Idiopathic immune‐mediated polyarthritis in a dog associated with ionised hypercalcaemia and probable ischaemic dermatopathy

A 5‐year‐old, spayed, female Shiba Inu was presented with a 6‐week history of reduced appetite, lethargy and generalised stiffness, which showed only limited improvement despite anti‐inflammatory treatment. The most significant clinical abnormalities were pyrexia, stiffness, pain on joint manipulation and cutaneous lesions. Laboratory findings revealed mild anaemia, marked neutrophilia and ionised hypercalcaemia. The dog was diagnosed with primary immune‐mediated polyarthritis, associated with ionised hypercalcaemia of unknown origin, which resolved consequently with polyarthritis. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the third case report of ionised hypercalcaemia secondary to immune‐mediated polyarthritis in a dog.