Hypokalaemic myopathy in Burmese kittens

Authors: Jones BR, Swinney GW, Alley MR
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 36, Issue 3, pp 150-151, Sep 1988
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cat, Companion animal
Subject Terms: Biochemistry/chemistry, Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Locomotor, Muscle/myology, Disease/defect
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Since 1984 there have been a number of reports of polymyopathy in cats characterised by clinical signs of generalised weakness of the limb and neck muscles. In most of these cases the polymyopathy was associated with a concurrent hypokalaemia. A direct causal relationship was not established in one series of cases, but in the second excessive urine potassium loss with decreased potassium intake was suspected. It was concluded by these authors that increased urinary potassium secretion was a basic response to renal dysfunction in cats. Periodic muscle weakness has also been recognised in young Burmese kittens (10 weeks to one year) which was characterised by ventroflexion of the neck, elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) activity and intermittent hypokalaemia…

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