i tried to put her blood test photo on this message but i did not manage
anyway; last december we took her to the vet for only general check and K and Na levels were high then too. that time i used to give her Glycoaid HA which contains lake salt. So, i thought that could be the reason why they are high and i stoped giving it. However, this time Na is ok but K is still up. İf this is lab error i shoud try another lab then. the result is like that; ALT 41 (10-118 U/L) , GLU 91 (60-110 MG/DL), BUN 16 (7-25 MG/DL), CRE 0.6 (0.3-1.4 MG/DL ), Na 156 (138-160 MMOL/L ), K 8.5 (3.7-5.8MMOL/L ), CL 101 (106-120 MMOL/L ), TCO2 22 (12-27 MMOL/L). Thanks...
OK, here is something to keep in mind:
Her Na/K ratio is 18.35. In normal dogs, the Na/K ratio should be greater than 27.1. Dogs with Addison's disease have an Na/K ratio of less than 27.1, so I'd want to consider some further investigation about this. There is still the chance that the serum sample was improperly handled and there was hemolysis. This is not the fault of the lab, and usually there is a note on the report if hemolysis has occurred. Symptoms of Addison's disease can be very vague and mild, but a dog can experience a crisis called an "Addisonian crash." I'm not saying that I think she has Addison's, but I just noticed that little red flag, and it would be good for you to be aware of this potential so you can be watchful. If you and your vet have any concerns, you can run an ACTH stimulation test to rule the disease in or out. I'm pasting some quotes with links:
"A helpful diagnostic parameter is
a narrow sodium/potassium ratio. A healthy dog
shows a ratio from >27:1 to 40:1, whereas the
ratio in dogs suffering from Addison’s disease is
< 27:1 (<25:1). In so called atypical Addison’s
disease about 10 % of dogs with primary
hypoadrenocorticism have serum levels of
sodium and potassium within the normal range.
To avoid incorrect interpretations the submitted
serum sample must be free of hemolysis and
spun down when sent to the lab.
Pseudohyperkalemia (this means a falsely elevated
potassium result) can falsify the result and is
caused by hemolysis, prolonged shipping and is
seen in dogs with extreme thrombocytosis and
leucocytosis."
http://www.laboklin.de/pdf/en/aktuell/lab_akt_0906_en.pdf
http://www.2ndchance.info/addison's.htm
(Another red flag - note the symptom of joint problems in the above link. And note that Addison's is often not diagnosed for some time because of the vague symptoms.)
http://www.k9addisons.com/clinical_implications_of_sodium_potassium_ratios_in_dogs.pdf
BUT, this article talks about the Na/K ratio being misleading in diagnosing Addison's and note what it says about patellar luxation and electrolyte imbalances.
So.........it's not very clear cut, is it? But it's good for you to be aware of the potential of Addison's so you can be watchful.
Pat