Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine ammonia levels linked to kidney health in dogs
By Harris, Autumn N et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Correlation of urine ammonia excretion with renal function in healthy dogs and dogs with chronic kidney disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had lower levels of ammonia in their urine compared to healthy dogs, which may indicate that their kidneys aren't functioning properly. The study found that the amount of ammonia excreted in urine was closely linked to the level of creatinine in their blood, a common marker for kidney health. This suggests that monitoring urine ammonia could help veterinarians assess kidney function in dogs. Understanding these changes can be important for managing CKD in dogs and improving their overall care.
People also search for: dog kidney disease symptoms · how to manage chronic kidney disease in dogs · urine tests for dog kidney function
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Inadequate ammonia excretion is thought to drive the development of metabolic acidosis in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and correlates with worse clinical outcomes, such as faster progression to end-stage kidney disease and increased case fatality. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To determine if urine ammonia-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) correlates with serum creatinine concentration as a renal function marker in healthy dogs and dogs with CKD and whether UACR is altered in the presence of CKD. ANIMALS: The study group comprised 46 healthy and 50 stable International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) Stages 2, 3, and 4 CKD dogs. METHODS: This was a 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 with the Mann-Whitney test. Correlation between UACR and serum renal and electrolyte values was assessed using Spearman's correlation test. Relationships between UACR, renal variables, electrolytes, urine specific gravity, age, and body weight were explored with multiple linear regression. RESULTS: CKD dogs had lower UACR (median 2.2; range 0.9-10.5) than healthy dogs (median 7.1; range 0.7-40.0) (P < .001). UACR was inversely correlated with creatinine concentrations (P < .001, rs = -0.535). 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 in dogs with diminished renal function.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742503/