Hypercalcemia after nephrectomy in the dog: role of the kidneys and parathyroid glands.

Abstract

(1) the increase in total serum calcium after bilateral nephrectomy in the dog is not accompanied by an increase in ionized calcium; (2) intact parathyroid function is necessary for the increase in total calcium and for the maintenance of ionized calcium after nephrectomy; (3) the presence of the kidneys in the ureteral ligation model prevents the rise in total serum calcium and allows a fall in ionized calcium.