Abstract
Changes in the blood calcium and phosphorus in dogs were investigated, both before and after complete thyro-parathyroidectomy. While it was found that tetany occurred at varying levels of calcium concentration, there was always a definite mathematical relation between the concentrations of the two elements when symptoms first appeared. In normal animals the Ca:P ratio ranged between 1.5 and 2.0. After operation there was progressive reduction in this ratio until the first attack of tetany, when it was always approximately 1.0. Occasionally, there was an increase after spontaneous recovery from an attack, but usually there was a progressive decrease with each successive attack until death occurred. Treatment by any of the established methods restored the ratio, but symptoms always disappeared long before there was any extensive readjustment of the ratio. The following table illustrates the relationship:
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.