Michelle and Doodle
Member Since 2009
I’m not sure where I should be posting this… but it didn’t seem appropriate to clutter up the health board when this is more of an announcement rather than a request for help. So hopefully this is okay.
Some of you may know that Doodle has been struggling with low potassium for months now - despite receiving quite high supplementation. (12mEq a day) He has had vet visits every 10 days to 2 weeks for months as well, and we have run bloodwork and urinalysis and ultrasounds and more bloodwork... trying to figure out what is going on with him. Those tests showed that he also has high sodium and hypertension. (He is also drinking and urinating a lot)
At first we thought he had kidney disease but his values didn’t seem bad enough to be the primary problem. (though we did have a couple of worrisome weeks where his kidney values spiked) Then we thought maybe he was hyperthyroid – but those values were, at worst, “ in the gray zone” for his age… and I was told that we’d just have to recheck him in a few months.
I also found out that feeding him a low-magnesium diet (simply because it was also low phosphorous) may not have been the smartest thing, since that can cause low potassium. (thank you Jess)
Ultimately my vet decided that he probably was in the beginning stages of kidney disease and that he additionally had primary hypertension that was unrelated. I was not convinced.
I found some articles referring to an adrenal gland disorder called Hyperaldosteronism (or sometimes Conn’s Syndrome) that made me suspicious (the symptoms being refractory low potassium, hypertension and high sodium) and I was finally able to convince my vet that it was worth checking out.
Here’s a good link describing Hyperaldosteronism -- http://support.mspca.org/site/PageServe ... osteronism
Although his last ultrasound (done by his regular vet) showed nothing remarkable going on with his adrenal glands - the serum aldosterone test confirmed my suspicion. His level is 675 – with a normal range of 194 -388. My vet has discussed this with some of her collegues and now believes that this is a very underdiagnosed issue.
Although we still are not 100% sure that this is “Primary” Hyperaldosteronism, she said that since we have ruled out kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and heart problems as the primary cause, that it is likely. (Some literature says that a definite diagnoses of primary hyperaldosteronism is not made until the level is 6 times higher than the reference)
So at this point my options are to treat the symptoms as I have been doing (possibly adding Spironolactone) and monitor his values. Or to go see a specialist for a higher resolution look at his adrenal glands and a possible surgical consult if there is anything visible.
Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. It’s taken me a few days to even post this because I don’t know what this really means… I don’t know for sure if there is some sort of abnormal growth on his adrenal gland that is causing this or not – (since we haven’t seen it) and I don’t know if I’d feel better knowing… Surgery of this sort is risky due to the location.
All I know for sure is he seems to be feeling pretty darn good lately … and that I love him to the moon.
Some of you may know that Doodle has been struggling with low potassium for months now - despite receiving quite high supplementation. (12mEq a day) He has had vet visits every 10 days to 2 weeks for months as well, and we have run bloodwork and urinalysis and ultrasounds and more bloodwork... trying to figure out what is going on with him. Those tests showed that he also has high sodium and hypertension. (He is also drinking and urinating a lot)
At first we thought he had kidney disease but his values didn’t seem bad enough to be the primary problem. (though we did have a couple of worrisome weeks where his kidney values spiked) Then we thought maybe he was hyperthyroid – but those values were, at worst, “ in the gray zone” for his age… and I was told that we’d just have to recheck him in a few months.
I also found out that feeding him a low-magnesium diet (simply because it was also low phosphorous) may not have been the smartest thing, since that can cause low potassium. (thank you Jess)
Ultimately my vet decided that he probably was in the beginning stages of kidney disease and that he additionally had primary hypertension that was unrelated. I was not convinced.
I found some articles referring to an adrenal gland disorder called Hyperaldosteronism (or sometimes Conn’s Syndrome) that made me suspicious (the symptoms being refractory low potassium, hypertension and high sodium) and I was finally able to convince my vet that it was worth checking out.
Here’s a good link describing Hyperaldosteronism -- http://support.mspca.org/site/PageServe ... osteronism
Although his last ultrasound (done by his regular vet) showed nothing remarkable going on with his adrenal glands - the serum aldosterone test confirmed my suspicion. His level is 675 – with a normal range of 194 -388. My vet has discussed this with some of her collegues and now believes that this is a very underdiagnosed issue.
Although we still are not 100% sure that this is “Primary” Hyperaldosteronism, she said that since we have ruled out kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and heart problems as the primary cause, that it is likely. (Some literature says that a definite diagnoses of primary hyperaldosteronism is not made until the level is 6 times higher than the reference)
So at this point my options are to treat the symptoms as I have been doing (possibly adding Spironolactone) and monitor his values. Or to go see a specialist for a higher resolution look at his adrenal glands and a possible surgical consult if there is anything visible.
Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. It’s taken me a few days to even post this because I don’t know what this really means… I don’t know for sure if there is some sort of abnormal growth on his adrenal gland that is causing this or not – (since we haven’t seen it) and I don’t know if I’d feel better knowing… Surgery of this sort is risky due to the location.
All I know for sure is he seems to be feeling pretty darn good lately … and that I love him to the moon.
and nice job on your part too 
