Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with high ammonia from vitamin B12 absorption problem
By Watanabe, Takayuki et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2012·Mitsuke Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hyperammonaemia due to cobalamin malabsorption in a cat with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old domestic shorthair cat was brought in because it was not eating, seemed very tired, and was drooling excessively. Tests showed that the cat had high levels of ammonia in its blood, but no liver issues or shunts were found. The cat was diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), which meant it couldn't absorb vitamin B12 properly. After receiving vitamin B12 injections for five weeks, the cat's condition improved, with better blood levels of B12 and lower ammonia levels.
People also search for: cat not eating lethargy drooling · cat vitamin B12 deficiency treatment · exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cats
Abstract
A 10-year-old domestic shorthair cat showed anorexia, lethargy and ptyalism with hyperammonaemia. Portosystemic shunts were not identified by computed tomography angiography. Biopsy results revealed mild interstinal nephritis and no lesion in the liver. Analysis of urine revealed the presence of a high methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentration. Serum cobalamin (vitamin B(12)) and serum feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity levels were also markedly low. The cat was diagnosed as having exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). After 5 weeks of parenteral cobalamin supplementation, serum cobalamin concentration had increased and urinary MMA concentration had decreased. This case suggests that hyperammonaemia may be caused by accumulation of MMA due to cobalamin malabsorption secondary to feline EPI.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22907395/