CASE REPORT article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1579965
This article is part of the Research TopicCase Reports in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, Volume IIView all articles
Hypodipsic hypernatremia secondary to hydrocephalus in a dog Maddisen W Antes
Provisionally accepted
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
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A 6-year-old male castrated golden retriever presented for inappetence, lethargy and progressive obtundation. A chemistry panel showed hypernatremia (>190mmol/L) and hyperchloremia (157 mmol/L). Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed severe congenital hydrocephalus with compression of major brain structures including marked thinning of gray and white matter of the prosencephalon. Results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were within reference range.A hypodipsic hypernatremia was suspected secondary to dysregulation of the osmoreceptors controlling the thirst center due to progression of hydrocephalus. The dog was treated with intravenous (IV) fluids to slowly reduce the hypernatremia over several days. Mental status improved with normalization of the blood sodium level. Increased stress due to a long car ride and change in routine was likely the cause ofmay have been the catalyst for the hypodipsia.Hypodipsic hypernatremia is a rare complication to hydrocephalus and should be on the differential list when a sudden change in mentation occurs in dogs with hydrocephalus.
Keywords: Hypernatremia, Hypodipsia, Hydrocephalus, mentation, dog
Received: 19 Feb 2025; Accepted: 22 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Antes, Corona and Rylander. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Helena Rylander, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
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