Hypercalcemia is defined as a total serum calcium concentration greater than 11 mg/dl in the cat and 12 mg/dl in the dog. Hypercalcemia can have many etiologies. It is important to be very thorough when investigating the cause. Differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia includes: • Lymphoma • Anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma • Multiple myeloma • Lymphocytic leukemia • Various carcinomas • Metastatic bone tumors • Addison’s disease • Primary hyperparathyroidism • Acute or chronic renal failure • Granulomatous diseases • Vitamin D toxicosis • Osteomyelitis (bacterial or fungal) • Juvenile patient • Sampling error (lipemia, hemolysis) • Lab error <HOME>
