated as such, but is never the exclusive cause of your dog's ill health.Hyperphosphatemia Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $500 - $2,500
Average Cost
$1,400
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
Symptoms of Hyperphosphatemia in Dogs
Hyperphosphatemia is always a marker of an underlying disease because elevated levels in the blood are considered a symptom itself. By itself, it will not cause any clinical symptoms. However, in chronic cases with high phosphorous levels, you may see:
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Muscle tremors
- Muscle wasting
- Seizures
- Decreased bone density
Types
Hyperphosphatemia manifests as either an acute or a chronic case.
- It is rare for the acute cases to create long-standing problems as these are most commonly caused by adolescent growth spikes. However, if the cause was due to poisoning, parasites or trauma, it is vital to get your pet to a veterinarian for treatment of the underlying cause.
- In chronic conditions, symptoms will be manifesting over a long period and will give a better idea of the underlying cause, but will more severely affect their health and will present with more symptoms which may be alarming or dangerous in nature - as with muscle spasms and seizures.
Causes of Hyperphosphatemia in Dogs
The most common causes of this disease varies depending on the dogs age.
- In older dogs, it is most commonly caused by renal failure, intracellular malfunction, a malfunctioning thyroid gland resulting in a decreased production of the parathyroid hormone or overactivity of the gland which results in weight loss and muscle wasting. It may also be linked to diabetes.
- In adolescent dogs, it's often due to increased intestinal absorption and decreased renal absorption. It should be noted that phosphorous levels in young dogs - especially of large breeds will sometimes be greater than in adults because phosphorous is used to facilitate bone mineralization (hardening). This is normal.
- In all age groups, it can be caused by dehydration, parasites, trauma, or poisoning caused by raisins/grapes or an excess of vitamin D.
Diagnosis of Hyperphosphatemia in Dogs
If your dog is displaying twitchy muscles, drinking an inordinate amount or is increasingly lethargic, it's important to get them to a veterinarian office. Be certain to give a thorough history of any symptoms to your veterinarian including duration of symptoms and additional diseases if applicable. Your veterinarian will then conduct a physical exam to determine what organs have been most affected.
In doing a diagnostic analysis, your veterinarian must first determine that your dog, in fact, has high phosphorous levels. This is typically done with a CBC or complete blood count, followed by a serum biochemistry panel and urinanalysis. It should be noted that an exacerbatory factor for hyperphosphatemia include problems with intracellular uptake of phosphorous. If a large number of blood cells die (hemolysis) during or after the blood sample is taken, these cells will release the mineral into the blood serum and therefore have the potential to give a false-positive high reading of phosphorous. For the pet owner, this means that more samples may be necessary to determine actual readings because hemolytic samples are not representative. The importance of this will matter most if your dogs readings are borderline.
Treatment of Hyperphosphatemia in Dogs
High levels of phosphorous due to malfunction of the kidneys or a decrease in the volume of plasma won't necessarily be of clinical significance. Treatment will depend a great deal on the cause of the hyperphosphatemia. If your dog has decreased parathyroid hormone levels, your veterinarian will discuss thyroid hormone therapy.
If the problem stems from renal (kidney) problems, this will first be treated with aggressive fluid therapy followed by a low phosphorous diet to treat a dog with chronically high phosphorous levels. It's also possible your veterinarian will prescribe phosphate binders to link free-floating molecules. Phosphorous and calcium bind to create your dog's bones, so in a dog with high levels of phosphorous, it is possible they will also need to minimize calcium intake. This is especially true of chronic cases because calcium binding with phosphorous in extraskeletal tissue can result in tissue mineralization. This can be fatal.
Worried about the cost of treating your pet's symptoms?
Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.
Recovery of Hyperphosphatemia in Dogs
Visit your veterinarian regularly for checkups to evaluate treatment efficacy. This will usually include taking additional blood samples. Give your dog plenty of quiet and time to recover from an episode of high phosphorous levels. If the underlying cause was an acute case of Vitamin D over supplementation or ingestion of grapes or raisins with minimal damage to their renal system, your dog is likely to recover quickly. If your dog has a chronic condition involving their thyroid gland, renal retention, diabetes or cancer, your veterinarian will discuss a long-term prognosis and management program with you.
Hyperphosphatemia Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $500 - $2,500
Average Cost
$1,400
Top
Hyperphosphatemia Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Miniature Pinscher
Spike
14 Years
7 found this helpful
7 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Tremors, Muscle Wasting, No Food
Canine 14 yo diabetic and CRF. 100cc 2 times daily. 1) will hydration allow the phosphorus levels to go down (15 level) 2) I read that you want to limit calcium; so no cottage cheese? I think one of the meds was cerenia (?) for nausea
Aug. 23, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
7 Recommendations
Diabetes and CRF are difficult diseases to control, and I cannot give you a valid answer to your questions without knowing more about Spike. It would be best to ask these questions of your veterinarian, as they know him, are aware of his situation and will be able to give you an answer knowing his health status. I an say that SQ fluids don't decrease phosphorus, but Aluminum Hydroxide will if given with food.
