Serum Sodium, Potassium and Chloride after Suprarenalectomy in Cats with Diabetes Insipidus

The external symptoms of suprarenal insufficiency in cats with diabetes insipidus are the same as in those animals with only the suprarenals removed, except that the symptoms develop more rapidly in the former. The serum electrolyte changes, however, are different; there is no consistent or marked decrease in the concentration of sodium or chloride following suprarenalectomy in cats with diabetes insipidus, but there is the usual increase in the concentration of potassium. It is suggested that this indicates that changes in sodium are less characteristic of suprarenal insufficiency than are disturbances of potassium metabolism or distribution. A possible inter-relationship between the suprarenal cortex and the posterior lobe of the pituitary as salt-regulating mechanisms is discussed.