POTENTIAL CAUSES OF HYPOKALEMIA IN CATS  2000w

Myopathy is a disease that affects either muscles, or muscle tissues, whether it be cardiac, skeletal or smooth muscle tissue (Harari 2019). Muscular myopathies may present in for several reasons. This could be due to electrolyte imbalances caused by nutritional deficiencies or superfluities, such as hypokalemia and hyperkalemia respectively (Chawla 2011). Myopathies can also present due to other reasons such as cancer, inflammation, poisons, muscular injury as well as other metabolic disorders.

Hypokalemic polymyopathy is a disorder commonly defined and characterized as generalized muscle weakness (Harari 2019). This muscle weakness is usually painless (Chawla 2011). Another clinical sign that usually presents in felines is ventroflexion of the head (Phillips & Polzin 1998). Ventroflexion of the head is described as the flexion of the neck or cervical spine towards the ventral surface. Additional clinical signs include a stilt gait that is stiff (Phillips & Polzin 1998). Physiologically, cardiac arrhythmias may be present, and increase in severity with regards to the progression and severity of the disease (Phillips & Polzin 1998).

It arises as a secondary disorder to hypokalemia (Harari 2019). The results of having hypokalemia extracellularly, causes the cell membrane of muscles to hyperpolarize, which then cause “secondary excessive permeability to sodium” (Harari 2019). The end result is the hypopolarization of muscle cells ensuing in eventual muscle weakness (Harari 2019).

For all intents and purposes hypokalemia with regards to myopathy in felines will be discussed. Within the body there exists a potassium balance. This is dictated by the total intake and absorption of potassium within the gastrointestinal tract (which goes unregulated) of the animal and the total excretion of the ion by the urogenital system of the animal, more specifically, the renal system (Constable 2019). Potassium is transported both actively and passively in gastrointestinal tract. It moves passively through the small intestine and actively in the colon by way of the hormone aldosterone (Constable 2019). Aldosterone is an instrumental hormone with regards to the excretion of potassium (Constable 2019). It is released by the adrenal gland, to combat the presence of hyperkalemia within the body (Constable 2019).