Aug. 23, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Golden Retriever
Dolly
4 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood In Urine
Increased Thirst
Increased Urination
Hello, my puppy is almost 4 months and for 1 1/2 month we deal with symptoms of uti, first time the vet found bacteria but not on reoccurring one now. She acts like a very normal puppy except this frustrating problem.
"P": repeat cbc- anemia. Today hct was 29%, was 34 % on 4/21 profile- t. protien 4.1 and phos elevated 9.6 (age?)
ua and urine culture to lab via cysto
ultrasound guided cysto- thickened bladder wall with defect dorsal was that moved (sucked towards syringe) during cysto and left comet like effect scheduled abdomenal and echo with consult for tuesday with animage
start marbofloxacin (safer than baytril for young dog). Lab results: urine culture negative us- hematuria rbc 3+, RBC 21-50 hpf on bacteria , crystals or wbc
usg 1.030
May 30, 2018
0 Recommendations
Blood in the urine may be an incidental finding due to cystocentesis; the defect is concerning but it should also be considered that this breed is predisposed to ectopic ureters and should be checked for during ultrasound or an intravenous pyelogram. The increased phosphorus may be due to a fast growing medium to large size dog. You should see what the findings are when you have the consultation with the Specialist. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 31, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Sheltie
Snickers
10 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting, Diarrhea, Lethargy
I have three dogs that have all gotten sick about 5 days apart. Vomiting lots of mucous, diarrhea and lethargy. All were dehydrated. Their liver and kidney numbers were high, but creatine level was okay. Phosphorous levels were high. Each have been given fluids and anti nausea medicine and now they seem to be okay. The vet said that there levels were similar to rat poisoning. I've searched my house and yard and cannot find anything (I have never used rat poison and my cleaning products are pet-safe). The only things I found were some driveway salt that I had tracked in and some water softener tablets that had spilled when I was filling the tank. What else should I be considering?
March 13, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. Since all three dogs were affected, something that they ingested seems likely. The lab values that you have given don't really narrow anything down, and I'm not sure what else was in the lab work that would indicate rat poison. I would do a really thorough search for ANYTHING that they might have eaten, as the primary problem for them from what you have described seemed to be vomiting and diarrhea to the point of dehydration and loss of organ function. I hope that they recover well.
March 13, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Bali dog
Otis
4 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
As Above
My four month old puppy presented with vomiting after each meal, then no interest in drinking or eating some two weeks ago. The local vet found, from a blood test, parasites in the blood. Puppy was put on infusions for a week, to keep him hydrated and antibiotics. After seven days, puppy still not eating but would drink water. Urination was ok. Puppy lethargic still. An x-ray and ultrasould was done showing a twisted small intestine and an enlarged kidney. Emergency surgery was done to fix the problem but found small crystal-like particals throughout the lining of the whole small intestine. The sharp particals have caused ulcers around the area.The vet is baffled to what this is, the cause and ultimately the treatment. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Feb. 16, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. WIthout knowing more details about what was actually found with Otis, I can't comment on what might be going on. If your veterinarian didn't take a biopsy of the area, that might be a good idea. If your veteirnarian isn't sure what might be happening with him, it might be a good idea to have Otis referred to an internal medicine specialist. I hope that everything goes well for him.
Feb. 17, 2018
Was this question and answer helpful?
Pit Pei
Sandler
3 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Almost 3 yr old pit mix chronic vomiting, poor appetite, lethargy. Phos 11.1 Ca 7.8 Glucose 10 verified but specimen not fresh, advised to retake. Chloride 101 low and T4 1.8 normal. All other labs normal. Hearworm negative. Chronic symptoms: vomiting most every meal, only eats once per day due to choice. Several Bouts of bright red bloody explosive diarrhea lasting a week or more (last episode Sept 2017) Appears very lean but vets tell me he has moist pink gums and he’s ok. I don’t think so. What’s causing him to not thrive and vomit all the time? Food choices have been: boiled chicken, hamburger meat with rice, Cesar wet food tubs, Alpo Chophouse, and won’t eat anything else. I’ve tried all the best available foods Royal Canin sensitive digestion, Blue Buffalo, ProPlan, and grain free varieties. He’s very picky, won’t eat.
Dec. 4, 2017
0 Recommendations
It can be difficult to get a dog to eat a regular dog food diet and sometimes you need to just sneak the food in there among the burger and boiled chicken. You should try to feed him smaller meals more often so he is hungry for his next meal which should help with the vomiting as well. There is no specific answer for Sandler’s failure to gain weight and thrive but hormonal conditions, kidney disease and malabsorption syndromes are all possible causes. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Dec. 4, 2017
Was this question and answer helpful?
Hyperphosphatemia Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $500 - $2,500
Average Cost
$1,400
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
