What causes high ammonia in my cat before spay and what does it mean?

Question

My vet performed an ammonia test on my 9 month old cat right before they were about to spay her. They were required to call and tell me the results before the surgery began - her ammonia levels were high, and the cause was unknown but they began the surgery anyway and said it should be fine and they’ll discuss it after. The surgery is currently going, so I am trying to figure out what the cause might be for high ammonia levels and what it means. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 9 months and 5 days old | 7 lbs

Laura Johnson VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be helpful to know WHY your Vet wanted an ammonia level as that is not a routine thing to check. The most common reason to check an ammonia level is to help determine if the animal has a porto-systemic shunt which is an abnormal vessel that by passes the liver resulting in neurologic abnormalities in the animal. Other reasons for a high ammonia is liver disease/failure, kidney disease or a high protein diet. Hemolysis or poor handling (very sensitive) of the sample can artificially elevated the ammonia. I would discuss further with your vet. I wish Ava the best!

What causes high ammonia in my cat before spay and what does it mean?

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