AUTHOR=Fantinati Marco , Priymenko Nathalie 

TITLE=Managing Feline Idiopathic Hypercalcemia With Chia Seeds (Salvia hispanica L.): A Case Series

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00421

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2020.00421

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> We describe for the first time the use of chia seeds (<italic>Salvia hispanica</italic> L.) as a non-pharmacological solution in managing feline idiopathic hypercalcemia when dietary change alone fails.</p><p><bold>Case Summary:</bold> Over a 2-year period of time, three female spayed, middle-aged, Domestic Shorthair cats were diagnosed with idiopathic hypercalcemia. Reason for consultation were lethargy and dysorexia, with a single episode of vomiting described in one cat and dysuria in another. Thorough diagnostic work-up included complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, ionized calcium, calcemic hormones, parathyroid hormone-related protein, and imaging of chest and abdomen. Based on different nutritional reasons, each cat was switched to a different high-moisture pet food as first-step in managing the disorder: a high-fiber diet, a diet formulated for chronic kidney disease management and a diet designed to prevent calcium oxalate urolithiasis. In the three cats, 6 weeks of dietary change alone did not result in normocalcemia. Before resorting to any pharmacological solution, supplementation to the diet of chia seeds (2 g/cat/day) was started. After 4 weeks from the introduction of <italic>Salvia hispanica</italic> L., all cats achieved normalization of ionized calcium concentration.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Chia seeds (<italic>Salvia hispanica</italic> L.) supplementation could be a useful tool in managing feline idiopathic hypercalcemia.</p>