The most common disease causing hypercalcemia in dogs is?

The most common disease causing hypercalcemia in dogs is?

• A. Renal failure
• B. Hypoadrenocorticism
• C. Lymphosarcoma
• D. Hyperparathyroidism

Answer: (C)

Hypercalcemia of malignancy is a major way dogs develop high calcium levels, and lymphoma is a very common cancer associated with this paraneoplastic effect. Lymphoma can drive calcium up through factors like PTH-related peptide and inflammatory cytokines that stimulate osteoclasts to break down bone and release calcium, as well as enhanced renal calcium reabsorption. This makes hypercalcemia a relatively frequent presenting or accompanying finding in dogs with lymphoma. Other causes exist, such as renal disease or Addison’s disease, which can produce mild hypercalcemia in some cases, and primary hyperparathyroidism directly raises calcium but is less commonly the source of hypercalcemia overall in dogs compared with malignancy, particularly lymphoma. So the pattern and frequency of cancer-associated hypercalcemia in dogs make lymphoma the most likely underlying disease in many cases.

Hypercalcemia of malignancy is a major way dogs develop high calcium levels, and lymphoma is a very common cancer associated with this paraneoplastic effect. Lymphoma can drive calcium up through factors like PTH-related peptide and inflammatory cytokines that stimulate osteoclasts to break down bone and release calcium, as well as enhanced renal calcium reabsorption. This makes hypercalcemia a relatively frequent presenting or accompanying finding in dogs with lymphoma.

Other causes exist, such as renal disease or Addison’s disease, which can produce mild hypercalcemia in some cases, and primary hyperparathyroidism directly raises calcium but is less commonly the source of hypercalcemia overall in dogs compared with malignancy, particularly lymphoma. So the pattern and frequency of cancer-associated hypercalcemia in dogs make lymphoma the most likely underlying disease in many cases.