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Primary Hyperparathyroidism in German Shepherd Dogs: A Disorder of Probable Genetic Origin

Primary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed in two German shepherd pups from a litter of four females. Clinical signs were apparent by two weeks of age and included stunted growth, muscular weakness, and polydipsia/polyuria. Radiography revealed diffuse reduction in bone density. Both pups had marked hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, increased plasma immunoreactive parathyroid hormone concentrations and increased fractional clearance of inorganic phosphate in the urine. Intravenous infusion of one affected pup with calcium gluconate failed to suppress the plasma concentration of immunoreactive parathyroid hormone, suggesting autonomous secretion of parathyroid hormone. Necropsy of the other pup at eight weeks of age revealed diffuse hyperplasia of parathyroid chief cells, nodular hyperplasia of thyroid C-cells, skeletal alterations consistent with fibrous osteodystrophy, hypercalcemic nephropathy, and extensive mineralization of the lungs and gastric mucosa. The dam and sire were half sibs. One male pup from a previous litter of six had developed similar clinical signs and radiographic lesions, suggesting autosomal recessive inheritance. This is the first report of hereditary primary hyperparathyroidism in domestic animals, a disease which may be analogous to hereditary neonatal primary hyperparathyroidism in children.