Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease

ABSTRACT Background Inadequate ammonia excretion is thought to drive the development of metabolic acidosis in people with CKD and to correlate with worse outcomes. Objectives To determine if urine ammonia‐to‐creatinine ratio (UACR) correlates with serum creatinine as a renal function marker in healt...

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Main Authors: Eleanor E. Brown, Kirsten L. Cooke, Rebeca A. Castro, Alexis Cooper, Andrew J. Specht, Autumn N. Harris
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70142
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author Eleanor E. Brown
Kirsten L. Cooke
Rebeca A. Castro
Alexis Cooper
Andrew J. Specht
Autumn N. Harris
author_facet Eleanor E. Brown
Kirsten L. Cooke
Rebeca A. Castro
Alexis Cooper
Andrew J. Specht
Autumn N. Harris
author_sort Eleanor E. Brown
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Background Inadequate ammonia excretion is thought to drive the development of metabolic acidosis in people with CKD and to correlate with worse outcomes. Objectives To determine if urine ammonia‐to‐creatinine ratio (UACR) correlates with serum creatinine as a renal function marker in healthy cats and cats with CKD and whether UACR is related to the presence of CKD. Animals The study group comprised 74 healthy and 45 stable IRIS stage 2–4 CKD cats. Methods Prospective, single‐time point study. Serum biochemistry variables were measured. Urinary ammonia and creatinine concentrations were measured and used to calculate UACR. Group comparisons were made using the Mann–Whitney test. Correlation between UACR concentrations and serum renal and electrolyte values used Spearman's correlation test. Relationships between UACR, renal variables, electrolytes, urine specific gravity, age, and body weight were explored with multiple linear regression. Results Chronic kidney disease cats (median 4.2; range 0.6–9.2) had lower UACR than healthy cats (median 7.6; range 3.0–23.7; p < 0.01). UACR was inversely correlated with creatinine concentration (p < 0.01, rs = −0.545). The relationship between UACR and creatinine persisted after controlling for age, body weight, electrolytes, renal functional variables, and urine‐specific gravity. Conclusions and Clinical Importance These findings suggest that ammonia excretion is impaired with declining renal function.
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spelling doaj-art-b9da27fa936740269c57065e55aa23f72025-08-20T03:09:11ZengWileyJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine0891-66401939-16762025-05-01393n/an/a10.1111/jvim.70142Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney DiseaseEleanor E. Brown0Kirsten L. Cooke1Rebeca A. Castro2Alexis Cooper3Andrew J. Specht4Autumn N. Harris5Austin Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Austin Texas USADepartment of Small Animal Clinical Science University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Small Animal Clinical Science University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Small Animal Clinical Science University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Small Animal Clinical Science University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Small Animal Clinical Science University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville Florida USAABSTRACT Background Inadequate ammonia excretion is thought to drive the development of metabolic acidosis in people with CKD and to correlate with worse outcomes. Objectives To determine if urine ammonia‐to‐creatinine ratio (UACR) correlates with serum creatinine as a renal function marker in healthy cats and cats with CKD and whether UACR is related to the presence of CKD. Animals The study group comprised 74 healthy and 45 stable IRIS stage 2–4 CKD cats. Methods Prospective, single‐time point study. Serum biochemistry variables were measured. Urinary ammonia and creatinine concentrations were measured and used to calculate UACR. Group comparisons were made using the Mann–Whitney test. Correlation between UACR concentrations and serum renal and electrolyte values used Spearman's correlation test. Relationships between UACR, renal variables, electrolytes, urine specific gravity, age, and body weight were explored with multiple linear regression. Results Chronic kidney disease cats (median 4.2; range 0.6–9.2) had lower UACR than healthy cats (median 7.6; range 3.0–23.7; p < 0.01). UACR was inversely correlated with creatinine concentration (p < 0.01, rs = −0.545). The relationship between UACR and creatinine persisted after controlling for age, body weight, electrolytes, renal functional variables, and urine‐specific gravity. Conclusions and Clinical Importance These findings suggest that ammonia excretion is impaired with declining renal function.https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70142acid–baseassayfelinekidneyrenal physiology
spellingShingle Eleanor E. Brown
Kirsten L. Cooke
Rebeca A. Castro
Alexis Cooper
Andrew J. Specht
Autumn N. Harris
Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
acid–base
assay
feline
kidney
renal physiology
title Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
title_full Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
title_fullStr Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
title_full_unstemmed Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
title_short Correlation of Urine Ammonia Excretion With Renal Function in Healthy Cats and Cats With Kidney Disease
title_sort correlation of urine ammonia excretion with renal function in healthy cats and cats with kidney disease
topic acid–base
assay
feline
kidney
renal physiology
url https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70142
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