Page 1359 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

Neck Ventroflexion 684.e3

Advanced or Confirmatory Testing correct factor that predisposed to development • Appropriate thiamin levels in the diet and
• Urinary fractional excretion of potassium of hypokalemia). correct storage of food to prevent thiamin
VetBooks.ir serum magnesium concentration (hypo- Acute and Chronic Treatment • Avoid breeding animals with hereditary Diseases and Disorders
breakdown
• Other metabolic causes of weakness:
magnesemia), blood gas analysis (acid-base
Depends on the underlying cause
disorders.
disturbances) (p. 1295)
• Hepatic encephalopathy: preprandial and Possible Complications Technician Tips
postprandial bile acids testing, blood ammonia Complications are usually associated with the IV potassium rates necessary for correcting
levels (p. 440) underlying primary disease and not with neck severe hypokalemia may cause phlebitis in
• Hyperaldosteronism: plasma aldosterone-to- ventroflexion proper. peripheral veins.
renin ratio, abdominal ultrasound • Generalized weakness: decubital ulcers
• Myasthenia gravis: serum acetylcholine • Hereditary myopathy of Devon rex: dyspha- SUGGESTED READING
receptor antibody titer, repetitive nerve gia, laryngospasm, and asphyxiation Jones BR: Hypokalemic myopathy in cats. In Bona-
stimulation, edrophonium test (p. 668) • Hypokalemic myopathy: respiratory failure gura J, editor: Current veterinary therapy XIII,
• Polymyopathies/neuropathies: electromy- • Myasthenia gravis, organophosphate toxicity: Philadelphia, 2000, WB Saunders, pp 985-987.
ography, nerve conduction velocities, nerve megaesophagus with secondary aspiration
and muscle biopsies, Toxoplasma or Neospora pneumonia ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED
serologic titers, before and after exercise READINGS
electrolyte measurements PROGNOSIS & OUTCOME Kogika MM, et al: A quick reference on hypokalemia.
• Organophosphate intoxication: serum Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 47:229-234,
acetylcholinesterase levels (p. 718) Depends on the underlying cause; varies from 2017.
• Intracranial or cervical disease: spinal survey poor to good LeCouteur RA: Neuropathies, junctionopathies &
radiographs, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) myopathies of dogs and cats. Proceedings of the
analysis, myelography, cervical CT and/or PEARLS & CONSIDERATIONS 2nd Annual Veterinary Neurology Symposium,
MRI, serum vitamin A levels University of California, Davis, 2005.
• Polyarthritis: arthrocentesis Comments Taboada J, et al: Challenging cases in internal medi-
cine: what’s your diagnosis? Vet Med 85:932-950,
• Thiamin deficiency: blood thiamin levels Hypokalemic polymyopathy is the most 1990.
(p. 968) common cause of cervical ventroflexion in
cats. Hypokalemia must be excluded before AUTHOR: Karen M. Tefft, DVM, MVSc, DACVIM
TREATMENT an extensive workup is undertaken. EDITOR: Leah A. Cohn, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Treatment Overview Prevention
Treatment consists of correcting the underly- • Appropriate potassium supplementation in
ing problem (e.g., treat hypokalemia with IV fluids
potassium administration, then identify and

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